Abstract
The main objective of this paper is to present a model based integration platform to perform 60+ oil wells optimization in PETROBRAS Urucu field (Solimões Basin, Amazon Rain Forest), while honoring operational constraints on wells, production separators, pipelines, and total field gas processing capacity.
The solution was built based on current technologies of modeling gas and water coning in the high-permeability reservoirs of Urucu, including detailed 3D finite-difference well models automatically history matched to production data, and empirical models based on fundamental flow theory. The well models have been integrated into a prototype solution to simultaneously solve for all 60+ optimal well rate controls. The optimization scheme should determine the optimum setting of well control (e.g. liquid rate) of all the wells in the field and advise on production management of each individual well. The developed concept is presented in the paper.
Another important development presented is a virtual metering modeling that estimates production rate of each well, based on real time data of pressure and temperature measurements on wellhead.
The Urucu field optimization strategy relies intensively on the engineering work related to process and technology. An international and multidisciplinary group including academic collaboration was established to compose the various knowledge needed to embrace the challenge.
