Abstract
Horizontal wells can increase a reservoir's drainage area and hydrocarbon recovery, but they pose challenges such as early water breakthrough, high water cut and low oil recovery. Water production continues to increase until the economic limit of the well is reached. In a thin-layer water drive reservoir, in particular, the key factors are controlling water coning, extending the water-free production period and controlling water production post breakthrough.
This paper details the challenges faced working in horizontal wells, an optimized reservoir Passive Inflow Control Devices (PICDs, called ICD in this paper) mechanism to address such challenges and reservoir simulation analysis in the application of ICDs in China South Sea.
Two dynamic reservoir models were built with the same reservoir property inputs but with two well completion types: standalone screen (SAS) completion and ICDs completion. Through the daily oil and water production, cumulative oil and water production, 3D water movement, the performance of an ICD completion were evaluated. The simulation results demonstrate the added value of the ICD completion system compared to a standalone screen completion production and increased oil in a thin-layer bottom water driver reservoir.
