Abstract
Raudhatain field located in North Kuwait produces hydrocarbons from over 230 wells into Gathering Center X with varying complex geometries, completions and downhole equipment. NK asset team is executing a project of modeling the entire NK production system starting with wells in Raudhatain field producing to GC-X, involving building models for the wells and the gathering surface network of flow lines.
There are numerous challenges that the NK asset team is facing in meeting production targets, including controlling water/gas breakthrough in horizontal wells. Mitigation measures include installation of inflow control devices (ICDs). Since inception a decade ago this proven technology has long been used in many oilfields around the world and is increasingly being installed in horizontal wells in Kuwait. To date there are several horizontal wells in Raudhatain field completed with ICDs.
Reservoir modeling and simulation approach is frequently used in the industry capturing the behavior of existing ICD wells. This approach uses conventional modeling tools that are typically more intricate and require expert skills in capturing the dynamic behavior of the wellbore and the reservoir which is less appealing to the operations and practicing engineers.
Limited with time and resources in this project, the NK team took a relatively simpler and fast approach in modeling existing ICD wells in Raudhatain field with the aim of enabling the engineers to capture the behaviour of the wells using existing production engineering tools at their disposal.
The approach can be summarized as follows:
- ➢
Establishing the well performance
- ➢
Modeling the individual ICD sections in accordance to the approximate flow distribution/geometry along the horizontal well
- ➢
Matching the well with well test data
Key benefits of this approach are:
- ➢
Enabling the engineers to quickly model the ICD wells.
- ➢
Facilitated the use of existing tools to deliver engineering models fit for use in the production system.
- ➢
Serves the purpose of high level modeling of complex ICD wells and in the future this exercise will certainly be undertaken to capture wellbore hydraulic effects.
- ➢
ICD well models are timely added into the gathering network which would otherwise have been delayed using a conventional method.
