Abstract
Over 70% of an onshore Saudi Arabian field maximum reservoir contact labeled wells are equipped with smart well completions; mainly to control undesirable effluent production. Several optimization best practices are routinely conducted through extensive sophisticated rate testing operations that are combined with the utilization of deployed intelligent devices. This entails the optimal setting of ICVs for ideal production and restriction of high gas or water laterals to determine their productivity indexes (PIs) and revive dead laterals.
This paper documents the utilization of Netool in evaluating smart well contributions. A case study will be thoroughly discussed whereby a smart trilateral producer with flow meter log results exhibits unexpected flow contributions. Netool was used to evaluate the flow meter log to optimize the inflow control valve (ICV) settings. The model was validated with the actual flow rates of individual laterals. Moreover, Netool was utilized in evaluating and analyzing the current completion practices in terms of the spacing between the ICVs and the optimum blank pipe size.
The results of the model contradict the flow meter log results. Several, rate tests were completed in the well resulting in more confidence in the model results. New proposed ICV settings balanced the flow rate and the pressure draw down between the three laterals. The paper will show that the greater the increase in the distance between the ICVs the greater the variance in the laterals contribution. The optimum spacing providing more balanced flow contribution came to be 300 ft. Sensitivity analysis was conducted over the blank pipe sizes, proving that a reduction of 40% pressure drop can be accomplished through having larger blank pipe between the ICVs from 3 ½" to 4½".
