The last decade has been marked by the emergence of intelligent field technologies. Many E&P companies have moved from the piloting and trial-testing mode towards strategic implementation demonstrating that these technologies have shown their capabilities. While the current deployment of these technologies represents only a small fraction of the overall installation, the trend is indicative of the shifting of attitudes and preferences within companies. Among those companies, Saudi Aramco has deployed fit-for-purpose technologies such as intelligent wells equipped with multiple downhole valves, as part of its best-in-class practices (Figure 1). Continuous assessment of these technologies is important to provide reassurance on their values.

The resulting performance of this technology is a function of multiple factors spanning from reservoir parameters, completion schemes to surface infrastructure. Understanding and assessing the impact of these factors is complex due to the wide variation of variables.

This article summarizes the lessons learned from more than one hundred deployments in wells equipped with multiple downhole valves. These lessons illustrate the advantages of these applications and should provide insight for improved performance. As there is no "one size fits all," then proper design should be emphasized for maximum effectiveness.

Keywords:
implementation, lateral, multiple downhole valve, cross flow, saudi aramco, variation, production monitoring, optimization, production control, multilateral well
Subjects:
Drilling Operations, Well & Reservoir Surveillance and Monitoring, Formation Evaluation & Management, Asset and Portfolio Management, Professionalism, Training, and Education, Information Management and Systems, Directional drilling, Production logging, Downhole and wellsite flow metering, Field development optimization and planning
Copyright 2009, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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