Method and systems for analysis of hydraulically-fractured reservoirs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10422220-B2
Application number	US-201615145472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2016
Priority date	May 3, 2016
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

Various methods and well systems are provided for characterizing a hydraulically-fractured hydrocarbon-bearing formation that is traversed by a well partitioned into a number of intervals. The methods and well systems analyze surface flow characteristics of fluid that flows from the well (for example, using a multiphase flow meter) in order to characterize local formation properties for one or more intervals for one or more intervals (or other sections) of the well.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for characterizing a hydraulically-fractured hydrocarbon-bearing formation that is traversed by a well having a plurality of fracturing sleeves, the method comprising:
i) using a downhole tool to open or close a set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well;
ii) after opening or closing the set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well, analyzing surface flow characteristics of produced fluid that flows from the well back to a surface-located facility; and
iii) deriving at least one local formation property that characterizes the hydraulically-fractured formation adjacent the set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well based on the surface flow characteristics.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the surface flow characteristics of the produced fluid are measured by a surface-located multiphase flow meter.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the surface flow characteristics of the produced fluid comprise flow rates for different phases of the produced fluid.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the different phases of the produced fluid are selected from the group consisting of: an oil phase, a gas phase, a water phase and a solid phase.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the surface flow characteristics of the produced fluid are analyzed to determine at least one flow contribution that flows through the set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well, and the flow contribution is used to derive the at least one local formation property that characterizes the hydraulically-fractured formation adjacent the set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the surface flow characteristics of the produced fluid are analyzed together with downhole pressure measurements of the produced fluid in order to determine the at least one flow contribution that flows through the set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
modeling and nodal analysis is used to analyze the surface flow characteristics of the produced fluid and the downhole pressure measurements of the produced fluid in order to determine the at least one flow contribution that flows through the set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one local formation property that characterizes the hydraulically-fractured formation adjacent the set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well is evaluated in order to determine whether to selectively close or open the set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
in the event that the at least one local formation property that characterizes the hydraulically-fractured formation adjacent the set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well provides an indication of a depleted formation or formation or well damage, the set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well are closed or left closed.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
repeating operations of i) through iii) for at least one additional set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well in order to derive at least one local formation property that characterizes the hydraulically-fractured formation adjacent the at least one additional set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well.

11. A method for characterizing a hydraulically-fractured hydrocarbon-bearing formation that is traversed by a well that is partitioned into a plurality of well intervals, the method comprising:
i) using a downhole packer to isolate a set of one or more well intervals that are upstream from the packer from one or more well intervals that are downstream from the packer, wherein the set of one or more well intervals that are upstream from the packer are in fluid communication with a surface facility, while the one or more well intervals downstream from the packer are fluidly isolated and decoupled from the surface facility;
ii) after isolating the set of one or more well intervals that are upstream from the packer, analyzing surface flow characteristics of produced fluid that flows from the well back to the surface facility; and
iii) deriving at least one local formation property that characterizes the hydraulically-fractured formation adjacent the set of one or more well intervals that are upstream from the packer based on the surface flow characteristics.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the surface flow characteristics of the produced fluid are measured by a surface-located multiphase flow meter.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the surface flow characteristics of the produced fluid comprise flow rates for different phases of the produced fluid.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the different phases of the produced fluid are selected from the group consisting of: an oil phase, a gas phase, a water phase and a solid phase.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the surface flow characteristics of the produced fluid are analyzed to determine at least one flow contribution that flows through the set of one or more well intervals that are upstream from the packer, and the flow contribution is used to derive the at least one local formation property that characterizes the hydraulically-fractured formation adjacent the set of one or more well intervals that are upstream from the packer.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the surface flow characteristics of the produced fluid are analyzed together with downhole pressure measurements of the produced fluid in order to determine the at least one flow contribution that flows through the set of one or more well intervals that are upstream from the packer.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
modeling and nodal analysis is used to analyze the surface flow characteristics of the produced fluid and the downhole pressure measurements of the produced fluid in order to determine the at least one flow contribution that flows through the set of one or more well intervals that are upstream from the packer.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the at least one local formation property that characterizes the hydraulically-fractured formation adjacent the set of one or more well intervals that are upstream from the packer is evaluated in order to determine whether to selectively seal the set of one or more well intervals that upstream from the packer.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
in the event that the at least one local formation property that characterizes the hydraulically-fractured formation adjacent the set of one or more well intervals that are upstream from the packer provides an indication of a depleted formation or formation or well damage, the set of one or more well intervals that are upstream from the packer are sealed by application of a sealing agent; otherwise, a set of one or more fracturing sleeves of the well are opened or left opened.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
repeating operations of i) through iii) for at least one additional set of one or more well intervals in order to derive at least one local formation property that characterizes the hydraulically-fractured formation adjacent the at least one additional set of one or more well intervals.

21. A method for characterizing a hydraulically-fractured hydrocarbon-bearing formation that is traversed by a well that is partitioned into a plurality of well intervals, t

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Enkababian Philippe
• Potapenko Dmitriy

Classifications

• E21B2200/06

  Sleeve valves · CPC title

• G06F2113/14

  Pipes · CPC title

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• E21B49/086 Primary

  Withdrawing samples at the surface · CPC title

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title