Method, system, and optimization technique to improve oil reservoir recovery in the Water-Alternating-Gas injection process by using downhole control valves (WAG-CV)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10428632-B2
Application number	US-201314893931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2013
Priority date	Aug 30, 2013
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A system for Water-Alternating-Gas (WAG) injection for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) includes a mechanical well configured to enable multi-point selective injection for water and gas. The system further includes an optimization engine configured to calculate reservoir flow dynamics and selectively inject water and gas via the mechanical well according to reservoir flow dynamics.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system for Water-Alternating-Gas (WAG) injection for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) comprising:
a mechanical well to enable multi-point selective injection for water and gas via a plurality of injection points along the mechanical well, wherein the mechanical well includes a first system for delivery of water and a second system for delivery of gas, a horizontal section of the mechanical well includes perforations for the delivery of water and gas, and the horizontal section is divided into subsections corresponding to the plurality of injection points by isolation packers such that a first subsection of the subsections delivers water while a second subsection of the subsections adjacent to the first subsection delivers gas; and
an optimization engine to calculate reservoir flow dynamics and selectively inject at least one of water or gas via each of the plurality of injection points along the mechanical well according to the calculated reservoir flow dynamics.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the calculation performed by the optimization engine includes a determination of an optimization technique, the optimization technique including use of a 3D numerical simulator that couples the well, Interval Control Valves (ICVs), and reservoir flow dynamics in a computer model.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the optimization technique determines when to open and close each of the ICVs to ensure a desired selectivity of water and gas injection via the plurality of injection points along the horizontal section of the mechanical well and thereby perform the multi-point selective injection of water and gas.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first system for the delivery of water includes a casing that receives water, the casing surrounds a tube that receives gas, and the tube is included as part of the second system for the delivery of gas.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the mechanical well includes a port selection valve for each of the subsections, the port selection valve configured to provide for the injection of water or gas in each of the subsections.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the port selection valve includes a gas bypass port, a first water bypass port, and a second water bypass port.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the port selection valve includes a spool valve, and the spool valve is used to turn flow off and on for the gas bypass port and each of the first and second water bypass ports.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the port selection valve and the spool valve for each of the subsections along the horizontal section of the mechanical well are automatically controlled according to the reservoir flow dynamics calculated by the optimization engine.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the spool valve has a first, second, and third orientation, the first orientation characterized by providing flow of water out of perforations of a subsection of the subsections associated with the port selection valve; the second orientation characterized by providing flow of gas out of perforations of the subsection of the subsections associated with the port selection valve; and the third orientation characterized by providing no flow out of perforations of the subsection of the subsections associated with the port selection valve.

10. A method of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) using Water-Alternating-Gas (WAG) injection, the method comprising:
providing a mechanical well to enable multi-point selective injection for water and gas via a plurality of injection points along the mechanical well, wherein the mechanical well includes a first system for delivery of water and a second system for delivery of gas, a horizontal section of the mechanical well includes perforations for the delivery of water and gas, and the horizontal section is divided into subsections corresponding to the plurality of injection points by isolation packers such that a first subsection of the subsections delivers water while a second subsection of the subsections adjacent to the first subsection delivers gas;
calculating reservoir flow dynamics using an optimization engine; and
selectively injecting at least one of water or gas via each of the plurality of injection points along the mechanical well according to the calculated reservoir flow dynamics.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the calculating performed by the optimization engine includes determining an optimization technique, the optimization technique including use of a 3D numerical simulator that couples the well, Interval Control Valves (ICVs), and reservoir flow dynamics in a computer model.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the optimization technique provides how to open and close each of the ICVs to ensure a desired selectivity of water and gas injection via the plurality of injection points along the horizontal section of the mechanical well and thereby perform the selective injecting.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first system for the delivery of water includes a casing that receives water, the casing surrounds a tube that receives gas, and the tube is included as part of the second system for the delivery of gas.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a port selection valve is included for each of the subsections, the port selection valve configured to provide for the injection of water or gas in each of the subsections.

15. A mechanical well for use in multi-point selective injection for water and gas, comprising:
a first system for delivery of water and a second system for delivery of gas, the first system including a casing for receiving water, and the second system including a tube surrounded by the casing for receiving gas;
a horizontal section of the mechanical well includes perforations for the delivery of water and gas;
isolation packers, the horizontal section is divided into subsections corresponding to the perforations by the isolation packers, such that a first subsection of the subsections delivers water while a second subsection of the subsections delivers gas, the first subsection being adjacent to the second subsection; and
a port selection valve to selectively inject at least one of water or gas via the corresponding perforations in each of the subsections along the horizontal section of the mechanical well.

16. The mechanical well of claim 15 , wherein the port selection valve is automatically controlled to provide for the selective injection of water or gas in each of the subsections according to reservoir flow dynamics calculated by an optimization engine coupled to the mechanical well.

17. The mechanical well of claim 16 , wherein the port selection valve includes a gas bypass port, a first water bypass port, and a second water bypass port.

18. The mechanical well of claim 17 , wherein the port selection valve includes a spool valve, the spool valve positioned and configured to turn flow off and on for the gas bypass port and each of the first and second water bypass ports.

19. The mechanical well of claim 18 , wherein the spool valve has a first, second, and third orientation, the first orientation characterized by providing flow of water out of perforations of a subsection of the subsections associated with the port selection valve; the second orientation characterized by providing flow of gas out of perforations of the subsection of the subsections associated with the port selection valve; and the third orientation characterized by providing no flow out of perforations of the subsection of the subsections associated with the port selection valve

Assignees

• Landmark Graphics Corp

Inventors

• Carvajal Gustavo
• Konopczynski Michael
• Chacon Alejandro
• Knabe Steven

Classifications

• E21B34/06

  in wells · CPC title

• E21B43/12 Primary

  Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells (E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00) · CPC title

• E21B43/166 Primary

  Injecting a gaseous medium; Injecting a gaseous medium and a liquid medium (CO2 injection E21B43/164; steam injection E21B43/24) · CPC title

• E21B33/12

  Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) · CPC title

• G05D7/0676

  by action on flow sources (G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence) · CPC title