Multilateral well optimization and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10443359-B2
Application number	US-201715591790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2017
Priority date	Jul 28, 2016
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

Provided are methodologies and systems employing an array of independently operated flow control valves at an uphole location in each of a plurality of legs of a multilateral well to facilitate resolution and effective execution of efficient production plan and to improve performance. Along each leg of the multilateral well, a flow-control valve may be located downhole of a confluence between the respective leg and another leg and uphole of the well completion portion (production and/or injection component) of the respective leg. Each valve is operable independently of each other and of any valving in the completion component. Data regarding the nature and rate of production from each leg may be acquired from downhole sensors located at or about each flow control valve. The acquired data may be processed through a reservoir-well computerized model to resolve optimal valve settings across the valve array.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system operative in a multilateral well comprising a plurality of legs and a completion component at a location along each of the legs operative to produce a production flow into the respective leg, the system comprising:
a multilateral flow control valve array comprising;
a flow control valve at a location along each of the legs, the location in an uphole relation to the completion component of the respective leg and for each respective leg, a confluence between the respective leg and a second leg is in an uphole relation to the valve of the respective leg; and
a control arrangement to adjust a setting of each flow control valve independently of one another and independently of operation of the completion components; wherein the control arrangement further monitors for an indicator of a negative production event among the lateral legs.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control arrangement includes a reservoir-well simulation and is programmed to establish respective valve sizes and initial valve settings of the control valves of the multilateral well upon a running of the reservoir-well simulation with an input of a production target.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the adjustable valve setting comprises a value indicative of a percentile opening of the respective flow control valve.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the negative production event comprises any of a water production, a gas production, a sand production, a compaction and a combination of any of the foregoing.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the control arrangement is programmed upon a detection of a negative production event in an affected one of the lateral legs, to change the respective valve setting to a value in the range of 0 to 100% open in the affected lateral leg such that an uplift in production is predicted.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the control arrangement is programmed upon a detection of a negative production event in an affected one of the lateral legs, to reduce the respective valve setting to approximately 20% open or less in the affected lateral leg.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the control arrangement is programmed to produce a production forecast comprising simulated well performance over time as a function of simulated valve sizes and simulated valve settings of simulated, flow control valves.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the locations of the respective leg and second leg flow control valves are downhole of the confluence of the respective and second legs.

9. A method of optimizing production from a multilateral well comprising:
producing along a production portion of each lateral leg of the multilateral well;
operating a flow control valve at a location along each lateral leg of the multilateral well, the location in an uphole relation to the production portion of the respective lateral leg;
comingling the produced flow of each respective lateral leg with the produced flow of a second lateral leg at a confluence that is in an uphole relation to the valve of the respective lateral leg,
monitoring production of each lateral leg of the multilateral well and adjusting operation of one or more of the flow control valves responsively to;
a variance between the monitored production and a production target; and/or
a detection of a production adverse event;
wherein the adjusting includes running a computerized reservoir-well simulation of the multilateral well to resolve responsive, simulated valve settings of simulated, flow control valves and adjusting the settings of the flow control valves of the multilateral well accordingly; and

wherein the monitoring and adjusting includes: upon detecting a negative production event in an affected one of the lateral legs, changing the respective valve setting to a value in the range of 0 to 100% open in the affected lateral leg such that an uplift in production over time is predicted.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the running of the computerized reservoir-well simulation includes generating a production forecast comprising simulated well performance over time as a function of simulated valve sizes and simulated valve settings of simulated, flow control valves.

11. A method of managing production of a multilateral well comprising a plurality of well completions, a plurality of lateral legs communicating the plurality of well completions with an uphole string and a plurality of flow control valves at locations along the lateral legs in an uphole relation to the well completions, the method comprising:
setting a production target;
running a model reservoir-well simulation of the multilateral well including simulated, flow control valves along simulated legs in an uphole relation to simulated well completions to generate a production forecast comprising simulated well performance over time as a function of simulated valve sizes and simulated valve settings of the simulated, flow control valves;
generating well production data while operating the flow control valves of the multilateral well in accordance with the simulated valve sizes and the simulated valve settings wherein the generating well production data includes monitoring for an indicator of a negative production event amongst the lateral legs;
updating the model reservoir-well simulation responsively to the generated well production data;
comparing the generated well production data to the production target and running the model reservoir-well simulation to establish a revised production forecast and/or to establish revised valve settings for the flow control valves;
repeating the generating, the updating and the comparing during a production life of the well.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising: while running the model reservoir-well simulation, inputting the production target to establish the sizes of the flow control valves of the multilateral well.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the valve setting comprises a value indicative of a percentile opening of the respective simulated valve and/or the respective flow control valve of the well.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the negative production event comprises any of a water production, a gas production, a sand production, a compaction and a combination of any of the foregoing.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the monitoring and establishing revised valve settings includes: upon detecting a negative production event in an affected one of the lateral legs, changing the respective valve setting to a value in the range of 0 to 100% open in the affected lateral leg such that an uplift in production over time is predicted.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein upon a detection of a negative production event in an affected one of the lateral legs, the establishing revised valve settings reduces the valve setting to approximately 20% open or less in the affected lateral leg.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising: operating the flow control valves at a location downhole of a confluence of the respective lateral legs.

18. A system associated with production of hydrocarbons, comprising:
a computerized reservoir-well simulation of a multilateral well comprising a plurality of well completions, a plurality of lateral legs communicating the plurality of well completions with an uphole string and a plurality of flow control valves at locations along the lateral legs in an uphole relation to the well completions;
a first sensor responsive to production from a first well completion of a multilateral well;
a second sensor responsive to produc

Assignees

• Devalve Caleb J
• Buechler Scott R
• Dornic Steven D
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Devalve Caleb J
• Buechler Scott R
• Dornic Steven D

Classifications

• G05D7/0658

  the plurality of throttling means being arranged for the control of a single flow from a plurality of converging flows (G05D7/0652 takes precedence; ratio control G05D11/13) · CPC title

• E21B43/14

  Obtaining from a multiple-zone well · CPC title

• E21B43/16

  Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons · CPC title

• E21B34/06

  in wells · CPC title

• E21B41/0035 Primary

  Apparatus or methods for multilateral well technology, e.g. for the completion of or workover on wells with one or more lateral branches · CPC title