Quantifying zonal flow in multi-lateral wells via taggants of fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12168929-B2
Application number	US-202318182235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2023
Priority date	Mar 10, 2023
Publication date	Dec 17, 2024
Grant date	Dec 17, 2024

Abstract

A method, system, and taggants (tracers) for quantifying zonal flow in a multi-lateral well having a wellbore with a first lateral and second lateral. The technique includes flowing first produced fluid from a formation via the first lateral into production tubing providing a first taggant through a first dosing tubing to the first lateral, and flowing second produced fluid from the formation via the second lateral into the production tubing and providing a second taggant through a second dosing tubing to the second lateral. A produced stream having the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid flows uphole through the production tubing and discharges from the wellbore. The produced stream may be analyzed to measure an amount of the first taggant in the produced stream and an amount of the second taggant in the produced stream.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of quantifying zonal flow in a multi-lateral well, comprising:
flowing first produced fluid comprising hydrocarbon from a subterranean formation via a first lateral in a wellbore of the multi-lateral well through a first valve into production tubing in the wellbore;
flowing second produced fluid comprising hydrocarbon from the subterranean formation via a second lateral in the wellbore through a second valve into the production tubing;
providing a first taggant through a first dosing tubing to the first produced fluid in the first lateral;
providing a second taggant through a second dosing tubing to the second produced fluid in the second lateral, wherein the first taggant and the second taggant are oil soluble;
flowing a produced stream comprising the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid uphole through the production tubing and discharging the produced stream from the wellbore;
shutting off the first taggant and the second taggant provided to the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid, respectively, resulting in respective transients in concentrations of the first taggant and the second taggant flowed with the produced stream;
analyzing the produced stream to measure an amount of the first taggant in the produced stream and an amount of the second taggant in the produced stream; and
analyzing the respective transients in concentrations of the first taggant and the second taggant to determine influx rate of the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid from the first lateral and the second lateral, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first taggant and the second taggant each comprise a taggant that comprises hydrophobic organic fluorophores soluble in apolar phases.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first taggant and the second taggant each comprise at least one of a perylene derivative, a pyrromethene derivative, a benzothiadiazole derivative, a dipicolinic acid (DPA) derivative, a phenanthroline dicarboxylic acid (PDCA) derivative, curcumin, or an upconverting nanoparticle (UCNP).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises crude oil, wherein the first taggant is different from the second taggant, and wherein the first valve and the second valve are disposed along the production tubing to receive the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid, respectively, into the production tubing.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the hydrocarbon further comprises natural gas, wherein the first valve and the second valve are each an interval control valve (ICV), wherein the wellbore is formed through the Earth's surface into the subterranean formation in the Earth's crust, and wherein at least one of the first produced fluid or the second produced comprises water.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining an amount of the first produced fluid in the produced stream and an amount of second produced fluid in the produced stream based on the amount of the first taggant in the produced stream as measured and the amount of the second taggant in the produced stream as measured.

7. A method of quantifying zonal flow in a multi-lateral well, comprising:
providing a first tracer through a first dosing tubing to a first region of a wellbore of the multi-lateral well, the first region associated with a first lateral of the wellbore;
providing a second tracer through a second dosing tubing to a second region of the wellbore, the second region associated with a second lateral of the wellbore, wherein the first tracer and the second tracer are each oil soluble and optically detectable;
flowing from a subterranean formation a first produced fluid comprising hydrocarbon through the first lateral and a first valve into production tubing in the wellbore;
flowing from the subterranean formation a second produced fluid comprising hydrocarbon through the second lateral and a second valve into the production tubing;
flowing a produced stream comprising the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid uphole through the production tubing and discharging the produced stream from the wellbore;
shutting off the first tracer and the second tracer provided to the first region and to the second region, respectively, resulting in respective transients in concentrations of the first tracer and the second tracer flowed with the produced stream;
analyzing the produced stream to measure an amount of the first tracer in the produced stream and an amount of the second tracer in the produced stream; and
analyzing the respective transients in concentrations of the first tracer and the second tracer to determine influx rate of the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid from the first lateral and the second lateral, respectively.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first region comprises an intersection of the first lateral with a vertical portion of the wellbore, wherein the second region comprises an intersection of the second lateral with the vertical portion, and wherein the production tubing is disposed in the vertical portion.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first tracer and the second tracer are soluble in crude oil.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first tracer and the second tracer each comprise a taggant that comprises hydrophobic organic fluorophores soluble in apolar phases.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first tracer and the second tracer each comprise at least one a perylene derivative, a pyrromethene derivative, a benzothiadiazole derivative, a dipicolinic acid (DPA) derivative, a phenanthroline dicarboxylic acid (PDCA) derivative, curcumin, or an upconverting nanoparticle (UCNP).

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises crude oil, wherein the first tracer is different from the second tracer, and wherein the first valve and the second valve are disposed along the production tubing.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the hydrocarbon further comprises natural gas, wherein the first valve and the second valve are each an interval control valve (ICV), and wherein the wellbore is formed through the Earth's surface into the subterranean formation in the Earth's crust.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first tracer is provided from the Earth's surface through the first dosing tubing to the first region, and wherein the second tracer is provided from the Earth's surface through the second dosing tubing to the second region.

15. A method of quantifying zonal flow in a multi-lateral well, comprising:
providing a first taggant from the Earth's surface through a first dosing tubing to a first region in a wellbore of the multi-lateral well, wherein the wellbore is formed through the Earth's surface into a subterranean formation in the Earth's crust, wherein the first region is a region of intersection of a first lateral in the wellbore with a vertical portion of the wellbore;
providing a second taggant from the Earth's surface through a second dosing tubing to a second region in the wellbore, wherein the second region is a region of intersection of a second lateral in the wellbore with the vertical portion;
producing a first produced fluid from the subterranean formation through the first lateral into production tubing in the wellbore;
producing a second produced fluid from the subterranean formation through the second lateral into the production tubing;
flowing a produced stream comprising the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid uphole through the production tubing and discharging the produced stream from the wellbore;
shutting off providing t

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Yoon Bora
• Ow Hooisweng
• Chang Sehoon
• Wang Wei
• Shi Rena

Classifications

• 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

• C09K2103/00

  Civil engineering use · CPC title

• C09K2211/14

  Macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• C09K8/60

  Compositions for stimulating production by acting on the underground formation · CPC title

• C09K8/035

  Organic additives · CPC title