Net oil and gas well test system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9562427-B2
Application number	US-201314084245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2013
Priority date	Nov 19, 2012
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

A net oil and gas well test system for a set of oil and gas wells includes at least two net oil and gas measurement systems and a plurality of valves that are in fluid communication with the individual wells in the set and independently configurable between a first state, in which the valve routes flow to a first net oil and gas measurement system, and a second state, in which the valve routes flow to a second net oil and gas measurement system. Each net oil and gas measurement system suitably has the capability to measure a multiphase flow including oil, gas, and water without separation. For example, each measurement system can include a multiphase Coriolis meter and a water cut meter. Each measurement system suitably includes the capability to provide dynamic uncertainty estimates related to measurement of the multiphase flow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A net oil and gas well test system for testing a set of oil and gas wells, the set including a plurality of individual wells, the test system comprising:
first and second net oil and gas measurement systems;
a plurality of valves including at least a first and second valve, each valve configured for fluid communication with one of the individual wells, wherein each valve is independently configurable between a first state, in which the valve fluidly connects the corresponding well to the first net oil and gas measurement system, and a second state, in which the valve fluidly connects the corresponding well to the second net oil and gas measurement system; and
a measurement controller including a processor and a memory, the measurement controller being in communication with the plurality of valves and the first and second net oil and gas measurement systems, the measurement controller being configured to:
receive data from the first and second net oil gas measurement systems when the first valve is in the first state, and the second valve is in the second state;
switch the first of said plurality of valves from the first state to the second state;
receive switched data from the first and second net oil gas measurement systems after switching the first valve from the first state to the second state; and
calculate a parameter of an output of the well that is associated with the first valve based on the received data and switched data.

2. The net oil and gas well test system set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second net oil and gas measurement systems comprises a Coriolis flowmeter and a water cut meter.

3. The net oil and gas well test system set forth in claim 1 wherein the first and second net oil and gas measurement systems are substantially identical.

4. A measurement controller for determining a parameter of an output from each individual well in a set of wells, the measurement controller comprising:
a measurement controller including a processor and a memory, the measurement controller being adapted for communication with a plurality of valves, each of which is configured for fluid communication with one of the individual wells, and first and second net oil and gas measurement systems, wherein the measurement controller is configured to:
receive default data from the first and second net oil gas measurement systems when a first valve of the plurality of valves is in a first state and fluidly connects the corresponding well to the first net oil and gas measurement system, and a second valve of the plurality of valves is in a second state and fluidly connects the corresponding well to the second net oil and gas measurement system;
switch the first valve from the first state to the second state so that the first valve fluidly connects the corresponding well to the second net oil and gas measurement system;

receive switched data from the first and second net oil gas measurement systems after switching the first valve from the first state to the second state; and
calculate a parameter of an output of the well that is associated with the first valve based on the received default and switched data.

5. A net oil and gas well test system for testing a set of oil and gas wells, the set including a plurality of individual wells, the test system comprising:
first and second net oil and gas measurement systems;
a plurality of valves including at least a first and second valve, each valve configured for fluid communication with one of the individual wells, wherein each valve is independently configurable between a first state, in which the valve fluidly connects the corresponding well to the first net oil and gas measurement system, and a second state, in which the valve fluidly connects the corresponding well to the second net oil and gas measurement system; and
a measurement controller including a processor and a memory, the measurement controller being in communication with the plurality of valves and the first and second net oil and gas measurement systems,
wherein the measurement controller is configured to perform a well test on a selected one of the wells, the well test comprising:
operating the valves to switch fluid flow from the selected well from one of the first and second measurement systems to the other of the first and second measurement systems; and
calculating a difference resulting from the switch in the total fluid flow rate to at least one of the first and second measurement systems.

6. The net oil and gas well test system set forth in claim 5 wherein neither of the first and second net oil and gas measurement systems includes any separator.

7. The net oil and gas well test system set forth in claim 5 further comprising a pressure regulating valve for each of the first and second net oil and gas measurement systems, the pressure regulating valves being adapted to maintain constant pressure at the inlets of the first and second net oil and gas measurement systems notwithstanding changes in the fluid flow rate to the first and second net oil and gas measurement systems resulting from the switches.

8. The net oil and gas well test system set forth in claim 5 wherein each of the first and second net oil and gas measurement systems is configured to determine dynamic estimates of the uncertainty of each of the oil mass flow rate, water mass flow rate, and gas mass flow rate.

9. The net oil and gas well test system as set forth in claim 8 wherein each of the first and second net oil and gas measurement systems is further configured to determine dynamic estimates of the uncertainty of each of the oil mass flow rate, water mass flow rate, and gas mass flow rate based on Monte Carlo Modeling.

10. The net oil and gas well test system as set forth claim 8 wherein the measurement controller includes a processor and a memory, the measurement controller being in communication with the plurality of valves and the first and second net oil and gas measurement systems, wherein the measurement controller is configured to:
operate the valves to switch fluid flow from the selected well from one of the first and second measurement systems to the other of the first and second measurement systems;
calculate a difference resulting from the switch in the total fluid flow rate to at least one of the first and second measurement systems;
compare one or more dynamic uncertainty estimates associated with the well test to one or more threshold values; and
repeat the operating and calculating steps at a later time in response to a determination that one or more of the dynamic uncertainty estimates exceeds a threshold value.

11. The net oil and gas well test system set forth in claim 5 wherein the measurement controller is configured to perform said well test on a plurality of wells in the set, wherein the measurement controller:
operates the valves to switch fluid flow from each well in said plurality, one at a time, from one of the first and second measurement systems to the other of the first and second measurement systems; and
calculates a difference resulting from the switch for each well in said plurality in the total fluid flow rate to at least one of the first and second measurement system.

12. The net oil and gas well test system set forth in claim 11 wherein the number of wells in said plurality of wells is N and the measurement controller is configured to complete the tests on all N wells by switching fluid flow between the first and second net oil and gas measurement systems no more than N+1 times.

13. The net oil and gas well test system set forth in claim 11 wherein the measurement con

Assignees

• Invensys Sys Inc
• Invensys Sys Inc

Inventors

• Henry Manus P
• Casimiro Richard P

Classifications

• E21B47/10 Primary

  Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements · CPC title

• E21B21/063

  by separating components · CPC title

• E21B47/00 Primary

  Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) · CPC title

• G01F1/84

  Coriolis or gyroscopic mass flowmeters · CPC title

• G01F1/8468

  vibrating measuring conduits · CPC title