Real-time dynamic data validation methods for intelligent fields

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9671524-B2
Application number	US-201213731238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2012
Priority date	Dec 31, 2011
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

Methods for managing an intelligent field, are provided. An exemplary method can include receiving real-time dynamic field data, analyzing validity of the dynamic field data, validating values of the field data, validating a state/condition of a well, and flagging well components, well conditions, and/or well state validation issues.

First claim

That claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method of managing an intelligent field, the method comprising:
receiving real-time dynamic field data for an intelligent field system, the real-time dynamic field data comprising a plurality of well instrument data values for each of a plurality of well instruments for a well;
analyzing validity of a plurality of well parameters associated with a plurality of different well conditions responsive to the real-time dynamic field data received, the analysis including comparing each of the plurality of the well instrument data values to corresponding validation criteria to determine one or more validated well instrument data values;
determining, for each separate one of the plurality of well conditions, if the respective well condition has been satisfied according to certain corresponding predetermined satisfaction criteria determined based on the one or more validated well instrument data values;
in response to determining that a plurality of the well conditions for the well have been satisfied, validating a well state corresponding to the plurality of the well conditions satisfied; and
in response to determining that a plurality of the well conditions for the well have not been satisfied, determining whether the real-time dynamic field data associated with the plurality of the well conditions not satisfied is reliable:
in response to determining that the real-time dynamic field data is reliable, generating an alert to initiate component troubleshooting and repair of the well instruments, and indicating that the real-time dynamic field data is reliable and invalid; and
in response to determining that the real-time dynamic field data is unreliable, generating a report indicating that the real-time dynamic field data is unreliable and invalid.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the validation criteria for at least one of the plurality of well parameters is determined based upon the observed values of at least two other of the plurality of well parameters.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the validation criteria for at least one of the plurality of well parameters comprises a range of expected well instrument data values for at least one well instrument based upon observed data values of at least two other of the plurality of well instruments.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising the step of establishing a neural network among the well instrument values for each of the plurality of well instruments to establish the validation criteria to thereby identify individual data points which fall outside an expected range of values for observed conditions.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the well is an oil producer, and wherein the well state comprises one of the following: well shut-in, well on, oil production increase, oil production decrease, gas oil ratio (GOR) increase, GOR decrease, water cut increase, water cut decrease, bottom hole pressure decrease, bottom hole pressure increase, bottom hole temperature decrease, and bottom hole temperature increase.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 ,
wherein if the well is a water injector, the well state comprises one of the following: well off, well on, water injection rate increase, and water injection rate decrease; and
wherein if the well is an observation well, the well state comprises one of the following: well off and well on.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the well state is a well shut-in state, and wherein the plurality of the well conditions comprise at least three of the following:
upstream pressure=downstream pressure;
a wellhead temperature (WHT) decrease and the WHT is close to ambient Temperature;
choke size is less than two percent;
a flowing bottom hole pressure (BHP) increase;
a flowing bottom hole temperature (BHT) decrease; and
when the well is completed with an electrical submersible pump:
a frequency of zero, and
current of zero amps.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the well state is a well on state, and wherein the plurality of the well conditions comprise at least three of the following:
upstream pressure is not equal to downstream pressure;
a well head temperature increase;
a choke size greater than zero; and
when the well is completed with an electrical submersible pump:
a frequency greater than zero, and
current greater than zero amps.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the well state is an oil production increase state, and wherein the plurality of the well conditions comprise at least three of the following:
a flowing well head pressure decrease;
a well head temperature increase;
a choke size increase;
a flowing bottom pressure decrease;
a flowing bottom temperature increase; and
when the well is completed with an electrical submersible pump:
a frequency level increase,
a current level increase,
a bottom hole intake pressure decrease, and
a bottom hole discharge pressure increase.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the well state is an oil production decrease state, and wherein the plurality of the well conditions comprise at least three of the following:
a flowing well head pressure increase;
a well head temperature decrease but still above ambient temperature;
a choke size decrease;
a bottom hole pressure increase;
a bottom hole temperature decrease; and
when the wells is completed with an electrical submersible pump:
a frequency level decrease,
a current level decrease,
an intake pressure increase, and
a discharge pressure decrease.

11. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the well state is a water cut increase state, and wherein the plurality of the well conditions comprise at least two of the following:
a well head pressure decrease;
a fluid gradient increase;
a well head temperature increase; and
a bottom hole pressure decrease.

12. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the well state is a water cut decrease state, and wherein the plurality of the well conditions comprise at least two of the following:
a well head pressure increase;
a fluid gradient decrease;
a well head temperature decrease; and
a bottom hole pressure increase.

13. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the well state is a bottom hole pressure decrease state, and wherein the plurality of the well conditions comprise at least two of the following:
a choke size increase;
a wellhead temperature (WHT) increase; and
a bottom hole temperature increase.

14. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the well state is a bottom hole pressure increase state, and wherein the plurality of the well conditions comprise at least two of the following:
a choke size decrease;
a well head temperature decrease; and
a bottom hole temperature decrease.

15. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the well is a water injector well, wherein the well state is a well off state, and wherein the plurality of the well conditions comprise at least two of the following:
a choke size less than 5%;
a wellhead pressure (WHP) decrease; and
a wellhead temperature (WHT) decrease and close to ambient temperature.

16. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the well is a water injector well, wherein the well state is a well on state, and wherein the plurality of the well conditions comprise at least two of the following:
a choke size greater than 10%;
a wellhead pressure (WHP) increase; and
a wellhead temperature (WHT) decrease.

17. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the well is a water inje

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Abitrabi Abdel Nasser
• Al-Ajmi Fahad
• Awajy Majed
• Lamontagne Marc

Classifications

• E21B49/00

  Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells · CPC title

• G01V9/02

  Determining existence or flow of underground water · CPC title

• E21B43/32 Primary

  Preventing gas- or water-coning phenomena, i.e. the formation of a conical column of gas or water around wells · CPC title

• G01V2210/72

  Real-time processing · CPC title

• G01V1/50

  Analysing data · CPC title