Method of optimization of flow control valves and inflow control devices in a single well or a group of wells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816353-B2
Application number	US-201313830376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for managing a subterranean formation including collecting information about a flow control valve in a wellbore traversing the formation, adjusting the valve in response to the information wherein the adjusting includes a Newton method, a pattern search method, or a proxy-optimization method. In some embodiments, adjusting comprises changing the effective cross sectional area of the valve. A method and an apparatus for managing a subterranean formation including collecting information about an inflow control valve in a wellbore traversing the reservoir and controlling the valve, wherein the control includes a direct-continuous approach or a pseudo-index approach.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing a subterranean formation, comprising:
collecting a first set of information comprising a flow rate through a flow control valve of one or more flow control valves in a wellbore traversing the subterranean formation, wherein the flow control valve is in a base position;
adjusting the flow control valve to a second position by opening the flow control valve by a single increment from the base position;
when the flow control valve is in the second position, collecting a second set of information comprising a flow rate through the flow control valve;
adjusting the flow control valve to a third position by closing the flow control valve by a single increment from the base position;
when the flow control valve is in the third position, collecting a third set of information comprising a flow rate through the flow control valve;
generating a proxy function based on the first set of information, the second set of information, and the third set of information;
obtaining an effective cross-sectional area of an inflow area of the flow control valve using a mixed-integer nonlinear program solver on the proxy function;
adjusting, based on the effective cross-sectional area, the inflow area of the flow control valve;
collecting a fourth set of information about the flow control valve, wherein the fourth set of information comprises a flow rate through the flow control valve;
comparing the fourth set of information with proxy information determined based on the proxy function;
training the proxy function based on a determination that the fourth set of information does not match the proxy information to determine an optimized proxy function, wherein the fourth set of information is incorporated into a training set to train the proxy function; and
adjusting the flow control valve based on the optimized proxy function.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more flow control valves comprises a plurality of flow control valves.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proxy function is associated with an operational objective selected from the group consisting of: maximizing oil production, minimizing water production, and maximizing net present value.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fourth set of information further comprises wellbore data collected for one or more other wellbores.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the inflow area of the flow control valve comprises opening or closing the flow control valve.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the inflow area of the flow control valve comprises changing the flow rate through the flow control valve.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the inflow area of the flow control valve comprises changing the cross-sectional area of the inflow area of the flow control valve.

8. A method for managing a subterranean formation, comprising:
obtaining a first flow rate through a flow control valve of one or more flow control valves in a wellbore traversing the subterranean formation, wherein the flow control valve is in a base position;
adjusting the flow control valve to a second position by opening the flow control valve by a single increment from the base position;
when the flow control valve is in the second position, obtaining a second flow rate through the flow control valve;
adjusting the flow control valve to a third position by closing the flow control valve by a single increment from the base position;
when the flow control valve is in the third position, collecting a third flow rate through the flow control valve;
generating a proxy function associated with an operational objective based on the first flow rate, the second flow rate, and the third flow rate;
obtaining an effective set of inflow areas by running an optimization solver on the proxy function;
setting inflow areas of the one or more flow control valves based on the effective set of inflow areas;
collecting actual flow rates corresponding to the one or more flow control valves;
obtaining an actual objective function based on the actual flow rates;
determining that the actual objective function does not match the proxy function; and
based on the determining, incorporating the actual flow rates into a training set to train the proxy function.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the operational objective is selected from the group consisting of: maximizing oil production, minimizing water production, and maximizing net present value.

10. A system for managing a subterranean formation, comprising:
a processing system of a device comprising one or more processors; and
a memory system comprising one or more computer-readable media, wherein the one or more computer-readable media contain instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations comprising:
collecting a first set of information comprising a flow rate through a flow control valve of one or more flow control valves in a wellbore traversing the subterranean formation, wherein the flow control valve is in a base position;
adjusting the flow control valve to a second position by opening the flow control valve by a single increment from the base position;
when the flow control valve is in the second position, collecting a second set of information comprising a flow rate through the flow control valve;
adjusting the flow control valve to a third position by closing the flow control valve by a single increment from the base position;
when the flow control valve is in the third position, collecting a third set of information comprising a flow rate through the flow control valve;
generating a proxy function based on the first set of information, the second set of information, and the third set of information;
obtaining an effective cross-sectional area of an inflow area of the flow control valve using a mixed-integer nonlinear program solver on the proxy function;
adjusting, based on the effective cross-sectional area, the inflow area of the flow control valve;
collecting a fourth set of information about the flow control valve, wherein the fourth set of information comprises a flow rate through the flow control valve;
comparing the fourth set of information with proxy information determined based on the proxy function;
training the proxy function based on a determination that the fourth set of information does not match the proxy information to determine an optimized proxy function, wherein the fourth set of information is incorporated into a training set to train the proxy function; and
adjusting the flow control valve based on the optimized proxy function.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more flow control valves comprises a plurality of flow control valves.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the proxy function is associated with an operational objective selected from the group consisting of: maximizing oil production, minimizing water production, and maximizing net present value.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the fourth set of information further comprises wellbore data collected for one or more other wellbores.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein adjusting the inflow area of the flow control valve comprises opening or closing the flow control valve.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein adjusting the inflow area of the flow control valve comprises changing the flow rate through the flow control valve.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein adjusting the inflow area of the flow control valve comprises changing the cross-sectional area of the inflow area o

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Rashid Kashif
• Bailey William J
• Couet Benoit
• Stone Terry Wayne

Classifications

• G05D7/06 Primary

  characterised by the use of electric means {(G05D7/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E21B2200/22

  Fuzzy logic, artificial intelligence, neural networks or the like · CPC title

• E21B34/16 Primary

  Control means therefor being outside the borehole {(control systems for submerged well heads E21B33/0355)} · CPC title

• E21B43/12

  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

• G06G7/48 Primary

  Analogue computers for specific processes, systems or devices, e.g. simulators · CPC title