Advanced Wellbore Simulation of Flow Control Devices With Feedback Control for Thermal Operations

Abstract

Abstract Events such as hydraulic gradients in the horizontal completion, geologic and fluid variations in the reservoir and well placement issues can produce very poor steam conformance in the Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) process. Operators have implemented many strategies in an effort to address the issue. Simultaneous injection in inner tubing and annulus space or dual-tubing completions are commonly used in SAGD wells to provide controllable injection and production from the heel and toe regions of the horizontal well pair but this does not guarantee both uniform and efficient performance. This paper presents a study of a hybrid of two technologies to improve both conformance and economics of this thermal process. Recent work suggests that using Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) feedback to control the steam injection can lead to improvements in SAGD performance and conformance. The feedback control is applied to each steam injection point in the horizontal well pair. Injection at these control points is regulated by a PID feedback controller monitoring temperature differences between injected and produced fluids in order to both enforce a specified subcool and to achieve uniform production along the entire length of the producer. PID feedback control can be practically and inexpensively implemented in the field with current technology. Inflow or injection control devices (ICDs) can also improve SAGD performance. ICDs (or FCDs) can be incorporated in the horizontal completion as restrictive elements to modify the pressure distribution along the length of the wellbore. Among other benefits, properly sized and distributed ICDs can create a more uniform flow profile along the horizontal section of the well, regardless of permeability, formation damage and wellbore location. Furthermore, ICDs on the producer can provide a self-regulating effect to prevent live steam from entering the sand control screen. This paper examines detailed wellbore simulations of a SAGD process in which wells are equipped with a combination of ICD completions and feedback control in order to (i) determine the physical mechanisms (including the dynamic flow paths inside the well and in the near wellbore region), and (ii) outline practical procedures to determine an improved ICD completion and feedback control design. A novel aspect of this work is the inclusion of a revised flow-regime-independent multiphase flow correlation that can predict the pressure drop in horizontal and near-horizontal wells. Results presented in this paper should aid reservoir simulation engineers in both the design and optimization of steam injection in a SAGD well pair.