Choke Management Under Wellbore, Completion and Reservoir Constraints

Abstract

AbstractChoke management strategies vary significantly among operators and no rigorous methodology exists for properly selecting choke sizes when constraints are placed on completions, wellbores and fluid pressures and velocities. Bringing a well on production too fast may significantly compromise productivity or even result in completion failure with particularly severe implications in offshore developments. Examples of constraints placed on bean-up strategies include, limiting the maximum drawdown to minimize the risk of sanding or proppant crushing. This paper presents a methodology for translating such constraints to the required choke sizes and durations i.e. a specific bean-up strategy that will respect the constraints placed on the system.In this study, we propose a coupled wellbore-reservoir model that performs dynamic nodal analysis using integrated models for surface facilities, wellbore and reservoir simulators and allows an operator to select choke sizes as a function of time. Illustrative examples of the method are shown for a conventional and an unconventional well. Results indicate that the choke schedule strongly depends on both the reservoir and wellbore properties. As a result, empirical and general guidelines should not be used across the board. Instead a quantitative analysis is recommended for a given set of surface, wellbore and reservoir properties to ensure a successful ramp-up. This study provides an integrated and systematic approach for selecting choke sizes for oil and gas wells.