Data-driven analysis of using flow control devices and extended reach wells on SAGD well performance

Abstract

The industry's current trend to reduce Capital Expenditures (CapEx) and to minimize the environmental impacts has led to drilling long lateral wells and developing key innovative tools like Flow Control Devices (FCDs). This study analyzed the relative performance of various FCD deployments using data from major Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) projects in Western Canada, spanning from 1997 to mid-2022. The goal is to investigate the impact of FCD deployment and increasing the lateral length on SAGD well performance in terms of boosting oil produciton and lowering cumulative Steam Oil Ratio (cSOR).This paper utilizes a normalization technique to evaluate the production history of wells, considering geological and operational parameters. Following our confidential conversations with experts in the industry, wells exceeding 850 m in lateral lengths are labeled as “long”, while those below 850 m are labeled as “short”. Eventually, normalized oil production and cSOR for all wells are analyzed. A comparison is made between short and long wells that are completed or retrofitted with FCDs, giving an insight into the role of completion design on the relative performance of SAGD wells.Reservoir thickness and reservoir quality are assessed for each well using contour maps and Gamma Ray (GR) log images. These images are digitized using image processing codes developed in our study. On average, across all projects, wells equipped with FCDs produced up to 52% more normalized oil than those without FCDs, and cSOR decreased to 18%. Long wells, on average, had lateral lengths 38% greater than short wells and produced 18% more normalized oil than all short wells. When comparing long wells with and without FCDs, the normalized oil production is improved by up to 36%, and cSOR is lowered by up to 17%. Furthermore, comparing long wells with FCDs to short wells without FCDs reveals that the normalized oil production is improved by up to 96%, and cSOR is lowered by up to 26%. The results highlight the synergistic benefits of combining longer wells with FCDs to improve normalized oil production and cSOR. The historical production analysis show that installing FCDs is the key enabler and an innovative strategy to increase productivity, reduce cSOR, and make longer wells more productive.The findings indicate that FCDs might increase oil production and decrease cSOR for SAGD well-pad developments, allowing operators to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions intensity. The findings may be used to examine paradigm shifts in the development of heavy oil deposits as technology advances while keeping the project economics into account.