Interactive Web-Based 3D Wellbore Viewer Enables Collaborative Analysis

Abstract

Summary Wellbore visualizations are often depicted by use of 2D perspective views. This approach is limited and potentially misleading. Of particular interest to rod-pumping and progressing-cavity pumps is the amount of side loading placed on the rod string throughout the wellbore. By illustrating the trajectory of a wellbore in 2D, some nuanced geometries can be easily lost. For example, a “corkscrew” wellbore, or any other complex wellbore geometry, can be very difficult to depict through simple perspective views. A corkscrew is best visualized at a specific camera angle where the shape is apparent. This best viewing angle is generally not at the simple 90° angle where typical 2D perspective views are generated. Distributed wellbore-visualization tools can be applied to both the design and analysis of pump installations. Interactive and shared views help to identify points in the well where problems may occur, or have occurred. Strategic placement of downhole equipment such as pump depth relative to perforations and historical fluid levels can be performed in a more intuitive way, taking into account a more accurate understanding of the geometry in a given well. The use of standards-based modern Web technologies enables the rapid deployment of such a tool to both desktop and mobile devices. The 3D graphics acceleration was previously only available in the Web browser through plugins and other third-party software installations. The 3D graphics can now be rendered natively in most modern Web browsers without the need for any additional software installation. Examples of such native visualizations can be found in Fig. 1.