Autonomous Inflow Control Valve Research Articles

The Impact of Autonomous Inflow Control Valve on Improved Oil Recovery in a Thin-Oil-Rim Reservoir

Summary Oil production from thin-oil-rim fields can be challenging as such fields are prone to gas coning. Excessive gas production from these fields results in poor production and recovery. Hence, these resources require advanced recovery methods to improve the oil recovery. One of the recovery methods that is widely used today is advanced inflow control technology such as autonomous inflow control valve (AICV). AICV restricts the inflow of gas in the zones where breakthrough occurs and may consequently improve the recovery from thin-oil-rim fields. This paper presents a performance analysis of AICVs, passive inflow control devices (ICDs), and sand screens based on the results from experiments and simulations. Single- and multiphase-flow experiments are performed with light oil, gas, and water at typical Troll field reservoir conditions (RCs). The obtained data from the experiments are the differential pressure across the device vs. the volume flow rate for the different phases. The results from the experiments confirm the significantly better ability of the AICV to restrict the production of gas, especially at higher gas volume fractions (GVFs). Near-well oil production from a thin-oil-rim field considering sand screens, AICV, and ICD completion is modeled. In this study, the simulation model is developed using the CMG simulator/STARS module. Completion of the well with AICVs reduces the cumulative gas production by 22.5% and 26.7% compared with ICDs and sand screens, respectively. The results also show that AICVs increase the cumulative oil production by 48.7% compared with using ICDs and sand screens. The simulation results confirm that the well completed with AICVs produces at a beneficial gas/oil ratio (GOR) for a longer time compared with the cases with ICDs and sand screens. The novelty of this work is the multiphase experiments of a new AICV and the implementation of the data in the simulator. A workflow for the simulation of AICV/ICD is proposed. The simulated results, which are based on the proposed workflow, agree with the experimental AICV performance results. As it is demonstrated in this work, deploying AICV in the most challenging light oil reservoirs with high GOR can be beneficial with respect to increased production and recovery.

Autonomous Inflow Control Valve for Medium-Light Oil and Its Effective Performance

Summary Many horizontal oil wells will after a time start producing unwanted fluids. Autonomous inflow control valves may help to choke these unwanted fluids and consequently improve carbon efficiency. This paper publishes new experimental data describing how an autonomous inflow control valve manages medium-light oil (6 cp), water, and gas at reservoir conditions. A further objective is to evaluate how this valve might impact well performance under various conditions. To verify the single- and multiphase flow behavior of the valve, extensive flow loop experiments were performed. Initial testing was done in a model fluid laboratory, while a more extensive test was performed at reservoir conditions (i.e., with formation water, reservoir oil, and hydrocarbon gas at the given reservoir temperature and pressure). To explore and understand the impact of this valve for various reservoir scenarios, a simple conceptual reservoir model with realistic boundary conditions was used. At various differential pressures, the single-phase oil, water, and gas rates were measured. Performance at varying water and gas fractions was measured to get an improved understanding and knowledge of multiphase flow occurring in a well. The results show clearly that the valve will choke gas and water effectively, both at single-phase and multiphase flow conditions. The reservoir and model fluid evaluations show consistent results. The valve shows roughly a monotonic decreasing total rate with decreasing oil fraction, implying that the valve will always prioritize sections with the largest oil fraction. A mathematical model match of the valve performance is possible via the 10-parameter extended autonomous inflow control device (AICD) equation that enables practical evaluation of the valve in industry-standard reservoir simulators. Various scenarios are explored with a conceptual reservoir model, and the autonomous inflow control valve shows its capacity to reduce water production and enable a more gradual and controlled increase in gas/oil ratio for most scenarios. The autonomous inflow control valve shows its largest potential to reduce unwanted fluids and increase oil recovery when used in segmented reservoirs. In cases with uncertain aquifer and/or gas cap strength, or large variation in effective permeability, the valve will make an infill well more robust as it autonomously adapts to reality, chokes unwanted fluids, and consequently enables more carbon-efficient reservoir management.

Technology Focus: Water Management (December 2022)

2022 has presented many challenges—not just inflation. Lowering water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell resulted in water crises in many states. Globally, many rivers dried, and that brought to surface over-5,000-year-old archeological artifacts that had been buried. An United Nations report says that nearly 4 billion people (approximately 60% of the world population) face water crises at least for a month every year. Despite all these admonishments, water—an essential raw material in industrial sector and a vital resource for human living—could be handled with more value and respect. The dollar value of water usage is much lower in the US compared with other regions, where it is more than twice its purchased value. The last 30 years or so have seen scientists and environmentalists apply conscientious use of technologies that focused on making water resources sustainable—chemistries that help us treat water, and intuitive and intelligent technologies that minimize need and maximize its purpose and benefit, remove contaminants, and ready it for repurposing. We can agree that awareness is universal, but when it comes to enforcing the actions needed to protect the resource as sustainable, questions about scalability and economic feasibility of many of the novel technologies arise. The three papers chosen for publication share different approaches to chemically managing high-salinity produced water through commercially viable approaches. The identification of processes to treat high salinity levels and the approaches to alter and control the process make the papers not only good for discussion but also practical for all players, big and small. The introduction of chemistries that are tagged and measurable positively influence discharge restrictions in different regions and could be exploited to stretch water reuse and the dollar value of water. The advent of smart sensors, probes, handhelds such as portable X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction sensors, and machine learning make the treatment and reuse of high-saline water feasible to alleviate the water crisis. Technologies have advanced to lower the energy consumption and usage cost of membrane separation most commonly used in the water-reuse sector. The use of fresh water by the industry could be reduced significantly with the adaptation of some or all the smart technologies available today. The industry and the public are at a crossroads today, fighting for the right to use water. Governments are struggling to keep the balance and make the scarcest resource available to both sides. Let there not be another Akkadian empire that becomes extinct because of water. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. SPE 200171 Optimizing Waterflood Performance in Mature Fields Using Autonomous Inflow Control Valve Technology by Sufyan Shihab, Petroleum Development Oman, et al. SPE 209256 Improved Reverse-Osmosis Membranes for Treating Produced Water by Rich Franks, Nitto-Hydranautics, et al. SPE 204840 A Nano Method for a Big Challenge: Nanosilica-Based Sealing System for Water Shutoff by Ayman Almohsin, Saudi Aramco, et al.

Evaluating the performance of advanced wells in heavy oil reservoirs under uncertainty in permeability parameters

Advanced wells play a crucial role in maximizing the efficiency of oil production. To achieve a successful design for advanced wells, several parameters must be considered and evaluated. Uncertainty in these parameters can have a significant impact on the performance assessment of the well in its lifetime. Absolute permeability, relative permeability, and permeability anisotropy are the parameters that determine reservoir permeability and are among the most important design parameters to be considered. This paper aims to assess the performance of advanced wells completed with passive and reactive downhole Flow Control Devices (FCDs) under uncertainty in the reservoir permeability parameters. The assessment is conducted through a case study on a synthetic heavy oil reservoir with a strong water drive. The EclipseSM reservoir simulator is used as a simulation tool and the Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) approach is applied as a sampling tool for uncertainty analysis in this study. According to the obtained results, under the presence of uncertainty, advanced wells with Autonomous Inflow Control Device (AICD) and Autonomous Inflow Control Valve (AICV) completions are able to mitigate the risk of water production by 53.20% and 71.12% respectively compared to conventional wells. However, Inflow Control Device (ICD) completion can only reduce the risk by 0.87%.

Using Smart Completion Technology to Control Water Coning Problems and Increase Oil Recovery in a Southern Iraqi Oilfield

This research describes the using of a new well completion technology system that enhance the homogeneous and heterogeneous reservoir deliverability and the production performance gained through a completion technique using Autonomous Inflow Control Valve (AICD) by self-decreasing/delaying water and gas progress and promoting increasing in oil production, therefore, equalizing the drawdown (∆P=Pi-Pwf) along the well and provide a dynamic water shut-off operation and significantly increasing the economic life of a well and therefore, reducing capital and operational expenditures for the field development.
 The research presents a production performance simulation results for a conventional and smart well completion technology in a horizontal well in a southern Iraqi oilfield for two stages during well life; early stage (till 2018) and late stage (till 2033). For early stage of well life, there was no significant difference in results when comparing between the conventional completion design and the smart completion design. In the contrast, the simulation results for the late life of the well showed that the well can produce for approximately 1056.7 barrel per day crude oil with a water-cut of 82 % at the year of 2033. The also revealed that the results showed that the cumulative oil production from the year of 2018 till 2050 will be 23 million barrel of crude oil and 44 million barrel of water when the well is completed with conventional completion design. When the completion design has been changed and equipped with autonomous inflow control devices (AICDs) technology and simulated the production performance by NETool Software. The simulation results showed that the oil production has been increased by 891 barrel per day (1947.3 barrel per day) and the water cut has reduced significantly in comparison with the conventional production completion by 17 % (65.4 %) at the year of 2033. The results revealed that the cumulative oil production from the year of 2018 till 2050 will be 31 million barrel of crude oil and 33 million barrel of water.
 It has been concluded, from the reservoir and production simulation, that the application of the technology is successful and showed a clear advantage of using Autonomous Inflow Control Device (AICD) that provides better water influx control profile.

Autonomous Valve Controls Excess Water, Gas Production To Increase Oil Recovery

Increasing sensitivity to oil price fluctuation requires operators to reduce costs of operation. A key component is collaborative management by operators and suppliers to reduce cost over the full life cycle of the operation. Much of the focus is on the equipment-purchasing strategy; nonetheless, effective technology such as an autonomous inflow control valve could also benefit the operating expenditure (OPEX) savings by enhancing oil recovery and reducing processing costs of excessive unwanted water and gas in surface facilities. OPEX comprises labor, chemicals, consumables, infrastructure maintenance, transportation, disposal, and other utilities. Capital expenditure (CAPEX) may also be reduced for long-term projects, which generally comprise infrastructure such as pipelines, pumps, disposal wells, ponds/storage treatment facilities, and other associated utilities infrastructure. The average cost for handling produced water starts from about $1.50/bbl, depending on the geographical location of the operation. Such costs may justify an assessment of an autonomous inflow control valve (AICV) to reduce unwanted water and gas to achieve OPEX savings. Horizontal wells are a proven option to maximize reservoir contact in certain situations. A challenge is often early water breakthrough in less than 6 months from starting production, and then progressively producing very-high water cuts, often 95%, for long periods of times thereafter. Inflow control device (ICD) technology has demonstrated potential in improving recovery in horizontal oil wells by delaying the gas and/or water breakthrough. However, ICDs cannot restrict water effluents once breakthrough occurs. A new generation of inflow control technology known as an AICV can balance the production flow and choke and shut the water-effluent zones once breakthrough occurs. Basis of Design The design is based on the Hagen-Poiseuille equation and Bernoulli’s principle. It uses the difference in fluid-flow behavior in the laminar- and the turbulent-flow restrictor to differentiate the pressure drop using the mobility ratio between oil, water, and gas. Light-viscosity fluids such as water and gas have high mobility and allow the AICV to detect the mobility difference, then choke and shut the main inflow area in the valve autonomously. Fig. 1 illustrates the construction of the valve in open positions, showing the direction of flow with arrows and the P1, P2, and P3 pressure locations. The inlet pressure is represented by P1: 2-5% of the main flow will move through the laminar-flow element (LFE) that will reduce the pressure to P2. Further pressure reduction occurs in the turbulent-flow element (TFE) to P3 as the tubing pressure. The differential pressure in LFE reacts to the piston’s effective area, resulting in a force balance around the piston to control the valve’s function (e.g., to open, choke, or close the main flow).

Reservoir simulator-friendly model of fluid-selective, downhole flow control completion performance

Wells with long production/injection intervals (e.g. horizontal or multi-lateral wells) can be equipped with flow control completion (FCC), which allows zonal control of in/out-flow and is a proven method to improve sweep efficiency, extend well life, and reduce the production volumes of unwanted fluids. The application of FCC is essential to development of many oil fields with complex geology, uncertain reservoir description, close to contact completions or unfavourable mobility ratio.FCC technology keeps developing, for instance the recently introduced Autonomous Inflow Control Device (AICD) or Valve (AICV) strongly reacts to unwanted phases (gas or water) restricting their flow in-situ, which improves recovery as well as reduces the volume of unwanted fluids and the production uncertainty.This paper presents a novel approach to incorporate into a reservoir simulator the flow performance of a downhole flow control completion equipped with flow control devices discriminating flowing fluids, e.g. reacting to water/gas flow distinctly differently than to oil. AICDs and AICVs are examples of such devices. The novel approach is verified by numerical simulation and is further compared against the traditional modelling approach on a reservoir model.In the case of oil and water/gas flow, the multi-modal response of the device is new in the industry, and the reservoir simulators are not yet up-to-date to model such performance. The segregated flow in the annulus results in the device(s) reacting sequentially to either oil or water/gas, as opposed to the “homogeneous flow” modelling approach that is traditionally assumed in reservoir simulators. Capturing the sequential reaction of the device to either oil or water/gas in a reservoir simulator is challenging. The equations derived here solve this problem, and offer a more accurate way of modelling autonomous flow control completion performance in a commercial reservoir simulator.This work is an important contribution to the advanced well completion technology modelling and evaluation. This technology is likely to define the future of advanced wells.

Optimized Design of Autonomous Inflow-Control Devices for Gas and Water Coning

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 173203, “Optimized Design of Autonomous Inflow-Control Devices for Gas and Water Coning,” by Terry W. Stone, Terje Moen, David A. Edwards, Alexander Shadchnev, and Kashif Rashid, Schlumberger, and Geir Frode Kvilaas and Kjell Christoffersen, Det Norske Oljeselskap, prepared for the 2015 SPE Reservoir Simulation Symposium, Houston, 23–25 February. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Several designs for autonomous inflow-control devices (AICDs) are available. One forces inflowing fluids to enter gates, depending on inertial and viscous forces of the various fluids. Another is an autonomous valve in the shape of a free-floating disk that restricts the flow rate of low-viscosity fluids and is primarily used to choke gas and water inflow. Recently, a device with water-swellable rubber inside the nozzle has been proposed, but it is not yet commercially available. The comparative properties and abilities of these designs are the focus of this paper. Well Model, Reservoir Simulator, and Optimizer The well model used in this work is part of a next-generation parallel commercial reservoir simulator and features a flexible multisegmented well topology, enhanced robustness for difficult problems, and extensive well-model options. It forms part of a scalable parallel commercial reservoir simulator. Optimizations carried out in this work used an optimizer developed to alleviate the computational cost in an optimization study where simulation-based objective functions are expensive to evaluate. When compared with several other commonly used optimizers, it was demonstrated that this optimizer outperformed others significantly. Modeling Inflow-Control Devices (ICDs) Various ICD designs include those with nozzle orifices, tubes, and helices. Unlike ICDs, AICDs may or may not have moving parts but they can change or modify their state in response to inflow. Design of the AICD determines the particular unwanted fluids that are delayed. There are a number of types available commercially, including a floating flapper, an oil- selector valve, an autonomous inflow-control valve, the rate-controlled-production (RCP) valve, and a fluidic diode valve. Another design recently proposed is based on inclusion of water-swellable rubber within the nozzle, but this is not yet commercially available. Both ICDs and AICDs are often deployed in a compartment whose edges are sealed with a packer, and are placed in the tubing wall between an annulus and main production stream.