Field
The present disclosure relates to techniques for completing a reservoir. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to tools and methods for intelligent completions and monitoring systems.
Description of the Related Art
Exploring, drilling, and completing hydrocarbon wells are generally complicated, time consuming, and ultimately very expensive endeavors. Thus, maximizing recovery is a significant concern in any well operation. Along these lines, over the years, wells have tended to become deeper and deeper, perhaps exceeding 30,000 feet in depth, and of fairly sophisticated architecture to help ensure greater access to the reservoir. Similarly, increased attention has also been paid to monitoring and maintaining the health of such wells. A premium is also placed on maximizing the total recovery as well as the recovery rate.
In terms of maximizing the total recovery and rate of recovery, a variety of enhanced production techniques may be employed beyond a well's uniquely tailored, reservoir-focused architecture. For example, across a given oilfield, there may be several wells. Of course, many may be production wells with a focus on recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir. However, others may be injection wells that do not “produce”. Instead, as originally suggested by Joh F. CarlI in the late 1800's, injection wells may be focused on injecting a fluid into the reservoir so as to enhance production at the other producing wells.
As with any well, the injection wells are drilled through cap rock and various formation layers at the oilfield in order to reach the targeted reservoir. However, instead of recovering fluids from the reservoir, the injection wells are used to deliver injection fluid, generally water, into the reservoir so as to maintain or drive up pressure in the reservoir. So, for example, as a production well in one location of the oilfield begins to recover hydrocarbons from the reservoir, an injection well in another location of the oilfield forcibly injects water into the reservoir. In this manner, pressure in the reservoir is maintained even as the production well continues to remove fluid production. In fact, to further enhance recovery, the injection well may not only maintain pressure, but actually increase pressure in the reservoir beyond that initially present. This is often referred to as an “artificial” manner of enhancing recovery. Indeed, this technique of enhancing recovery generally increases the total recovery and total rate of recovery from the reservoir.
Unfortunately, adding pressure to the reservoir as described above may involve a delicate balance that is often a challenge to tightly maintain. For example, in circumstances where injection wells unintentionally overpressure the reservoir, the cap rock which isolates the underlying reservoir may be prone to becoming damaged. On the other hand, too little pressure in the reservoir may also damage the cap rock in circumstances where the depleting reservoir is no longer able to support the cap rock. In either circumstance, a damaged cap rock may have significantly adverse effects on the recovery efforts undertaken by the production wells.
Damage to the cap rock in the form of cracking means that water injected into the reservoir by injection wells is able to migrate beyond the intended reservoir target or “out of zone”. This is often referred to as “out of zone injection” or OOZI. At a minimum, injection fluids that migrate out of zone are unable to help enhance recovery efforts in the manner detailed above. Worse, however, is the possibility that the cracked cap rock may damage the reservoir, for example, upon collapse of the cap rock. In fact, this may even result in total loss of control over reservoir control. That is, the migration of injection fluids across the damaged cap rock may be indicative of the catastrophic circumstance of cap rock inability to adequately retain other fluids as well, such as the targeted reservoir fluids. Thus, production from the entire oilfield may be at risk.
In order to help avoid such catastrophic circumstances, efforts exist to monitor for the first signs of OOZI. As with most other potentially hazardous issues, the earlier the detection, the more likely it is that damage may be kept to a minimum. For example, the volume of fluid injected into the reservoir may be closely monitored and correlated to the amount of pressure that is maintained in the reservoir. Thus, in theory, if sufficient pressure is not maintained in the reservoir, compared to the volume of fluid injected, this will be an indication that the fluid may have migrated out of zone. Unfortunately, there is a significant time lag between the time of injection and the corresponding reservoir pressure. Indeed, it may take months before OOZI is actually detected in this manner. By this time, the opportunity to prevent significant, if not catastrophic, damage to the cap rock may no longer be available. Furthermore, even if detected in time, where several injection wells are utilized, the specific location of the injection well and corresponding cap rock damage may remain unknown.
As a practical matter, operators generally account for the strength of the cap rock and attempt to maintain reservoir pressure at a certain percentage pressure below the cap rock tolerance. For example, if the cap rock strength indicates a maximum pressure tolerance of about 20,000 PSI, an effort to utilize injection wells without exceeding about 15,000 PSI may be undertaken. Of course, this means that the full degree of potential injection pressure is not utilized. By the same token, this also does nothing to help provide an indication of OOZI should it still occur. Instead, operators are still left largely reliant on the delayed volume versus pressure technique detailed above to alert of OOZI issues that may have been ongoing for months.
A method of determining out of zone injection at an injection well is provided. The method includes positioning an array of sensors adjacent cap rock which defines a portion of the well. Thus, an initial temperature correlated to the cap rock may be recorded. During operations, fluid may be injected into the well at a temperature different than the initial temperature. Therefore, the sensor array may be monitored for resultant temperature correlations indicative of out of zone injection of the fluid into the cap rock.
In some embodiments, a system is disclosed for detecting breach of cap rock with injection fluid at an injection well at an oilfield. The system includes a vertically disposed sensor device in the injection well adjacent the cap rock and a control unit with a processor in communication with the sensor device to monitor temperature during injection of the injection fluid for an anomalous rate of change indicative of cap rock breach.
However, many modifications are possible without materially departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims.
So that the manner in which the above recited features can be understood in detail, a more particular description may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate various embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, and may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the system and/or methodology may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible.
In the specification and appended claims: the terms “connect”, “connection”, “connected”, “in connection with”, and “connecting” are used to mean “in direct connection with” or “in connection with via one or more elements”; and the term “set” is used to mean “one element” or “more than one element”. Further, the terms “couple”, “coupling”, “coupled”, “coupled together”, and “coupled with” are used to mean “directly coupled together” or “coupled together via one or more elements”. As used herein, the terms “up” and “down”, “upper” and “lower”, “upwardly” and downwardly”, “upstream” and “downstream”; “above” and “below”; and other like terms indicating relative positions above or below a given point or element are used in this description to more clearly describe some embodiments of the disclosure.
Additionally, the embodiments detailed herein are directed at detecting out of zone injection or OOZI from an injection well and through cap rock at an oilfield. Specifically, as used herein the term, “cap rock” is meant to refer to any substantially non-porous formation or formation layer over a reservoir that, in absence of a well or other intentional access, discourages migration of therefrom. The term is also meant to include cement, well casing, and other well structure/material adjacently sealed against the cap rock which, like the cap rock itself, does not provide a leak path so long as the integrity thereof is maintained. Cracks and flaws in such material structure that reflect a reduction in integrity may also be referred to as OOZI if such cracks or flaws allow reservoir or injection fluid to migrate from below the cap-rock.
Embodiments are described with reference to certain techniques for determination of OOZI related to compromised integrity. In particular, the techniques involve monitoring well temperatures over time for changes that may be the result of cap rock that is breached by injection fluids. For example, the injection fluid may be notably cooler than the cap rock, in which case the injected fluid will rapidly cool the rock through which it passes through a process of advection. That chilled rock will cool nearby regions through thermal conduction, even without fluid movement through those regions. The injected fluid will also chill the tubing through which it is passing from the surface to the reservoir and that chilled tubing will cool the cap-rock through conduction. Thus, sensors in the well adjacent the cap rock will detect a temperature change from heat flux may detect a temperature drop at an accelerated rate, indicative of cap rock breach by the injection fluid. Of course, other valuable information may be obtained regarding the cap rock with such a temperature array in place. Regardless, so long as the capability exists to detect temperature changes indicative of cap rock breach by injection fluid, appreciable benefit may be realized.
As clear to those skilled in the art, in the case that a fluid is injected which is warmer than the cap rock then a similar phenomenon will take place where again there will be an anticipated temperature change that can be taken as a base temperature change and then a variation of that change that is indicative of breach of fluid. For exemplification purposes, we shall use the term “cooling” but the invention is equally applicable in the case that the injected fluid is warmer than the rock (e.g. in steam-assisted-gravity-drainage wells) and also covers the case when the injection fluid has a cyclical or varying temperature.
Referring specifically now to
As indicated above, each of the wells 160, 180 breaches a layer of cap rock 195 in reaching the production layer 190. Thus, the integrity of each well 160, 180 is largely reliant upon maintaining sufficient integrity of the cap rock 195. In the case that the wells are cemented then successful integrity of the cap rock 195 includes integrity of the cement. For example, in circumstances where the cap rock 195 adjacent the injection well 180 is substantially cracked or degraded by the pressure of the injection fluid 140, uptake of production 145 may be compromised. That is, not only might the effectiveness of the injection well 180 be limited, but fluids may begin to migrate beyond the cap rock 195 and outside of the reach of the production well 160. These injection fluids might create unwanted overpressure of certain zones or even the breach of fluid to a seabed. Of course, a variety of other circumstances may lead to the possibility of damaged cap rock 195. Regardless, in the embodiment shown, the injection well 180 is equipped with a breach detection sensor device in the form of an array 100 therein. Therefore, as detailed further below, operators may be provided with an early form of cap rock breach or “out of zone injection” (OOZI) pointing to potential issues with the cap rock 195 at the injection well 180.
Continuing with reference to
The production well 160 is of similar architecture with cemented casing and then perforations 147 penetrating the production layer 190 and casing 165. However, in this case, the well 160 is configured for the uptake of production fluids 145 from the region. More specifically, the production well equipment 175 includes a rig 177 over a well head 179 with a production line 176 for carrying away of the production fluids 145. Furthermore, with the aid of the injection well 180, the added pressure in the region may increase this rate of production as well as the total production attained from the production layer 190. Additionally, with the sensor array 100 at the injection well 160 and analysis of data therefrom performed at a control unit 125, the increased rate and total production may take place without undue risk of unintentional damage to the cap rock 195.
Referring now to
The depicted sensors 201, 202 may be of a variety of different types suitable for downhole use. This may include platinum resistance temperature thermometers, fiber-optic temperature sensing and heat-flux sensors. The fiber-optic sensing may be interferometric, e.g., relying on Raman backscatter or built as discrete arrays, e.g., Fiber-Bragg gratings. In the case of heat-flux sensors, thin-film varieties may be utilized which may or may not be assembled directly on the tubing or casing. Of course, the architectural disposition of the array 100 may also be of different configurations. For example, instead of being located at the interior of the casing 185, the array 100 may be located at the outside of the casing 185, more directly adjacent the cap rock 195 (with perhaps only a cement layer therebetween). In this latter case then inductive coupling may be used to communicate from tubing to exterior to casing. Further, in another embodiment, the sensor device may be a fiber optic line utilized as a distributed temperature change sensor as opposed to utilizing discrete individual sensors of an array 100. Regardless, so long as temperature-related information is obtained from known locations adjacent the cap rock 195, techniques as detailed herein may be employed to ascertain a condition of the cap rock 195. Specifically, with comparatively cold injection fluid 140 flowing through the injection tubing 189 and ultimately into the production layer 190, through the perforations 142, is there a change in the rate of temperature drop or heat-flux in the cap rock 195 sufficient to ascertain OOZI?
Referring now to
With brief added reference to
While a variety of different protocols may be called for in injection well applications, generally, the injection fluid delivered through the injection tubing 189 and into the production layer 190 will be at a temperature that is well below that of the surrounding formation layers, including the cap rock 195. Thus, even in the absence of any damage 300, the cap rock 195 might be expected to slowly cool as the underlying production layer 190 is initially cooled by the injection fluid 140. By way of example, depending on the size and layout of the formation layers, an injection fluid of 50° F. injected at a rate of 15,000 barrels per day might be expected to cool cap rock 195 that is initially at 120° F. by about 0.1° F./meter every 100 days or so even in absence of any cracking 300. However, in circumstances where the cap rock 195 has become cracked 300 or otherwise permeable and susceptible to migrating OOZI, the rate of temperature change might look quite different.
Referring now to
Recalling that the cap rock 195 of
However, as also depicted in the chart of
In the embodiment shown after about 100 days, it is apparent that the cracking 300 into the cap rock 195 has emerged, effecting the sensors 201, 202 (and others) in succession, starting from the one (201) closest to the bottom of the cap rock 195. The information provided by the chart of
Perhaps more importantly, the information provided by the temperature array technique is available to the operator in ready fashion. That is, as opposed to waiting months to find out that cracking has occurred, the operator may be alerted of the situation in the near term. In the specific example, of the chart of
Continuing with added reference to
Referring now to
Injection may resume as indicated at 540 with the array utilized to monitor temperatures over time (see 550). As long as there is no indication of threshold breach, injection may resume as indicated at 560. However, a breach may be detected as noted at 570. This may be significant as shown at 400 of
Embodiments described hereinabove include techniques for detecting out of zone injection or OOZI through a cap rock adjacent a well in a practical, early stage manner. That is, in contrast to correlating injection volume and pressure over an extended period of months, temperature information from readings adjacent the cap rock may be analyzed in real-time. Thus, a reliable earlier stage indication of OOZI may be provided to allow evasive measures in advance of any catastrophic damage to the underlying reservoir. Once more, in situations where several injection wells are utilized simultaneously, direct monitoring of each injection well may provide added information in terms of the location of potential cap rock issues.
Although the preceding description has been described herein with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, it extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods, and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/189,006, which was filed on Jul. 6, 2015, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62189006 | Jul 2015 | US |