Patent Application
20130068453
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to subterranean wells for the production of oil and gas or other fluids. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for a providing a single well for simultaneously producing and observing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Monitoring pressure and saturation in a producing reservoir is critical for proper reservoir management, and it is being accomplished throughout the industry in a variety of ways. In offshore fields, wells are drilled from expensive platforms with limited number of drilling slots. Therefore, dedicating a slot for observation only instead of production is costly.
A common practice is to drill a vertical well across multiple zones and perforate the target zone for production and pressure monitoring purposes. At the same time, it is possible to intervene rig-less and run saturation logs across all zones or run production logging across the perforated zone. Inconveniently, this practice has several setbacks. For example, continuous pressure measurement is not possible. Producing the well will cause the pressure immediately around the wellbore to drop, and therefore the pressure readings will not be representative of the general area around the well. Getting a representative pressure reading requires shutting-in the well for few days until pressure stabilizes. Shutting-in the well will cause losing potential production and thus revenue.
Another disadvantage of current methods is that production and pressure monitoring have to be in the same reservoir. If production from another zone/reservoir is desired, two reservoirs have to be perforated, isolated with straddle packers and completed with duel completion. Doing so will restrict running logs since the reservoirs will be behind both a tubing and a casing string which will hinder logs from reading the formation. In addition, vertical wells have low production rates compared to horizontal producers so it would be advantageous to have a production well that is horizontal.
From the foregoing, a need has arisen to design a method and apparatus that enables continuous pressure measurement, production and pressure monitoring from separate reservoirs, and production from an accessible horizontal lateral.
Embodiments of the current application provide a method and apparatus for addressing the shortcomings of the current art, as discussed above. The current application discloses a single well able to serve as a horizontal producer and a vertical observation well simultaneously with the luxury of full accessibility to both production and observation regions within the well. In the embodiments of the current invention, the cost of drilling an additional well is eliminated, more drilling slots can be availed for producers rather than observation wells, and more data can be acquired from a single slot. In offshore operations this can amount to significant cost saving.
The invention revolves around drilling one well with two laterals; one vertical for observing a single or multiple reservoirs, and one horizontal for producing. After drilling the vertical observation section, the well will be sidetracked with level-four technology into a selected reservoir providing a producing lateral. The vertical section of the well is maintained for observation purposes and will continuously provide pressure data from one reservoir through perforations. Whenever water saturation profiles are needed across the different reservoirs, the well will be temporarily shut-in and the saturation logs are run across the observation section through a Y-tool. The integrated well design allows full flexibility for intervention in the producing lateral, where coiled tubing can be utilized to stimulate or log the well with a production log tool (“PLT”).
Dual purpose wells of the present application will significantly reduce cost and efficiently utilize resources including the costs associated with drilling time and completion. Additionally, they avail more drilling slots to be utilized for drilling producing wells, making them particularly attractive for offshore developments or those with limited drilling slots. In addition to monitoring pressure and saturation, the dual purpose wells of the present application serve as a horizontal producer.
One embodiment of the current application includes a method for producing hydrocarbons in a subterranean well useful for observing properties of one or more subterranean zones, comprises the steps of: (a) installing a lower straddle packer in a vertical well bore below a junction with a lateral well section; (b) installing an upper straddle packer in a vertical well bore above the junction with the lateral well section; (c) conveying hydrocarbons from the from the lateral well to the surface with a tubing; (d) observing pressure information in at least one zone with a pressure gauge located in the vertical well bore below the lower straddle packer; and (e) obtaining information in the at least one zone with logging equipment run through the tubing.
In some embodiments, the method also includes installing a sidetrack window in the tubing between the lower straddle packer and the upper straddle packer for providing access to the lateral well section, the sidetrack window having a sliding means for opening and closing access to the sidetrack window. The method may alternatively include opening the sliding means, running coiled tubing from the surface down the tubing, through the sidetrack window and into the lateral well, and performing an intervention procedure on the lateral well.
In other embodiments, the method includes providing a sliding sleeve opening in the tubing below the upper straddle packer and opening the sliding sleeve opening to allow fluids from the lateral well to enter the tubing. The method may also include the step of installing an isolation means below the upper straddle packer to prevent fluids below the isolation means within the tubing from flowing towards the surface.
In alternative embodiments, the method might also include installing a y-tool above the upper straddle packer, connecting the tubing to a first lower branch of the y-tool, connecting an electrical submersible pump to a second lower branch of the y-tool, and operating the electrical submersible pump to assist with the production of fluids from the lateral well. Logging equipment may be run through the first lower branch of the y-tool to bypass the electrical submersible pump.
In yet other alternative embodiments, the method may include providing a means for opening and closing the sidetrack window, opening the sidetrack window, running coiled tubing from the surface down the tubing, through the first lower branch of the y-tool, through sidetrack window and into the lateral well, and performing an intervention procedure on the lateral well.
There may be both a production zone and an observation zone and the method may further comprise perforating the vertical well below the lower straddle packer at the level of the observation zone. Pressure information may be obtained with the gauge in the production zone, saturation information may be obtained in both the production and observation zones, and production logs may be obtained in the observation zone.
In other embodiments of the current application, an apparatus for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean well while observing properties of one or more subterranean zones comprises an upper straddle packer located in a vertical well bore above a junction with a producing lateral well section, a lower straddle packer located in the vertical well bore below the junction with the lateral well section, a pressure gauge located in a vertical well bore below the lower straddle packer and above a perforated zone, a tubing located in the vertical well for conveying hydrocarbons from the lateral well to the surface and for running tools from the surface through the upper straddle packer, and a means for isolating fluids in the vertical well below the lower straddle packer from fluids in the lateral well.
In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a sidetrack window in the tubing between the lower straddle packer and the upper straddle packer for providing access to the lateral well section, the sidetrack window having a sliding means for opening and closing access to the sidetrack window. In addition, a sliding sleeve opening in the tubing below the upper straddle packer, may be operable such that when the sliding sleeve opening is opened, fluids from the lateral well may enter the tubing and flow to the surface. The isolation means may be a nipple profile located below the sliding sleeve opening.
In other embodiments, the apparatus may include a y-tool located above the upper straddle packer, the tubing being connected to a first lower branch of the y-tool and an electrical submersible pump connected to a second lower branch of the y-tool to assist with the production of fluids from the lateral well. The lateral well may be located in a production zone which is separate from the perforated zone. Logging equipment may be run through the first lower branch of the y-tool to the perforated zone, the logging equipment operable to provide saturation information on both the production zone and the perforated zone and to provide production information across the perforated zone. The gauge may be located in a production zone and be operable to collect pressure information from the production zone.
So that the manner in which the above-recited features, aspects and advantages of the invention, as well as others that will become apparent, are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention briefly summarized above may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the drawings that form a part of this specification. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only preferred embodiments of the invention and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of the invention's scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
Looking at
A vertical observation well 14, is drilled, cased and cemented. A whipstock is installed under the sidetrack point 20 to guide the drilling of the horizontal well 16. The horizontal well 16 will then be sidetracked through a casing sidetrack window 52 to the production zone 22 away from the vertical well 14. The horizontal well 16 will be cased and cemented. Alternatively, other know means can be used to drill horizontal well 16 of the well 12.
Turning to
Between straddle packers 24, 26 there may be a tubing 30 with an internal bore 54 for transporting production fluids to the surface. Tubing 30 may comprise an opening 32 which may be opened and closed by an operator and may be, for example, a sliding side door. This opening 32, when open, will allow fluids from well 16 to enter internal bore 54 of tubing 30. When closed, opening 32 will not allow fluids to enter the internal bore 54 of tubing 30.
Tubing 30 may also include a nipple profile 36 located below sliding sleeve opening 32 and above sidetrack window 34. Nipple profile 36 can be used to prevent cross flow and isolate the well below the level of the nipple profile 36. Therefore any fluid entering tubing 30 from well 14 or well 16 below the nipple profile 36 can be blocked from progressing further up tubing 30 and only the fluids that enter tubing 30 through opening 32 will reach the surface.
Tubing 30 will also comprise a sidetrack tubing window 34 on the same side of tubing 30 as the junction 20 between the horizontal well 16 and the vertical well 14. Sidetrack tubing window 34 will be in close proximity to sidetrack casing window 52 and will be used for access to horizontal well 16, if needed for intervention. A latch profile 38 located above lower straddle packer 26 ensures that the rotational orientation of the components of tubing 30 are correct so that tubing window 34 is aligned with casing window 52. In some embodiments, tubing window 34 may include a means for opening or closing access to the window such as a window sliding sleeve 62.
Above upper straddle packer 24 may be a seal assembly 40 and tubing 42. Tubing 42 is connected to a first lower branch 64 of a y-tool 44 and has a central bore 56 which is in fluid communication with central bore 54 of tubing 30. A second lower branch 66 of y-tool 44 is connected to an electrical submersible pump (“ESP”) 46. An ESP packer 48 is located above y-tool 44 and a production line 50, which is in fluid communication with the upper end of y-tool 44 is located above ESP packer 48. Tubing 42 may be pre-perforated to allow fluid communication between bore 56 of tubing 42 and the wellbore 58 in the region above upper straddle packer 28 and below ESP packer 48.
In operation gauge 36 will provide representative and continuous pressure and saturation measurements without hindering production from the horizontal well 16. In the case of a malfunction of gauge 36, the components can be removed and gauge 36 can be repairs, recalibrated or replaced. The ESP will provide lift to assist with the production of fluids from producing horizontal well 16 and in addition, will provide pressure measurements from the horizontal well 16. During normal production operations, the sliding sleeve opening 32 will be open to allow produced fluids from well 16 to enter bore 54 of tubing 30. The produced fluids will continue upwards and into bore 56 of tubing 40 then into production line 50 to the surface. Nipple profile 36, which creates an internal barrier within bore 54 of tubing 30, will ensure that fluids in bore 54 of tubing 30 below the nipple profile 36 will not be able to reach tubing 42. The window sliding sleeve 62 may also be closed to ensure any fluids entering tubing 30 through tail pipe 28 from well 14 does not exit into horizontal well 16 and mix with the produced fluids. Alternatively, a valve or other isolation means in tail pipe 28 may be closed so that no fluids from vertical well 14 enter tubing 30.
If the horizontal well 16 requires intervention, such as stimulation or to PLT the horizontal well 16, it will be possible to access horizontal well 16 through tubing window 34 using coiled tubing. Coiled tubing can be lowered through an internal bore of production line 50, and through ESP packer 48 and into the first lower branch 64 of y-tool 44, thereby bypassing ESP 46. The coiled tubing will then continue through upper straddle packer 24 and into bore 54 of tubing 30.
The coiled tubing will be fed through nipple profile 36. The window sliding sleeve 62 will be opened. The lower end of a coiled tubing can be curved such that it can enter the tubing window 34, pass through the casing window 52 and enter horizontal well 16. Intervention of well 16 can therefore be accomplished without the need to pull any tubing and without bringing in a rig for any completion or de-completion operations.
When saturation or production logs are needed, the well 12 will be temporarily shut-in, and the sliding sleeve opening 32 will be closed and the window sliding sleeve 62 may also be closed. The logging equipment can be lowered through an internal bore of production line 50, through ESP packer 48 and into the first lower branch 64 of y-tool 44, thereby bypassing ESP 46. The logging equipment will then continue through upper straddle packer 24 and into bore 54 of tubing 30. The logging equipment will be fed through nipple profile 36 and downward through lower straddle packer 26, out the open end of tail pipe 28 and past the perforations 60 of well 14.
In this way, it will be possible to evaluate all zones for saturation, including production zone 22, and lower zone 23. The lower zone 23 with perforations 60 may also be logged for a production profile.
In alternative embodiments, well 12 may comprise multiple horizontal wells, each with a set of straddle packers, an ESP packer, and a y-tool, for performing as described above. Observations may take place for a single or for multiple zones or reservoirs. Although well section 16 has been described as a horizontal well, the embodiments of the present application will apply equally to other lateral well configurations.
Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made hereupon without departing from the principle and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be determined by the following claims and their appropriate legal equivalents.
The singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Optional or optionally means that the subsequently described event or circumstances may or may not occur. The description includes instances where the event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not occur. Ranges may be expressed herein as from about one particular value, and/or to about another particular value. When such a range is expressed, it is to be understood that another embodiment is from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value, along with all combinations within said range.
Throughout this application, where patents or publications are referenced, the disclosures of these references in their entireties are intended to be incorporated by reference into this application, in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which the invention pertains, except when these reference contradict the statements made herein.
