Identifying Well Completion Applications for Passive Inflow Control Devices

Abstract

Abstract The main horizontal well completion issues have been identified and addressed during the previous decades, resulting in wells with better performance, lower water production and higher recovery efficiencies. One of the most important issues has been inflow equalization, which is affected by reservoir heterogeneities and pressure losses in the completion (annulus and liner). Evaluations of the flow equalization, in sandstone and natural fracture reservoirs, along horizontal wells have shown the importance of this technique to improve reservoir management. Passive inflow control device (PICD) performance in producer and injector wells under different fluid properties (density and viscosity) and operational conditions will be presented to show the technical benefits of this technique as well as their improved recovery efficiencies when compared to non-PICD completions. The quantification of the benefits of this completion technique was performed using a fully integrated reservoir simulator where the PICD flow performance characteristic, well completion description (packers, blank pipe, gravel pack, annulus flow, etc.), and reservoir simulation are considered. Lessons learned and best practices regarding equipment selection and specification acquired during the last 10 years are summarized to define potential PICD applications in horizontal wells. Finally, the field experiences and numerical simulation results are analyzed to establish the best well completion strategy to fit specific reservoir conditions.