ICD Design Optimisation with Single-Well Dynamic 3D Modelling and Real-Time Operation Support

Abstract

Abstract Horizontal wells are well-recognized as one of the most effective innovations in exposing the wellbore to maximum reservoir contact and drainage area to improve recovery economics. It creates lower pressure drop to achieve better productivity compared to vertical/deviated wells. In order to enhance sweep efficiency, horizontal wells can be completed with Inflow Control Devices (ICD). ICD completion creates a more uniform inflow distribution along the production interval of the horizontal well. It aims to delay water breakthrough at high permeability zones and to provide better well clean up at initial production. In general, the performance evaluation shows that horizontal wells with ICD's have better sustained productivity than horizontal wells completed open hole or with screens. ICD completion design was previously done based on near-wellbore data only. A new methodology has been applied by tailoring the ICD completion design with fine-grid dynamic 3D simulation that is fast enough to be used for real-time model optimisation while drilling. 3D simulation enables the optimisation for the number and placement of nozzles and packers by maximising the utilisation of reservoir information. The improvement on delivering ICD completion design also includes torque and drag analysis on every horizontal well candidate. The new ICD completion design workflow has been applied since 2015. The real-time single-well dynamic 3D simulation-based design results in a better understanding of the completion options and their performance predictions. Various ICD completion scenarios, from constant nozzle sizes to varying nozzle sizes, and different packer numbers and placements are simulated. The new 3D simulation tool is able to provide time-lapse effects of cumulative fluid (oil and water) production for different flow rates. Additional pressure drop across the completion is modelled for different nozzle configurations. Based on these simulation results better informed decisions can be made regarding the nozzle sizes and numbers. In addition, the proposed ICD completion run-in-hole tally is evaluated in the torque and drag simulator to ensure the proposed ICD completions can be run to total depth (TD). The results of these two simulation steps are combined to optimize the final ICD completion design.