Optimization Methodology for Cyclic Steam Injection With Horizontal Wells

Optimization Methodology for Cyclic Steam Injection With Horizontal Wells E. Escobar; E. Escobar PDVSA INTEVEP Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar P. Valko; P. Valko Texas A&M Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar W.J. Lee; W.J. Lee Texas A&M Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar M.G. Rodriguez M.G. Rodriguez PDVSA E&P Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the SPE/CIM International Conference on Horizontal Well Technology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, November 2000. Paper Number: SPE-65525-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/65525-MS Published: November 06 2000 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Escobar, E., Valko, P., Lee, W.J., and M.G. Rodriguez. "Optimization Methodology for Cyclic Steam Injection With Horizontal Wells." Paper presented at the SPE/CIM International Conference on Horizontal Well Technology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, November 2000. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/65525-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE/CIM International Conference on Horizontal Well Technology Search Advanced Search AbstractHorizontal wells are becoming a very important component in the thermal recovery of heavy oil reservoirs. The success of a cyclic steam injection project depends strongly on the selection of key parameters, such as cycle length and amount of steam injected. The numerical simulation of horizontal wells, especially under non-isothermal conditions, is computationally demanding. When optimization is combined with numerical simulation, the computing time requirement may be prohibitive and it is not guaranteed that the optimal conditions will be found.In this research, a new methodology has been developed for optimizing the cyclic steam injection process for vertical and horizontal wells. The procedure integrates oil production characterization using numerical simulation, net present value maximization through a Quasi-Newton method, and model validation/tuning. The three-stage procedure provides the optimum number and/or duration of cycles, the optimal amounts of steam to be injected in each cycle and the optimal value of the overall economic indicator.The optimization algorithm was successfully validated with published results obtained from the discrete maximum principle. The methodology was then applied to determine the optimal conditions of cyclic steam injection for a horizontal well located in Bachaquero field, Venezuela.IntroductionThermal stimulation of heavy-oil producing wells by cyclic steam injection has received attention since the early 1960's. Currently, steam stimulation is being applied on a commercial scale, particularly in Venezuela, California and Canada.With the arrival of horizontal well technology, the production from heavy and extra heavy oil reservoirs has been considerably improved. One of the prospective areas for using horizontal wells is thermal recovery using steam.Horizontal wells represent an indispensable technology for the production of bitumen or extra heavy oil formations. Process like SAGD, HASD drive, and Vapex have been specially designed using horizontal wells for recovery of oil that is immobile at original reservoir conditions. Today, these processes represent the most feasible alternatives to produce relatively deep bitumen formations.For conventional heavy oil reservoirs, the selection of horizontal wells is not a simple issue. Horizontal wells have been successfully applied in areas where gas and/or water conning is the major problem. However, factors such as vertical and horizontal permeability anisotropy, reservoir thickness, and sand production have strong influence in the production performance of this type of well. Under specific reservoir scenarios, the use of horizontal wells does not always represent the best alternative.In thermal oil recovery like cyclic steam injection and steam drive, horizontal wells have notable advantages over vertical wells such as better heat distribution and lateral transportation of fluids. In addition, the number of wells necessary to produce a pattern decreases in reservoirs with close well spacing. Nevertheless, the success of the steam injection process strongly depends on ensuring a uniform placement of the steam along the total well length.Success in the combination of cyclic steam injection with horizontal wells will depend upon an appropriate technical and economic design. To the best of our knowledge, no optimization methodology has been developed to support design decisions about thermal stimulation of horizontal wells. Among the complications associated with this task are the lack of long field experience under a wide range of conditions, and lack of an analytical solution to predict the oil recovery from a thermally stimulated horizontal well. Keywords: steam injection, production rate, upstream oil & gas, horizontal well, sagd, artificial intelligence, optimization methodology, thermal method, reservoir, production time Subjects: Improved and Enhanced Recovery, Thermal methods This content is only available via PDF. 2000. 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