Baker Hughes Corporation

Conocophillips Company

Guy Vachon

Jaedong Lee

Chee M Chok

Garabed Yeriazarian

Brian L Thigpen

Clark Sann

Xin Liu

C Mitch Means

Inflow control devices that can be used for both viscous and less viscous hydrocarbons. Optimized configurations for passive inflow control devices or ICDs having two types of fluidic pathways are combined in the same device or well in series or in parallel. Also provided, are well configurations that can be used for e.g., steam assisted oil recovery methods, wherein steam flashing is prevented by included dual type passive inflow control devices in the completion.

Dual type inflow control devices

A method of optimization ICD design that includes consideration of reservoir characteristics, well configuration and type of enhanced oil recovery technique, as well as needed performance characteristics. Thus, the ICD is optimized for particular wells, reservoirs and/or enhanced oil recovery uses.

ICD optimization

Methods and systems simulate hydrocarbon production from a reservoir and predict impact of flow control devices on production for such reservoir simulation. The methods may transform equations capturing properties that describe flow of fluids through the flow control devices into input parameters desired for use with reservoir simulators. The equations may be determined based on physical properties of the flow control devices or fitted to match experimental or computational fluid dynamics data.

Flow control device simulation

The present disclosure relates to passive flow control devices or FCDs and modeling methods applicable to same. In particular, a new method to extrapolate the value of a reference FRR tool to other tools with the same architecture, but different ratings. Instead of scaling the output of the model, the data of the available characterizations is used to extrapolate what the characterization results would be to the different FRR. This estimated data set is then used to fit a new model for the uncharacterized FRR tool.

FCD modeling

A system and method for supplying an additive into a well is disclosed that includes estimating injection rates for the additives and setting of one or more fluid flow control devices in the well based on a computer model. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Apparatus and method for managing supply of additive at wellsites

A system for controlling flow in a wellbore uses a downhole flow control device positioned at a downhole location in the wellbore. The flow control device has a movable element for controlling a downhole fluid flow. In response to an applied pressure pulse, the movable element moves in finite increments from one position to another. In one embodiment, a hydraulic source generates a transmitted pressure pulse to the flow control device wherein the maximum pressure of a received pressure pulse downhole is sufficient to overcome a static friction force associated with the movable element, and wherein a minimum pressure of the received pressure pulse downhole is insufficient to overcome a dynamic friction force associated with the movable element.

Method and system for controlling a downhole flow control device

A system and method is provided for estimating an occurrence of a water breakthrough in a production well that includes estimating, at least periodically, a measure of water in the fluid produced from one or more production zones and estimating the occurrence of the water breakthrough utilizing at least in part a trend of the estimated measures of the produced fluid. A controller determines one or more actions to be taken to mitigate an effect of the water breakthrough and may automatically initiate one or more such actions.

System and method for water breakthrough detection and intervention in a production well

A system and method for producing fluid from a completed well is provided wherein the method in one aspect includes determining a first setting of at least one first device under use for producing the fluid from the well; selecting a first set of input parameters that includes at least one parameter relating to health of at least one second device and a plurality of parameters selected from a group consisting of information relating to flow rate, pressure, temperature, presence of a selected chemical, water content, sand content, and chemical injection rate; and using the selected first set of parameters as an input to a computer model, determining a second setting for the at least one first device that will provide at least one of an increased life of at least one second device and enhanced flow rate for the fluid from the completed well.

System and method for monitoring physical condition of production well equipment and controlling well production

A flow control device for use in a wellbore to allow flow of formation fluid into the wellbore comprises a valve member adapted to move when disposed in the wellbore. A fluid line supplies a working fluid under pressure to move the valve member to allow the fluid to flow into the wellbore. A sensor in the wellbore, and associated with the fluid line, provides an indication of a position of the valve member. A method of determining a state of a flow control tool within a wellbore comprises supplying fluid under pressure to the flow control tool to move a flow control member of the tool into the state. Pressure of the supplied fluid is detected downhole. The state of the flow control device is determined from the detected pressure of the supplied fluid.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Guy Vachon