Maximising recovery

The production benefits of using ICD technology are now widely appreciated in the industry. The understanding of limitations are improving with key deployment concerns such as fluids management, a particular point of focus. The industry is now moving to a more adaptive type of ICD (no longer strictly a passive technology system) combining ICDs with other completion techniques and technology further augment benefits realised over the past 10 years.

ICDs cause a pressure drop within an open hole completion to regulate fluid flow in order to create an even influx from the well or even flow distribution of injected fluids.  The correct application of ICDs can delay the onset of water and gas production and optimise reservoir management, ultimately improving hydrocarbon recovery. In addition to these benefits, ICDs can also improve the reliability of sand control and aid well clean-up. Unlike other open hole completion types when using ICDs fluid transfer between the completion bore and the reservoir/completion annulus occurs at a single point, within each ICD unit. This provides scope for introducing technology to enhance the functionality of ICD completions.

Maximising benefits, specifically improving performance in the more common but less homogeneous reservoirs has become a real possibility. Improving well bore clean up, without resorting to excessive drawdown or clean up rates is another real possibility. These systems benefit from combining technologies and the latest adaptive ICDs are delivering additional advantages previously not realised in individual (passive) ICD flow regulator design. This has allowed the industry to re-asses the original flow regulator design and increase it's impact and viability in gas, injector, and heavy oil applications.

Applying these combined technologies result in an improved drainage profile and uniform flow along horizontal well bore sections. Horizontal wells are an established method for hydrocarbon recovery. In formations that can be completed horizontally, the wellbore offers a greater contact area with the productive layer, allowing lower drawdown and maximising hydrocarbon recovery. In homogeneous formations, as the length of the horizontal section increases, its resistance to flow increases - in the form of fluid flow friction effects, generating a higher pressure drop at the heel, compared to that at the toe. This occurrence will eventually lead to premature water/gas production. In heterogeneous or fractured formations, this process can be greatly accelerated by high permeable formations or fractures. This invasion will greatly impair the overall well performance and recovery.

Adaptive ICDs are designed to help evenly distribute the inflow throughout a horizontal wellbore. The devices reduce the tendency of early water or gas production, allowing the reservoir to drain more efficiently while maximising production and recovery. Other benefits include compartmentalisation and long-term flow management, elimination of wash pipe and associated handling difficulties, extending the well life expectancy, improved NPV and enhanced mechanical Integrity. There is an anticipation that the growing ICD penetration in the injector market will continue to gain momentum, obviously on the back of recent successful deployments. The number of ICD deployments are predicted to increase perhaps to the extent that, in combination with other tools, they could represent a major shift change in the traditional Intelligent Completion market in highly leveraged wells on land, sea and perhaps even deepwater.

BIO

David Baley is the Business Development Manager of Petrowell Ltd. A graduate of TCU in Ft. Worth, Texas, he has worked in the industry internationally for over 30 years, with the last nine years focusing primarily on open hole completions.