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CA-3076882-C - METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING DOWNHOLE WATER PRODUCTION

CA3076882CCA 3076882 CCA3076882 CCA 3076882CCA-3076882-C

Abstract

An apparatus (10) for controlling water production in a wellbore (B) comprises a body in the form of a base pipe (12), the base pipe (12) having an axial flow passage in the form of axial throughbore (14) and a lateral flow passage in the form of radial port (16). A shroud (18) is disposed around the base pipe (12) and forms a housing of the apparatus (10). In use, the apparatus (10) forms part of a completion string (CS) for location in the wellbore (B), the apparatus (10) configured to direct production fluid into a production conduit (P) for recovery to surface (S), perform a quantitative measurement of water content within the production fluid, and vary the fluid flow in the fluid flow path based on the quantitative measurement of water content within the production fluid to maintain water production at or below a predetermined threshold.

Inventors

  • John Hunter
  • Anthony Wilson

Assignees

  • SWELLFIX UK LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20180927
Priority Date
20170927

Claims (20)

  1. 18 CLAIMS 1. A method for controlling water production in a wellbore, comprising: directing flow of a production fluid into a production conduit via a fluid flow path; 5 using a sensor arrangement to perform a quantitative measurement of water content within the production fluid at a sampling rate, wherein the sampling rate varies upon detection of water in the production fluid; logging the quantitative measurement of water content within the production fluid over time to provide cumulative water content values; and. 10 configuring the flow path between a fully open configuration, a fully closed configuration and at least one intermediate configuration to vary the fluid flow in the fluid flow path based on the cumulative water content values to maintain the water production at or below a predetermined threshold.
  2. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising varying the fluid flow in the fluid flow path autonomously.
  3. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the fluid flow in the fluid flow path comprises reducing the size of the fluid flow path, wherein reducing the size of the fluid 20 flow path comprises reducing the size of the fluid flow path while maintaining flow in the fluid flow path.
  4. 4. The method of any one of claims1 to 3, wherein the predetermined threshold is non-zero.
  5. 5. The method of claims 1 to 3, wherein reducing the size of the fluid flow path comprises fully closing the fluid flow path.
  6. 6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein varying the fluid flow in the 30 fluid flow path comprises increasing the size of the fluid flow path.
  7. 7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising maintaining the fluid flow path when the quantitative measurement of water content in the production fluid is at or below the predetermined threshold. Date rec;:ue/date received 2024-05-24 19
  8. 8. An apparatus for controlling water ingress into a production conduit within a wellbore, comprising: a body comprising an axial flow passage and a lateral flow passage configured to provide fluid communication with the axial flow passage, the apparatus defining a 5 fluid flow passage for directing flow of a production fluid into the production conduit via a fluid flow path; a sensor arrangement configured to log a quantitative measurement of water content within the production fluid over time to provide cumulative water content values at a sampling rate, wherein the sampling rate varies upon detection of water in the 10 production fluid; and a valve arrangement configured to vary the fluid flow in the fluid flow path based on the cumulative water content values within the production fluid by configuring the flow path between a fully open configuration, a fully closed configuration and at least one intermediate configuration to maintain water production at or below a 15 predetermined threshold.
  9. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is configured to vary the fluid flow in fluid flow path autonomously.
  10. 10. The apparatus of any one of claims 8 or 9, wherein the valve arrangement comprises a choke valve.
  11. 11. The apparatus of any one of claims 8, 9 or 10, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a sensor configured to detect one or more properties of the production fluid 25 indicative of the water content within the production fluid.
  12. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a sensor configured to detect the presence of water, wherein the sensor configured to detect the presence of water comprise an electrical conductivity (EC) sensor.
  13. 13. The apparatus of any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a sensor configured to determine the water content in the production fluid, wherein the sensor configured to determine the water content in the production fluid comprises an electromagnetic (EM) flow meter. Date rec;:ue/date received 2024-05-24
  14. 14. The apparatus of any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a light emitting and receiving system.
  15. 15. The apparatus of any one of claims 8 to 14, comprising a communication 5 arrangement, the communication arrangement comprising at least one of: a wired communication arrangement; a wireless communication arrangement; and a static pressure communication arrangement.
  16. 16 The apparatus of any one of claims 8 to 15, comprising a controller configured to actuate the valve arrangement in response to the output signal from the sensor arrangement.
  17. 17. The apparatus of any one of claims 8 to 16, comprising a power supply, the power supply comprising at least one of: a downhole power supply; a downhole power generator; and a battery.
  18. 18. A system for downhole water ingress control, comprising the apparatus 20 according to any one of claims 8 to 17.
  19. 19. The system of claim 18, comprising a plurality of the apparatus, wherein the apparatus are actuable independently. 25
  20. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement is reconfigurable from a passive state to an active state when water is detected in the production fluid. Date rec;:ue/date received 2024-05-24

Description

1 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING DOWNHOLE WATER PRODUCTION The present disclosure relates to downhole water production control, for example for use in oil and/or gas wells. BACKGROUND In the oil and gas industry, it is common for a hydrocarbon bearing formation to 1 O also include a significant volume of water in addition to oil and/or gas. During hydrocarbon production operations, the water in the formation is typically drawn towards and into the well, a process known as water coning. Equipment required to separate the water from the hydrocarbons requires a significant amount of energy and occupies a significant footprint on the rig or platform. Moreover, while in oil production a 15 certain percentage of produced water might be tolerable and in some instances might assist in recovery, gas production wells are extremely sensitive to produced water with even a small percentage of water adversely affecting the ability to recover the gas to surface. Water production thus needs to be managed in order to maintain efficient 20 hydrocarbon recovery and a number of water management techniques have been developed. In some instances, inflow control equipment is incorporated along a production completion with the aim of balancing draw-down across a reservoir and delaying water on-set or coning into any one region. In some examples, inflow control devices are distributed along the length of the production completion, with each device 25 providing a preset degree of choking to production. Such inflow control systems, while very effective in many circumstances, are better suited for horizontal or deviated wells, and in some cases the preset choking may, over-time, no longer fully match the production conditions. Autonomous inflow control devices are used which will close when exposed to water inflow, thereby closing off any further production from the 30 adjacent reservoir region. Such autonomous inflow control devices react to a change in the hydrodynamic flowing conditions through the inflow control devices caused by the lower viscosity of water relative to oil, closing when exposed to flow having a lower viscosity. While autonomous devices have been used to great effect in many applications, there are limitations in their application. For example, the principle of 35 operation whereby the device closes or chokes in response to lower fluid viscosities means that such devices cannot normally be used for gas production. 2 SUMMARY A first aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for controlling water production in a wellbore, comprising: directing flow of a production fluid into a production conduit via a fluid flow path; 5 performing a quantitative measurement of water content within the production fluid; and varying the fluid flow in the fluid flow path based on the quantitative measurement of water content within the production fluid to maintain water production at or below a predetermined threshold. Beneficially, varying the fluid flow in the fluid flow path based on the quantitative measurement of water content permits greater control over water ingress into the production conduit. This, in turn, results in greater control over produced water from a given formation, permitting water production to be tailored to an optimum level for a given formation. Moreover, the ability to control water production in the downhole 15 environment obviates or at least reduces the requirement for water/hydrocarbon separation facilities at surface, reducing expenditure and/or floor space on the rig or platform. Directing flow of the production fluid into the production conduit via the fluid flow path may comprise directing the production fluid through a radial port. Directing flow of the production fluid into the production conduit via the fluid flow path may comprise directing the production fluid through a valve arrangement. The method may comprise varying the fluid flow in the fluid flow path autonomously. Beneficially, autonomously varying the fluid flow in the fluid flow path obviates 25 the requirement for control and communication from surface, although in particular embodiments such control and communication equipment may be provided to permit control from surface where desired. In an oil production well, autonomously varying the fluid flow in the fluid flow path assists in maintaining water ingress at a level which optimises oil recovery. This 30 may be achieved in real time. Moreover, the ability to autonomously control water ingress within a gas production flow provides the operator with additional capability, not otherwise available with conventional equipment and methodologies. The method may comprise varying the fluid flow in the fluid flow path from surface. 3 The method may comprise varying the fluid flow in the fluid flow path from surface using a communication arrangement. As described above, the method comprises varying the flow fluid in the fluid flow path. Varying the fluid flow in the fluid flow