US-12618313-B2 - Subsurface condition detection using tube waves in a multi-well system

Abstract

Techniques for determining subsurface conditions in a multi-well system may include detecting, at time t 1 , a tube wave at a first well system of the multi-well system. The techniques may further include detecting, at time t 2 , the tube wave at a second well system of the multi-well system. The techniques may further include determining a time differential t d between t 1 and t 2 . The techniques may further include determining, based at least in part on t d , that the first well system and the second well system are in fluid communication via a formation.

Inventors

• Dinesh Ananda Shetty
• Zhijie Sun
• Derek Shelby Bale
• Rajani Prakash Satti
• Erik Lee

Assignees

• HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20241018

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method for determining subsurface conditions in a multi-well system, the method comprising: detecting, at time t 1 , a tube wave at a first well system of the multi-well system; detecting, at time t 2 , the tube wave at a second well system of the multi-well system; determining a time differential t d between t 1 and t 2 ; and determining, based at least in part on t d , that the first well system and the second well system are in fluid communication via a formation.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining a shortest distance length between a first wellbore of the first well system and a second wellbore of the second well system; determining a fracture length of a fracture between the first wellbore and the second wellbore; and determining, based at least in part on the shortest distance length and the fracture length, a complexity of the fracture.
3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said determining the fracture length of the fracture between the first wellbore and the second wellbore comprises: determining a first travel time of the tube wave in the first well system; determining a second travel time of the tube wave in the second well system; and determining, based at least in part on t d , the first travel time, and the second travel time, a third travel time of the tube wave in the formation.
4. 4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said determining the complexity of the fracture comprises determining a ratio of the fracture length to the shortest distance length.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the first well system and the second well system are in fluid communication via the formation comprises determining that t d is greater than a threshold.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising in response to said determining that the first well system and the second well system are in fluid communication via the formation, determining, by a machine learning module, one or more downhole operations performable to meet a pre-determined objective.
7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising performing the one or more downhole operations.
8. 8 . A multi-well system comprising: a computing system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine subsurface conditions in the multi-well system, the instructions including: instructions to detect a tube wave at a first well system of the multi-well system, wherein a time of detection is t 1 ; instructions to detect the tube wave at a second well system of the multi-well system wherein a time of detection is t 2 ; instructions to determine a time differential t d between t 1 and t 2 ; and instructions to determine, based at least in part on t d , that the first well system and the second well system are in fluid communication via a formation.
9. 9 . The multi-well system of claim 8 , the instructions further including: instructions to determine a shortest distance length between a first wellbore of the first well system and a second wellbore of the second well system; instructions to determine a fracture length of a fracture between the first wellbore and the second wellbore; and instructions to determine, based at least in part on the shortest distance length and the fracture length, a complexity of the fracture.
10. 10 . The multi-well system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to determine the fracture length of the fracture between the first wellbore and the second wellbore includes: instructions to determine a first travel time of the tube wave in the first well system; instructions to determine a second travel time of the tube wave in the second well system; and instructions to determine, based at least in part on t d , the first travel time, and the second travel time, a third travel time of the tube wave in the formation.
11. 11 . The multi-well system of claim 9 , wherein said instructions to determine the complexity of the fracture includes instructions to determine a ratio of the fracture length to the shortest distance length.
12. 12 . The multi-well system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine, in response to a determination that the first well system and the second well system are in fluid communication via the formation, one or more downhole operations performable to meet a pre-determined objective, wherein the determination of the one or more downhole operations is made by a machine learning module.
13. 13 . The multi-well system of claim 12 , further comprising: the first well system; the second well system; and wherein said instructions further include instructions to execute the one or more downhole operations on at least one of the first well system or the second well system.
14. 14 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to determine subsurface conditions in a multi-well system, the instructions comprising: instructions to detect a first tube wave at a first well system of the multi-well system, wherein a time of detection is t 1 ; instructions to detect the first tube wave at a second well system of the multi-well system, wherein a time of detection is t 2 ; instructions to determine a first time differential t d1 between t 1 and t 2 ; and instructions to determine, based at least in part on t d1 , that the first well system and the second well system are in fluid communication via a formation.
15. 15 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums of claim 14 , the instructions further including: instructions to determine a shortest distance length between a first wellbore of the first well system and a second wellbore of the second well system; instructions to determine a fracture length of a fracture between the first wellbore and the second wellbore; and instructions to determine, based at least in part on the shortest distance length and the fracture length, a complexity of the fracture.
16. 16 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums of claim 15 , wherein the instructions to determine the fracture length of the fracture between the first wellbore and the second wellbore includes: instructions to determine a first travel time of the first tube wave in the first well system; instructions to determine a second travel time of the first tube wave in the second well system; and instructions to determine, based at least in part on t d1 , the first travel time, and the second travel time, a third travel time of the first tube wave in the formation.
17. 17 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums of claim 15 , wherein the instructions to determine the complexity of the fracture includes instructions to determine a ratio of the fracture length to the shortest distance length.
18. 18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine, in response to a determination that the first well system and the second well system are in fluid communication via the formation, one or more downhole operations performable to meet a pre-determined objective, wherein the determination of the one or more downhole operations is made by a machine learning module.
19. 19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further include: instructions to execute the one or more downhole operations on at least one of the first well system or the second well system; instructions to generate a second tube wave in at least one of the first well system or the second well system; instructions to detect the second tube wave at the first well system of the multi-well system, wherein the time of detection is t 3 ; instructions to detect the second tube wave at the second well system of the multi-well system, wherein the time of detection is t 4 ; instructions to determine a time differential t d2 between t 3 and t 4 ; and instructions to determine, based at least in part on t d2 , whether the one or more downhole operations were successful.
20. 20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further include: instructions to generate training data comprising a set of sample data, wherein each sample data of the set of sample data comprises at least one previously generated tube wave signal, a set of one or more well system operations, and one or more indications of operational impacts of the one or more well system operations; and instructions to train the machine learning module based, at least in part, on the training data.

Description

BACKGROUND Hydrocarbons and similar substances may exist in underground deposits and can be extracted by various means, such as drilling wells and using pumps to lift the substance to the surface. Tracking and measuring various aspects of the associated operations is important for maintaining and improving the operations. However, because many of the operations occur far beneath the surface of the earth, it can be difficult to determine the conditions that exist within the well and surrounding formation(s). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the disclosure may be better understood by referencing the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 depicts an example simultaneous fracturing system with a tube wave propagating from one well system to another well system, according to some implementations. FIG. 2 depicts an example block diagram model of a multi-well system and components thereof, according to some implementations. FIG. 3 depicts an example graph of the pressure fluctuations in a multi-well system caused by a tube wave, according to some implementations. FIG. 4 depicts an example simultaneous fracturing system and a corresponding fracture complexity, according to some implementations. FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of an example multi-well system, according to some implementations. FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting example operations for determining subsurface conditions of a multi-well system, according to some implementations. FIG. 7 is a flowchart depicting example operations for training and implementing a machine learning module for determining subsurface conditions of a multi-well system, according to some implementations. FIG. 8 is a block diagram depicting an example computer, according to some implementations. DESCRIPTION The description that follows includes example systems, methods, techniques, and program flows that embody aspects of the disclosure. However, it is understood that this disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known instruction instances, protocols, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obfuscate the description. Because systems used to extract substances (e.g., hydrocarbons) from subsurface formations are located underground, subsurface conditions of the well and related formation can be difficult to monitor. Tube waves generated by surface equipment travel down the wellbore and tube wave reflections travel back up to the surface. Tube waves and tube wave reflections (hereinafter “tube waves”) are sensitive to various subsurface conditions, including the borehole's fluid properties, integrity of the borehole wall, and properties of the formation. As such, pressure pulse technology can utilize tube waves to determine the subsurface conditions. A tube wave can be generated passively or actively. For example, a tube wave may be generated passively when the pumping of fluid through a wellbore is stopped, causing a pressure differential that flows through the multi-well system. As another example, a tube wave may be generated actively when a pressure source, such as an air gun or electrical discharge, causes a pressure increase in the hydraulic fluid, resulting in a pressure differential that flows through the multi-well system. Tube waves are converted into electrical signals using devices such as pressure transducers installed in a well system. Because the tube waves are sensitive to subsurface conditions, which can vary widely, the tube wave signals are complex signals that can be difficult to analyze to determine the specific conditions represented by the tube wave signal. In simultaneous fracturing scenarios, two or more wellbores are treated at the same time instead of sequentially. The well systems corresponding to the wellbores are typically on the same pad and may be fracturing in the same formation zone or different formation zones. While each well system involved in the simultaneous fracturing usually receives similar treatment, that is not always the case and the subject matter herein is not limited to scenarios where each well system receives similar treatment. Further, a tube wave may be generated via excitation of the fluid in one or all well systems at the same time or at different times. In some implementations, the wells may have a shared fluid line on the surface. Thus, excitation of the fluid applied to one well system may be transmitted to the other well system via the shared surface lines. In these scenarios, the tube wave response may contain the signature of both well systems. In some scenarios, the tube wave may travel between well systems via the formation. FIG. 1 depicts an example simultaneous fracturing system with a tube wave propagating from one well system to another well system, according to some implementations. In particular, FIG. 1 depicts a multi-well system 100 comprising a first well system 102 and a second well system 104. The first well system 102 compri