US-12618996-B2 - Real-time characterization of fluid front in subsurface formation and inflow management

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for performing a seismic survey and characterization of a subsurface formation. Seismic sources coupled to a wellbore of a well system may emit source seismic signals. Seismic sensors coupled to the wellbore may detect seismic signals associated with the plurality of source seismic signals. The detected seismic signals may be reflected seismic signals, refracted seismic signals, or both. A seismic characterization of the subsurface formation may be performed based on analysis of the detected seismic signals and the plurality of source seismic signals. A change in a fluid front of the subsurface formation may be detected based on the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation. Inflow control devices that control fluid flow in a plurality of zones of the wellbore may be controlled based on the seismic characterization and a detected change in the fluid front.

Inventors

• Ryan W. McCHESNEY
• Karl Ku
• Rex Dael Navarro
• Daniel Thomas-Possee

Assignees

• HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20240404

Claims (17)

1. 1 . A method for performing a seismic survey of a subsurface formation, comprising: emitting a plurality of source seismic signals from a plurality of seismic sources coupled to a wellbore of a well system; detecting, by a plurality of seismic sensors coupled to the wellbore of the well system, seismic signals associated with the plurality of source seismic signals, the detected seismic signals being at least one of reflected seismic signals or refracted seismic signals; performing a seismic characterization of the subsurface formation based on analysis of the detected seismic signals and the plurality of source seismic signals; determining a change in a fluid front of the subsurface formation is greater than a threshold based on the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation; and controlling inflow control devices that control fluid flow in a plurality of zones of the wellbore in response to determining the change in the fluid front is greater than the threshold.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining whether to perform one or more well system operations on the wellbore based on the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation based on the analysis of the detected seismic signals and the plurality of source seismic signals includes: detecting the change in the fluid front of the subsurface formation based on the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation.
4. 4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein detecting the change in the fluid front of the subsurface formation based on the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation includes: performing a baseline seismic characterization of the subsurface formation; performing one or more additional seismic characterizations of the subsurface formation; and detecting the change in the fluid front of the subsurface formation based on a comparison of the baseline seismic characterization and the one or more additional seismic characterizations.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation based on the analysis of the detected seismic signals and the plurality of source seismic signals includes: generating a baseline seismic image of the subsurface formation including the fluid front of the subsurface formation based on a baseline seismic characterization of the subsurface formation; generating one or more additional seismic images of the subsurface formation including the fluid front of the subsurface formation based on one or more additional seismic characterizations of the subsurface formation; and detecting the change in the fluid front of the subsurface formation based on a comparison of the baseline seismic image and the one or more additional seismic images of the subsurface formation.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the inflow control devices that control the fluid flow in the plurality of zones of the wellbore includes controlling the inflow control devices that control the fluid flow in the plurality of zones of the wellbore prior to the fluid front making contact with the wellbore.
7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining that the change in the fluid front of the subsurface formation is a fluid front change that affects a first zone of the plurality of zones of the wellbore; and controlling the inflow control devices that control the fluid flow in the first zone and in one or more additional zones of the wellbore in response to determining the change in the fluid front is greater than the threshold.
8. 8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein: controlling the inflow control devices that control the fluid flow in the first zone includes one of turning off the fluid flow, reducing the fluid flow, or throttling the fluid flow in the first zone prior to the fluid front of the subsurface formation contacting the wellbore, and controlling the inflow control devices that control the fluid flow in the one or more additional zones includes increasing the fluid flow in the one or more additional zones prior to the fluid front of the subsurface formation contacting the wellbore.
9. 9 . A well system for performing a seismic survey of a subsurface formation, comprising: a plurality of seismic sources to be coupled to a wellbore of the well system, the plurality of seismic sources configured to emit a plurality of source seismic signals; a plurality of seismic sensors to be coupled to the wellbore of the well system, the plurality of seismic sensors configured to detect seismic signals associated with the plurality of source seismic signals, the detected seismic signals being at least one of reflected seismic signals or refracted seismic signals; and a data processing system configured to; perform a seismic characterization of the subsurface formation based on analysis of the detected seismic signals and the plurality of source seismic signals, determine a change in a fluid front of the subsurface formation is greater than a threshold based on the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation, and control inflow control devices that control fluid flow in a plurality of zones of the wellbore in response to determining the change in the fluid front is greater than the threshold.
10. 10 . The well system of claim 9 , wherein the data processing system is further configured to: determine whether to perform one or more well system operations on the wellbore based on the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation.
11. 11 . The well system of claim 9 , wherein the data processing system configured to perform the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation based on the analysis of the detected seismic signals and the plurality of source seismic signals includes the data processing system configured to: detect the change in the fluid front of the subsurface formation based on the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation.
12. 12 . The well system of claim 11 , wherein the data processing system configured to detect the change in the fluid front of the subsurface formation based on the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation includes the data processing system configured to: perform a baseline seismic characterization of the subsurface formation; perform one or more additional seismic characterizations of the subsurface formation; and detect the change in the fluid front of the subsurface formation based on a comparison of the baseline seismic characterization and the one or more additional seismic characterizations.
13. 13 . The well system of claim 9 , wherein the data processing system configured to perform the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation based on the analysis of the detected seismic signals and the plurality of source seismic signals includes the data processing system configured to: generate a baseline seismic image of the subsurface formation including the fluid front of the subsurface formation based on a baseline seismic characterization of the subsurface formation; generate one or more additional seismic images of the subsurface formation including the fluid front of the subsurface formation based on one or more additional seismic characterizations of the subsurface formation; and detect the change in the fluid front of the subsurface formation based on a comparison of the baseline seismic image and the one or more additional seismic images of the subsurface formation.
14. 14 . The well system of claim 9 , wherein the data processing system configured to control the inflow control devices that control the fluid flow in the plurality of zones of the wellbore includes the data processing system configured to control the inflow control devices that control the fluid flow in the plurality of zones of the wellbore prior to the fluid front making contact with the wellbore.
15. 15 . The well system of claim 9 , wherein the data processing system is further configured to: determine that the change in the fluid front of the subsurface formation is a fluid front change that affects a first zone of the plurality of zones of the wellbore; and control the inflow control devices that control the fluid flow in the first zone and in one or more additional zones of the wellbore in response to determining the change in the fluid front is greater than the threshold.
16. 16 . The well system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of seismic sources and the plurality of seismic sensors are coupled downhole to a horizontal portion of the wellbore of the well system.
17. 17 . A method for performing a seismic survey of a subsurface formation, comprising: emitting a plurality of source seismic signals from a plurality of seismic sources coupled to a wellbore of a well system; detecting, by a plurality of seismic sensors coupled to the wellbore of the well system, seismic signals associated with the plurality of source seismic signals, the detected seismic signals being at least one of reflected seismic signals or refracted seismic signals; performing a seismic characterization of the subsurface formation based on analysis of the detected seismic signals and the plurality of source seismic signals; detecting a change in a fluid front of the subsurface formation based on the seismic characterization of the subsurface formation; determining that the change in the fluid front of the subsurface formation is a fluid front change that affects at least a first zone of the plurality of zones of the wellbore; determining the change in the fluid front is greater than a threshold; and controlling inflow control devices that control fluid flow in the first zone and in one or more additional zones of the wellbore in response to determining the change in the fluid front is greater than the threshold.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to oil and gas systems and services, and more specifically to real-time characterization of a fluid front of a subsurface formation and inflow management. BACKGROUND The oil and gas services industry typically performs seismic surveys to characterize the subsurface formation at well sites, including production and completion wells. Typically, the seismic surveys are performed from the surface, such as by using seismic vessels for ocean-based well sites and land seismic systems for land-based well sites. However, seismic surveys that are performed from the surface typically have low resolution and therefore it may be difficult to detect potential issues at targeted and localized areas of the formation and the wellbore. Furthermore, traditional wellbore monitoring techniques typically only detect the coning of the waterfront of the subsurface formation when the water contacts the wellbore. After the waterfront contacts the wellbore and there is a water breakthrough, water production can only be reduced using flow management techniques, but water production can no longer be prevented. Allowing water breakthrough to occur may result in increased sand production and capital cost to process brine at the surface. Brine can short circuit packers in the different zones of the wellbore and cut off oil production, which reduces total oil recovery. Thus, water breakthroughs typically reduce the life of the well since one or more of the zones of the wellbore become compromised by the water breakthrough, and eventually most or all of the zones of the wellbore can be affected, where the well is mainly producing water. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of an example well system including an array of seismic sources and an array of seismic sensors positioned downhole and coupled to the wellbore of the well system, according to some implementations. FIG. 2 depicts a schematic diagram of an example process for performing a seismic survey and characterization of the subsurface formation to monitor a fluid front of a subsurface formation, according to some implementations. FIG. 3 depicts a schematic diagram of an example well system configured to perform a seismic survey and characterization of the subsurface formation to monitor the fluid front of the subsurface formation, according to some implementations. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of example operations for performing a seismic survey and characterization of the subsurface formation to monitor a fluid front of the subsurface formation, according to some implementations. FIG. 5 depicts an example computer system that can be implemented in surface equipment of a well system for performing seismic surveys for monitoring fluid fronts and performing inflow management. DESCRIPTION The description that follows includes example systems, methods, techniques, and program flows that describe aspects of the disclosure. However, it is understood that this disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. For instance, this disclosure refers to certain well systems, devices, or tools in illustrative examples. Aspects of this disclosure can be instead applied to other types of well systems, devices, and tools. In other instances, well-known instruction instances, protocols, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail to avoid confusion. FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of an example well system 100 including an array of seismic sources and an array of seismic sensors positioned downhole and coupled to the wellbore of the well system 100, according to some implementations. In some implementations, the well system 100 may include a wellbore 101, well lines 105, zonal isolation packers 110, inflow control valves (ICVs) 115, seismic sources 120, and seismic sensors 125. The well system 100 shown in FIG. 1 may also include additional components and devices that are not shown for simplicity. In some implementations, the well lines 105 may include one or more electrical lines, one or more fiber optic lines, or both electrical and fiber optic lines. In some implementations, the seismic sensors 125 may be implemented using the one or more fiber optic lines, as further described below. In some implementations, the seismic sensors 125 may be implemented using geophones, hydrophones, or any other type of device that can sense seismic or acoustic waves or signals. In some implementations, the seismic sources 120 may be implemented using piezoelectric devices or any other type of device that can transmit a seismic or acoustic wave or signal. In some implementations, the seismic sources 120 and the seismic sensors 125 may be coupled to the wellbore 101 in the horizontal portion of the wellbore 101, as shown in FIG. 1. It is noted, however, that in other implementations the seismic sources 120 and the seismic sensors 125 may be coupled downhole to any portion or multiple portions of the wellbore