Production Engineering and Technology

Production Engineering and Technology embraces the modelling and analysis of traditional production subjects, such as artificial lift, sand control, etc. However, starting fifteen years ago, it has concentrated on combining Production and Reservoir Simulation and Modelling skills to design, monitor and optimise production from advanced and/or intelligent or smart wells. The continuous, underlying theme of this multi-year, multi-disciplinary research theme being to quantify the "Added Value" from these more expensively completed wells.

Research projects

Specific activities within the Production Engineering and Technology group include:

Completion Design and Production Optimisation Techniques for Advanced Wells & Fields

This activity concentrates on the development of the advanced well completion design and well/field control methodology. The methodology uses optimisation tools for the optimal production set-up, robust well production or injection control, reduction in reservoir production uncertainty. Proactive and reactive methods of the production control are being developed and tested. We analyse a range of reservoir and inflow conditions, including conventional recovery in different types of reservoir geology, as well as heavy oil, water and/or gas sweep, WAG, SAGD, thermal fracturing, various production conditions and limitations, etc.
Advanced Well Completion Design, Modelling and Critical Analysis

Advanced well completions include both active and passive options for selective downhole flow control. Complimentary downhole monitoring devices allow efficient, automatic, flexible production control of these completion systems. Static and dynamic well completion design methods and ideas are developed and analysed. Comparison and screening methodology for the different completion types is under development and is supported by numerical and analytical studies. A range of downhole control devices is used, including ICVs, ICDs, AICDs, and AICVs.
Monitoring in Advanced Wells and Interpretation of Measured Data

Advanced well monitoring systems provide the raw data which custom algorithms can turn into real-time information that quantifies the reservoir properties and the multiphase flow rate distribution across the well's multiple completion intervals. Novel interpretation methodologies are being developed for the wide range of downhole monitoring systems, such as Distributed Temperature Sensors, optical Fibre Bragg Grating pressure and temperature sensors, Permanent Downhole Pressure Gauges, optical downhole flowmeters, etc. that are being installed in today's wells. This transformation of data into information is the first step in real-time, selective, zonal production management methodology. Developed techniques include zonal flow rate allocation in real time, model driven analysis in e.g. virtual flow metering (soft-sensing), integrated monitoring/control techniques, and pressure and temperature transients.