Patent SG-11201407790S-A (SG)
Title: Methods and systems for gas lift rate management
Inventor: FLEMING GRAHAM CHRISTOPHER
IPC: G06F17/11
Filed: 2013-05-28
Abstract: (12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization International Bureau (43) International Publication Date 19 December 2013 (19.12.2013) WIPOIPCT (10) International Publication Number WO 2013/188090 A1 (51) International Patent Classification: G06F17/11 (2006.01) (21) International Application Number: PCT/US2013/042841 (22) International Filing Date: 28 May 2013 (28.05.2013) (25) Filing Language: English (26) Publication Language: English (30) Priority Data: 61/660,678 15 June 2012 (15.06.2012) US (71) Applicant: LANDMARK GRAPHICS CORPORA­ TION [US/US]; 2107 Citywest Boulevard, Building 2, Houston, TX 77042 (US). (72) Inventors: FLEMING, Graham, Christopher; 12014 Concho Bay Ct„ Houston, TX 77041 (US). LU, Qin; 5226 Red Burr Oak Trl, Houston, TX 77494 (US). (74) Agents: KRUEGER, Daniel J. et al.; Krueger Iselin LLP, P.O. Box 1906, Cypress, TX 77410-1906 (US). (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of national protection available)'. AE, AG, AL, AM, AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KN, KP, KR, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW. (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of regional protection available)'. ARIPO (BW, GH, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, TJ, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). Declarations under Rule 4.17: — of inventorship (Rule 4.17(iv)) Published: — with international search report (Art. 21(3)) [Continued on next page] (54) Title: METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR GAS LIFT RATE MANAGEMENT Monitored system parameters Simulator 120 Gas Lift Rate Manager 122 Well production rate parameters 124 Hydraulic parameters 126 (57) Abstract: A disclosed method for gas lift rate management includes col­ lecting production system data. The method also includes performing a simu­ lation based on the collected data, a fluid model, and fully-coupled a set of equations. The method also includes expediting convergence of solution a for the simulation by selecting well production rates and adjusting gas lift rates. The method also includes storing the gas lift rates determined for the solution for use with gas lift operations of the production system. A disclosed gas lift rate management system includes memory a having a gas lift rate manage­ ment module and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The gas lift rate management module, when executed, causes the one or more processors to: perform a production system simulation based on a fluid model and a fully- coupled set of equations; expedite convergence of a solution for the production system simulation by selecting well production rates and adjust­ ing gas lift rates; and store the gas lift rates determined for the solution for use with gas lift operations of the production system WO 2013/188090 A11 lllll llllllll II llllll III lllll lllll III III III lllll lllll lllll lllll llll lllll llll lllllll llll llll — before the expiration of the time limit for amending the claims and to be republished in the event of receipt of amendments (Rule 48.2(h))