bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated Pressure Activated Valve with Autonomous Inflow Control Valve Technology Minimizes the Deployment Risks in Challenging Well Control Conditions
Authors: Abd El-Fattah Mahmoud , Nomme Christian , Werswick Bjørnar
Published: February 2022

In heavily fractured carbonate reservoirs, wells often suffer heavy losses while running lower completion. To avoid any unexpected flow-back, continuous pumping is required. Failure to do this will result in flow-back of the reservoir fluid into the completion string and could reach the surface, leading to a major well control risk. Integrated Pressure Activated Valve (PAV) with Autonomous Inflow Control Valve (AICV) offers a unique solution to manage well control risks, allowing safe deployment of lower completion in such challengeable situations.

The PAV module is mounted in series between the screen and AICV housing and will be a part of a lower completion. PAV-AICV system remains closed while RIH, ensuring no fluid can flow through it in either direction. Once the completion reaches the target depth and other pressure-activated completion tools are set/tested, then the PAV is triggered by applying the design pressure in the tubing. PAV will open once activated pressure is reached, and open when the pressure is released, establishing the flow path between the reservoir and tubing via AICV.

The qualification test of the AICV-PAV integrated system involves multiple functions and pressure tests. The test results prove the reliability and robustness of the PAV to get activated at the design pressure window. This paper will describe in detail the operating principle along with the testing results of the AICV-PAV system. During the deployment of completion, the AICV-PAV system acts as a well barrier between the reservoir and the completions system and prevents reservoir fluid to enter the completion string. This will result in reducing the well-control risk significantly while deploying the completion string, especially in a fractured or faulted reservoir. Furthermore, this system allows all formation treatment fluids to be fully circulated through the end of the completion string, thus eliminating the requirement of an inner string. Furthermore, it also allows setting liner hanger packer and hydraulically set mechanical packers. This will result in saving rig time in running extra runs and further reducing cost/risks as well as increasing operational efficiency. Once the PAV module is open, it stays in an open position and normal AICV functionality is established. The system is field ready and will be deployed for a major operator in the Middle East.

PAV module incorporated with AICV provides pressure integrity in the liner for lower completion installation. This ensures an optimized lower completion installation in challenging situations, especially with well control issues. This paper will describe the newly developed AICV-PAV system operating principle, functionality and discuss in detail the various testing results.
Automatic Neural Network-Based Seismic Facies Classification Using Pseudo-Labels
Authors: Tolstaya Ekaterina , Egorov Anton
Published: February 2022

In this paper we propose a method of seismic facies labeling. Seismic facies labeling task consists of assigning specific geological rock types to the pixels in the seismic cube. In our research we use open-source fully annotated 3D geological model of the Netherlands F3 Block. The dataset is divided into training and test cubes. We use the former to train a state-of-the-art deep learning neural network, adding a 3D conditional random field (CRF) layer as a postprocessing step. We apply the pseudo-labeling technique, where the labels of the test dataset are predicted and added to the training set to get more accurate final prediction. To diversify the training dataset, we also apply different types of augmentations, including a domain specific image warping technique. Using the trained network, we predict the facies labels on the test dataset and compute various metrics. The results suggest superior network performance over the existing baseline model.
Digital Revolution Provides a Step Change in Efficiency for Core Testing and Reservoir Upscaling for Acid Treatments
Authors: Ivanov Evgeny , Khan Abdul Muqtadir , Yudin Alexey , Stukan Mikhail , Khan Vladimir , Dovgilovich Leonid
Published: February 2022

This paper presents a digital stimulation workflow intended to revolutionize the area of tedious and core-destructive acidizing experiments. To adjust acid treatment design with respect to actual geology and lithology, several acidizing tests must be performed on cores taken from the reservoir of interest. However, complications related to core sampling and experimental uncertainties often make such tests infeasible, since the adjustment is based on "equivalent" data, which inevitably affects the treatment performance.

A better result is achieved by supplementing laboratory tests with numerical simulation of reactive Darcy flow on digital avatars built using X-ray microtomography of real cores. Direct pore-scale simulations using high-resolution micromodels can help determine porosity, which in turn yields values for rock permeability, active surface area, and effective reaction rate. These data are then used to populate the standard core-size Darcy models used to simulate the rock dissolution at different injection rates. At the final step of the workflow, the obtained correlation of rock dissolution versus injection rate are used in advanced numerical simulators for well-scale modeling, in order to optimize the matrix-acidizing (MA) and acid-fracturing treatments.

In this study, the concept was demonstrated by dissolving the limestone core in hydrochloric acid. The first phase of the workflow aims at digital expansion of the conventional laboratory work, which results in significant optimization of laboratory resources. Based on X-ray microtomography (microCT) scans of just two core samples and three laboratory filtration tests (one trial and two for the reference), by means of extensive cloud-based simulations, the authors were able to build two full-range pore-volume-to-breakthrough (PVBT) curves that are commonly used for treatment design. The second phase of the workflow involves reservoir-scale modeling and optimization of the acid treatment in an advanced digital simulator. A sensitivity study for the second-phase conceptual workflow was performed under typical well conditions in Middle Eastern basins to calculate volume and injection rates for optimum wormholing. Engineered design strategy going beyond conventional rule-of-thumb practices showed that significant production enhancement can be achieved while optimizing the acidizing project economics.

Using a digital workflow makes it possible to optimize carbonate acidizing specifically for each well condition. Digital twins of the core samples and acid systems allows multiplying the number of filtration experiments by orders of magnitude, which significantly improves final data quality. Digital workflow is applicable to any carbonate reservoir using minimal core materials and lab resources.
Data Driven Intelligent Modeling to Estimate Adsorption of Methane Gas in Shales
Authors: Kalam Shams , Abu-Khamsin Sidqi A. , Khan Mohammad Rasheed , Abbasi Asiya , Asad Abdul , Khan Rizwan Ahmed
Published: February 2022

Artificial intelligence is a smart tool widely used in Petroleum engineering. Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) is an artificial intelligence technique that is a hybrid between Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and fuzzy logic. In this paper, both ANN and ANFIS were applied to propose a new methodology based on intelligent algorithms to predict adsorption of methane gas in shale. Feed-Forward Neural Network and subtractive clustering were applied to correlate adsorption with several parameters. These include temperature, pressure, moisture content, and total organic content (TOC).

A real data set collected from the literature, which includes about 350 data points, was used in the development of a new empirical correlation. The set was divided into a 70:30 ratio for training and testing, respectively. The average absolute percentage error, correlation coefficient, and mean squared error were considered in the error metrics to obtain the best possible model.

The results show that methane adsorption can be efficiently correlated with the inputs using both machine learning tools. Using ANN, the correlation coefficient for both testing and training data was more than 99%. A detailed sensitivity analysis for the ANN model is also provided in this paper.
Extended Abstract: The Feasibility of Using Geopolymer in Oil-Well Cementing: A Review
Authors: Adjei Stephen , Elkatatny Salaheldin , Aggrey Wilberforce Nkrumah , Abdelraouf Yasmin
Published: February 2022

Over the years, various cementitious materials have been investigated as a substitute for conventional cement. One example of these materials is geopolymer, a binder developed when an alkaline solution is used to activate materials containing alumina and silica. The use of this material is well established in the construction industry. In oil-well cementing, its feasibility is currently being investigated.

An extensive survey on the various geopolymer studies has been conducted. The goal is to present a manuscript containing a summary of these studies. This will help researchers merge the knowledge acquired going forward.

The study showed that the application of geopolymer in acidic and saline conditions, and in well plugging and abandonment operations. Additionally, geopolymer-mud compatibility and the impact of temperature on geopolymer systems have also been studied. In general, geopolymer systems show better performance, overcoming the limitations of the OPC systems. For instance, the geopolymer is more suited for CO2 sequestrations wells as it does not undergo a carbonation reaction which would result in degradation. Furthermore, geopolymers have superior performance in highly saline conditions and besides their compatibility with mud, a geopolymer-mud combination produces cementitious systems with enhanced properties.
Drilling Data Quality and Reliability: A Novel Algorithm for Data Correction and Validation
Authors: Koulidis Alexis , Ooi Guang , Skenderija Jelena , Ahmed Shehab
Published: February 2022

The difficulty of drilling data analysis stems from the fact that such data often contain errors and disturbances such as missing samples, desynchronization, misinterpretation, ambient noise, and unfit equations and models. In this study, an algorithm is developed to identify different operations during the drilling processes and automate the procedure of validating data quality.

The proper analysis and processing of drilling data is crucial in ensuring its quality. Initially, the algorithm separates drilling data reported in 5 sections from the Equinor Volve dataset into different intervals depending on their mode of operation. Additionally, the algorithm performs data correction and provide analysis on data quality. The data is corrected based on a series of physics- and operation-informed conditions. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are calculated for the rate of penetration (ROP), weight on bit (WOB), bit depth, measured depth, and torque. The KPIs include validity, accuracy, and Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR-20) scores. The KR-20 score, which is a measure of the lower bound of the reliability of data, is selected since it considers the difficulty of measurement of each attribute to be unequal, i.e. some attributes may be more prone to error than others.

Based on the results, the corrected data displays better correlation between the aforementioned drilling data. The results prove that the intelligent software analysis provides an automated workflow that allows the separation of all operations and the required time in addition to the nigh instantaneous generation of corrected data and data uncertainty qualification.

The detection of invalid data points was performed by investigating every operation i.e. rotating off bottom, drilling mode and evaluate the corresponding measurements. The analysis showed that approximately 76% of ROP values are invalid data, which validates the importance of data correction in order to be used for validation.

The developed algorithm allows the rapid and reliable analysis of unprocessed drilling data to facilitate decision making and quality control. The key advantages of the intelligent algorithm are that it provides fast data assimilation and comprehensive analysis of drilling parameters by allowing rapid visualization and quantification of data quality and reliability.

The correlation of drilling parameters for various operations can be evaluated and visualized with correlation matrices (heatmap). The primary qualification from the original set of data shows a low correlation i.e. rate of penetration values on rotating off bottom operation, which indicates low data validity. The current method and procedure show a significant correction of data point correlation from −1 to up to 1 depending on the operation. More importantly, for a specific set of the original data, ROP showed a validity of 0.23 in contrast 0.75 for bit depth and with accuracy of 0.58 and 0.99 respectively.
Production Optimization of a Large Network of Oil Wells with Electrical Submersible Pumps as the Artificial Lift System
Authors: Roy Arjun , Datchanamoorthy Senthilkumar , Sharad Nagappa , Nundy Sangeeta
Published: February 2022

One of the primary tasks of a production engineer at an oil field is to maximize oil production from a field comprising multiple wells, while respecting a multitude of constraints related to operational limitations of components, component reliability, interaction between wells, environmental concerns, and operational costs. This is a multi-objective multi-constraint problem involving multiple physics models that interact with each other. Further, the total number of optimization parameters and constraints grows linearly with the size of the field. This makes the problem computationally intensive for oil fields with hundreds of wells and thus the direct use of a standard optimization algorithm will be inefficient. This paper describes a computationally tractable and scalable approach to solve this problem.
Numerical Investigation for Developing Conventional Tight-Oil Formations in the Middle East
Authors: Althani Mohammed , Ozkan Erdal
Published: February 2022

The rise in oil production in the United States during the last decade resulted from the development of unconventional tight-oil resources. These are oil accumulations in low permeability formations, which are either source rocks or in a proximity to a source rock. There are other types of tight-oil resources that are located in conventional reservoirs with a low permeability matrix. These can be referred to as conventional tight-oil formations. The objective of this paper is to investigate the characteristics of the development strategies for these formations and how they are compared to unconventional tight-oil resources.

Using reservoir data representing the properties of the tight-oil formations in the Middle East, a numerical study has been conducted by a commercial simulator with dual-porosity option. The model can simulate the drilling and the hydraulic fracturing in the reservoir. In addition, the model is coupled with geomechanics to capture the stress changes in the formation. The effects of the natural fracture corridors and water production from nearby aquifers on the performance of conventional tight-oil formations are also studied. Sensitivity analysis is conducted on reservoir data, such as the initial reservoir pressure and initial movable water saturation.

The simulation results show that, as in the unconventional tight-oil plays, horizontal wells with hydraulic fractures are the best approach to develop conventional tight-oil formations. However, wider spacing of these horizontal wells is warranted if they are intersecting the natural fracture corridors. High water production from nearby aquifers or high initial water saturation is a major challenge and could jeopardize the development outcomes. In addition, lower initial pressure compared to unconventional tight-oil plays may undermine the initial rates, and, unless the matrix permeability is high enough for sustained economic rates, conventional tight-oil resources may not have some of the favorable features of unconventional tight-oil project economics.

This paper illustrates the factors affecting of the development strategies for conventional tight-oil formations. Most of the studies available in the literature focus on the development of conventional high/medium permeability formations or unconventional tight-oil formations. This paper provides insights into the development for a different category of oil resources that has a high potential in the Middle East and other parts of the world.
Petrophysical Evaluation and Geochemical Characterization of Abu Roash F Member Abu Gharadig Basin, Western Desert, Egypt
Authors: Farrag Sayed , Mahmoud Ihab
Published: February 2022

Abu Roash F Member (ARF) is a carbonate formation extended all over the Western Desert in Egypt, ARF has good lateral continuity in all western desert basins but has very poor connectivity and very low permeability. it can be considered as an example of unconventional reservoir. This work aims to evaluate the reservoir quality of Abu Roash "F" Member and compare with the unconventional play commercial developed all over the world. in this study, the key parameters to define reservoir quality; include mineralogy, porosity, water saturation, permeability, organic matter content, Kerogen type and thermal maturity has been investigated. More than 30 Rock-Eval pyrolysis samples from different fields where ARF at significantly different level has been used to evaluate and understand ARF geochemical reservoir quality. On the other side, core and well log data from different fields at different level has been inspected and integrated to evaluate ARF mineralogy, porosity, permeability, water saturation, and identify Potential sweet spots. The results of Rock-Eval analysis show that most of the investigated samples have the total organic carbon content (TOC) values between 1.6 and 6.63 wt% indicating good to very good source rocks and the pyrolysis Yield (PY) ranged from 6 to 20 indicating good to very good potential generation. Based on Tmax and Hydrogen index (HI), the deepest well samples have Tmax values in the range of 435 and 441°C and Hydrogen index (HI) values in the range of 311 to 570 indicating that the organic matter has reached the early to intermediate stages of thermal maturity with dominate kerogen type I-II. While the shallower well samples have Tmax values in the range of 421 and 430°C and Hydrogen index (HI) values in the range of 127 to 687 indicating that the organic matter immature with mixed kerogen type II-III.

Petrophysical results supporting that ARF is a carbonate rock deposit under marine conditions and has mixed layer clay (montomonlionite, Kolonite and illite). Numerous techniques to estimate ARF permeability from wireline logs have been investigated, using the available core data porosity permeability relationship has been established. Moreover, the results of petrophysical analysis indicate that Lucia class 3 permeability has good math with core permeability. So, Lucia class 3 permeability can be used to estimate ARF permeability using the calculated effective porosity from well log data.

Generally, the results of geochemical and petrophysical evaluation of this study show that ARF has very good reservoir quality comparing with the most of commercially developed unconventional resources all over the world. Moreover, the results show that ARF has a similarity with Eagle Ford Shale in terms of Age, mineralogy, pressure, depth, thickness, and TOC which reflect the potentiality of ARF commercial development.
Process Simulation to Design Dehydration Systems with Separators and Inline Glycol Injection Segment
Authors: Mitra Purnayan , Kalia Isshita
Published: February 2022

Raw natural gas contains methane, ethane, propane, some amounts of heavier hydrocarbons and impurities like water vapour, sulphur compounds, carbon dioxide, nitrogen etc. Presence of these components along with methane reduces the calorific value of the natural gas. Also, high percentage of impurities in natural gas can block pipelines due to hydrate formation during transportation. Therefore, to meet the pipeline specifications, natural gas dehydration plants are used to lower the percentage of water in it. Dehydration of natural gas can be carried out with the help of the adsorbents as well as absorbents. Choosing a dehydrating agent and designing of dehydration plant depends on a number of factors. Gas flow rate, percentage of initial and final water composition, dew point depression attained, and cost are some of the important factors to be considered during designing of dehydration plant. In this paper, we highlight the simulation of a natural gas dehydration process which has an inline glycol injection system and then compare its efficiency with the conventional dehydration system. The cost of setting these two units is also compared. The simulation study shows that the glycol injection system significantly reduces the mole fraction of water in the natural gas.
Remediating Oilfield Deposition from the Laboratory Bench to the Field – Development of a Multifunctional Product
Authors: Ferrer Ana , Bennett Brian
Published: February 2022

In oil and gas production iron sulfide and/or inorganic scales can be problematic and can result in loss of production due to issues such as plugging, corrosion, flow restriction and emulsions. Efficient ways to handle the oil wet solids is a challenge. Scale inhibitors, THPS (Tetrakishydroxymethylphosphonium sulfate) or acids have historically been used for remediation purposes, but either they were found to be ineffective, or can lead to a variety of additional problems such as corrosivity or hydrogen sulfide generation upon use. The focus of this paper is on the laboratory development of a series of products that act as cleaners, corrosion inhibitors, iron sulfide dissolvers and scale inhibitors. The field deployment of one of these products is also summarized herein.
Modelling Potential Geological CO2 Storage Combined with CO2-Plume Geothermal CPG Energy Extraction in Switzerland
Authors: Hau Kevin P. , Games Federico , Lathion Rodolphe , Saar Martin O.
Published: February 2022

For many CO2-emitting industrial sectors, such as the cement and chemical industry, Carbon, Capture and Storage (CCS) will be necessary to reach any set climate target. CCS on its own is a very cost-intensive technology. Instead of considering CO2 as a waste to be disposed of, we propose to consider CO2 as a resource. The utilisation of CO2 in so-called CO2 Plume Geothermal (CPG) systems generates revenue by extracting geothermal energy, while permanently storing CO2 in the geological subsurface.

To the best of our knowledge, this pioneer investigation is the first CCUS simulation feasibility study in Switzerland. Among others, we investigated the concept of injecting and circulating CO2 for geothermal power generation purposes from potential CO2 storage formations (saline reservoirs) in the Western part of the Swiss Molasse Basin ("Muschelkalk" and "Buntsandstein" formation).

Old 2D-seismic data indicates a potential anticline structure in proximity of the Eclépens heat anomaly. Essentially, this conceptual study helps assessing it's potential CO2 storage capacity range and will be beneficial for future economical assessments. The interpretation of the intersected 2D seismic profiles reveals an apparent anticline structure that was integrated on a geological model with a footprint of 4.35 × 4.05 km2.

For studying the dynamic reservoir behaviour during the CO2 circulation, we considered: (1) the petrophysical rock properties uncertainty range, (2) the injection and physics of a two-phase (CO2 and brine) fluid system, including the relative permeability characterisation, fluid model composition, the residual and solubility CO2 trapping, and (3) the thermophysical properties of resident-formation brine and the injected CO2 gas.

Our study represents a first-order estimation of the expected CO2 storage capacity range at a possible anticline structure in two potential Triassic reservoir formations in the Western part of the Swiss Molasse Basin. Additionally, we assessed the effect of different well locations on CO2 injection operations.

Our currently still-ongoing study will investigate production rates and resulting well flow regimes in a conceptual CO2 production well for geothermal energy production in the future. Nonetheless, our preliminary results indicate that, under ideal conditions, both reservoirs combined can store more than 8 Mt of CO2 over multiple decades of CCUS operation. From our results, we can clearly identify limiting factors on the overall storage capacity, such as for example the reservoir fluid pressure distribution and well operation constraints.
Enhancing Biocide Effectiveness for Better Efficacy Towards Sessile Bacteria in Mitigating Microbiological Induced Corrosion MIC
Authors: Rahman Hasrizal Abd , Norizam Nik Nor Azrizam Nik , Nor Azmi Mohammed
Published: February 2022

Microbiologically-induced corrosion (MIC) is an ubiquitous problem in the oil and gas industry. According to NACE, it constitutes 20 percent of the total corrosion cost. PETRONAS itself has to spend RM7.5 million annually to mitigate MIC. This is because if not properly mitigated, MIC could undermine the integrity of the assets, thus posing risks to the operation. One way of mitigating MIC is through the injection of biocide. However, a current commercially available biocide used to control MIC is more effective towards planktonic bacteria; it may take a much higher dosage to be effective on sessile bacteria as they thrive under biofilms that provide nutrients and protection. Realizing this shortcoming, PETRONAS has developed an additive that would improve the efficacy of the biocide by undermining the biofilms. Field testing on two crude oil pipelines has indicated that the addition of the additives allows the biocide to work at 30 percent lower dosage as effectively as the currently recommended dosage in achieving the target bacteria population. This will translate into a considerable saving to PETRONAS, particularly when the price of the biocide has almost doubled.
Thermal and Rheological Study on Polyacrylamide Hydrogel Polymers for Water Shutoff Application
Authors: Alhamad Luai , Altaq Ali , Alrustum Abdullah , Aldarweesh Sajjad
Published: February 2022

Hydrogel polymers have gained an increase in demand as plugging material in water control and loss circulation applications due to their effective expansion properties. The increased demand can be explained by the fact that this technology does not require high investment in chemicals and equipment. Hydrogel is a polyacrylamide polymer which are effective in plugging due to the presence of carboxylate groups that enables crosslinking. Though, thermal and mechanical properties of polyacrylamide polymers are subjected to syneresis, precipitation, and breakage at field conditions and interaction. Thereby, this study focuses on developing an understanding of hydrogel polymer behavior when subjected to different conditions.

In this study, an extensive laboratory work was conducted to explore potential intrusion of cations in formation water with carboxylate groups in polymer structures. 100 ml of brines of KCl, NaCl, CaCl2 and MgCl2 at concentrations of 1, 2.5 and 5.5 wt% were used to investigate a subjected polyacrylamide hydrogel polymer swelling with time. Rheological measurements were conducted between 60 and 90°C after hydrolysis of the polyacrylamide polymers. A complete simulation of water shut off treatment was conducted using a linear-based core flooding system that enables studying rock/gel interaction. Different fracture shapes were also made inside tested carbonate core plugs to test subjected hydrogel polymer in reducing infinite permeability.

The results showed that the positive charges of cations in formation water reduced polymers swelling fraction significantly. One gram of the polymer absorbed 100 ml of deionized water in 30 minutes while 54 ml was absorbed from a 1 wt% KCl brine in 90 minutes. This negative effect was more significant when divalent ions existed in solution as only 20 ml of the 1 wt% CaCl2 brine was absorbed in 90 minutes by 1 gram of the polymer comparing to 54 ml from the 1 wt% KCl brine. Rheological tests showed that pH manipulation can be used to facilitate polymer pumping where solution viscosity at pH of 1 was 16 cP and at pH of 7 was 575 cP at 60°C. The simulation model showed that pumping hydrogel polymer at low pH reflected a low pumping pressure. However, once the polymer was in contact with carbonate rock, solution's pH raised and hydrogel polymers enlarged significantly and plugged the created fracture along with surrounded matrix permeability which reduced the overall core permeability by more than 95%.

Successful placement and implementation of water shut off treatment can be achieved by promoting the functional properties of hydrogel polymers. Therefore, optimization of polyacrylamide hydrogel polymers can be achieved by understanding how surrounded conditions can be altered and manipulated.
Exploring the Feasibility of Geological Storage of Hydrogen in Indian Porous Media: Challenges, Opportunities and the Way Ahead
Authors: Joshi Shruti , Chaturvedi Krishna Raghav
Published: February 2022

While hydrogen (H2) continues to attract major attention by Indian policymakers and energy analysts as a future sustainable low-carbon energy source that holds immense potential for decarbonizing power, mobility and industrial sectors, inadequate attention has been paid to address the non-uniformity in H2 supply and power demand cycles. This paper aims to investigate the feasibility of long term storage of hydrogen in porous media to address this non-uniformity. Current research indicates that renewables like solar and wind can be utilized to generate H2 which can then be used to fuel our industrial growth. However, renewables, by their very fundamental nature, are prone to fluctuations in energy generation and may not adequately ensure energy availability at all hours of the day or all seasons of the year. This is even more challenging for a country like India where access to energy must be cheap, sustainable and reliable. For this, ongoing research has focused on generating H2 during the peak intervals (when renewables operate at peak efficiency) and storing it for use during the lean hours (when renewable energy generation capacity is down). The large scale storage of H2 can be accomplished in porous geological media (subsurface H2 storage. SHS), primarily in saline aquifers and oilfields which have been depleted. This would enable planners to balance seasonal discrepancies between energy demand and supply. However, the various processes behind SHS remain poorly understood. Thus, in this study, the various challenges associated with SHS such as inferior front formation, H2 mobility control, maximum storage depth, maximum storability depth, microbial corrosion and permeability changes have been identified and solutions to them have been proposed. Also, to mitigate these challenges, a list of Indian reservoirs have been identified and proposed for SHS. A future course of action has been drawn for Indian policymakers to suitably promote SHS shortly, enabling its large-scale safe and efficient deployment on a nation-wide scale. The paper adds value to the wider scientific community by introducing the relatively new and less well understood concept of subsurface hydrogen storage. It is expected that the information presented in this study will enable faster assimilation and adoption of cleaner hydrogen fuel source while allowing the hydrocarbon industry to leverage their expertise in the coming future.
Analysis of the Effect of Geomechanical Stress on the Acoustic Response of Anisotropic Rocks
Authors: Zharnikov Timur , Ponomarenko Roman , Nikitin Anatoly , Ayadiuno Chris
Published: February 2022

This paper presents the analysis of borehole acoustic logging response in anisotropic rocks under geomechanical stress. Several effects, which are relevant to the interpretation of sonic logs, are observed and discussed. First, it is shown that the crossover of flexural modes dispersion curves in stress-induced anisotropic formation do not necessarily occur. Second, it is demonstrated that the effects of the difference in orientation of principal stress and anisotropy axes directions, stress magnitudes, and degree of anisotropy on the flexural dispersions can compensate each other at least partially. Finally, the examples of measurable stress effects on the dispersion curves in anisotropic formations are presented. The implication of these observations for the formation stress evaluation from sonic logs in the case of anisotropic formation is that the stress estimation from sonic logs should focus not only on stress magnitudes, but also take into account formation anisotropy and stress orientation with respect to the borehole and anisotropy axes.
Got Water? An RPM Solution
Authors: Naima Spurr , Kimberly Lant , Akshaya Singh , Billy Grey
Published: February 2022

Water management in oil production is an increasingly burdensome issue for operators. As fields mature and begin to water out, effective treatments are needed to remain profitable. A new, more effective relative permeability modifier (RPM) is a remedy for water with positive effect on oil.

The application is intended for sandstone reservoirs and can be used as a standalone treatment or in conjunction with an acid stimulation treatment. The application is a strong, long-term solution for water management at the near wellbore.

Laboratory and field measurements are presented to show the effect of the RPM on sandstone for effect on water and oil. Laboratory analysis was conducted using core flow to measure regain permeability in low to high permeability Berea sandstone at temperatures of 150°F to 250°F (65.5°C 121°C). Field measurements include comparison of production of pre- and post-treatment of mature, high permeability sandstone formations with heavy oil reserves. Treatment zones were 25-30 feet with bottom hole static temperatures of 150-200°F and deployed with coiled tubing.

Laboratory testing regain permeability showed that RPM treatment across the range of permeabilities could reduce water by more than 80% while regain permeability to oil is maintain a more than 90%.

Field applications showed the initial treatment yielded a 700barrel (bbl) reduction in water while doubling oil production. As the wells stabilized, some of the initial momentum was slowed but showed stabilization of an increased oil production, lower water production and lowered BS&W.
Improved Sand Fill Cleanout Utilizing an Integrated Vacuuming System and Real-Time Monitoring in Horizontal Extended Reach Wells
Authors: Almajid Hussain , Shawly Alaa , Ahmed Usman
Published: February 2022

A variety of cleanout methods have been developed in the past to remove scale and sand fill accumulation from the wellbore section to restore well potential. The success rate for such operation is impacted by multiple factors, such as fluid properties, limited annular velocities, particle size, reservoir pressure and wellbore diameter. In addition, this process commonly involves applying excess hydrostatic pressure on the formation to circulate wellbore fluids which can result in lost circulation and formation damage.

This paper aims to share the technical details along with the field results for a novel vacuuming system with integrated real-time data, which can be operated in three different modes to remove both undesirable liquids and solids. The process involves pumping a low cost cleanout fluid down the internal string through a jet pump and venturi nozzle assembly. A localized pressure drawdown is created at the bottomhole assembly (BHA), drawing wellbore liquids and solids into the return flow, and the entrained flow is returned up the outer coiled tubing string to surface.

Several cleanout jobs have been successfully performed in the field using this technique. The use of empirical correlations that have been developed and incorporated into an existing proprietary solids transport computer algorithm which played a vital role in the optimization of the hole cleaning process. Post job results will be discussed in this paper including fill diagnostic process, assessment of cleanout method, job design, selection of fluids, CT bottomhole assembly tools, job execution, field experience and post-cleanout performance evaluation.

This paper will describe a reliable alternative combining an integrated vacuuming system and real-time monitoring that can effectively remove scale and sand fill accumulation caused by excessive sand production and fines migration in large wellbore diameter where annular fluid velocity and lifting efficiency is a major challenge. The novelty of this approach is its ability to create a wellbore vacuuming system that can provide efficient lifting capabilities while eliminating the need for high cost fluids and large quantities of N2 in deep horizontal extended reach wells. Recommendations and lesson learned from several field cases are also shared to further improve the cleanout process.
Wear Failure Mechanism and Main Influencing Factors of All-Metal Progressing Cavity Pump AMPCP
Authors: Gang Cao , Jianing Zhang , He Liu , Chuang Liu , Yang Gao , Siwei Meng , Jian Su
Published: February 2022

All metal progressing cavity pump(AMPCP) has excellent high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance and shows good adaptability in heavy oil production. With the development of pump processing techniques and manufacturing, the performance and reliability of AMPCP have been improved rapidly. However, the wear failure issue of the AMPCP s still considerably severe, leading to high total-life-cycle cost and limiting the commercial application of the products. This paper discussed the mechanism of the wear behavior of AMPCP through numerical simulation and experimental analysis. The main influencing factors of AMPCP wear failure are analyzed as well, which plays an essential guiding role in the pump optimization design.

This paper presents the numerical simulation of the wear behavior of AMPCP under different clearances, structural parameters, and operating speeds and discusses the influence of these parameters on the friction torque and wear behavior. Studies show a series of valuable results: 1) The clearance value between rotor and stator has the most significant impact on the amount of wear. With the change of the pump clearance, the change in the contact area and the amount of wear between the stator and the rotor performs a nonlinear relationship. 2) Although eccentricity changes the inertia effect caused by the eccentric movement of the rotor to a certain extent, it has little effect on the overall friction and wear. 3) The amount of wear and the rate of wear are linearly related to the speed, i.e. the higher the speed, the faster the wear increases. However, there is little difference in the amount of wear at different speeds for high viscosity lifted fluids.

In this paper, the wear analysis model of AMPCP is established for the first time. The evolution of the wear bands between the stator and rotor of the AMPCP is demonstrated by a three-dimensional explicit dynamic model, and the influence of different factors on the wear of AMPCP is discussed in detail.

This paper has laid a necessary theoretical foundation for the optimization design of AMPCP. It also applies essential guidance for further improving the operating performance of AMPCP.
Developing an Integrated Solution to Remove and Inhibit Asphaltene Deposits Through a Laboratory and Field Proven Approach
Authors: Almajid Hussain , Shawly Alaa , Al-Qasim Abdullah
Published: February 2022

Asphaltene deposits are considered one of the most common issues facing oil fields with low particle stability that can result in loss of well potential, jeopardize wellbore accessibility and cause premature electrical submersible pump (ESP) failures. Traditionally, these deposits are treated with hydrocarbon based solvents, which have low flashpoints, making them hazardous and expensive. The objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive solution to effectively remove asphaltene and sand fill accumulation that forms in the near wellbore region. This paper will also provide a computational analysis to accurately predict asphaltene precipitation during the production phase for optimized inhibition process.

A laboratory approach was implemented to test the effectiveness of different water based solvent types, including aromatic, aliphatic and heteroatom instead of the commonly used hydrocarbon solvents such as xylene to dissolve asphaltene samples collected from the field and placed under anaerobic conditions. A thorough evaluation of fundamental asphaltene properties, including saturates, aromatics, resins and onset pressure, is incorporated into a computational model to understand and accurately predict asphaltene precipitation behavior.

The newly developed system offers significant advantages compared to the traditional system in terms of treatment effectiveness, deployment cost and health, safety, and environment (HSE) due to its relatively high flashpoint. The new system utilizes a water based solvent that leaves the formation in a water wet state instead of oil wet, thus creating a barrier layer that will delay asphaltene accumulation and reduce treatment frequency. Field implementation and post-job results utilizing this newly developed water based aromatic solvent will be discussed, including treatment effectiveness to dissolve downhole asphaltene accumulations. Asphaltene inhibition programs have been implemented based on the results acquired from this model and frequent inspection conducted showed no asphaltene deposition over extended production periods.

This paper provides a laboratory proven and field tested water based aromatic solvent that is effective in dissolving asphaltene accumulations resulting in improved well potential while reducing the frequency of required treatments thus maximizing productivity. This system is unique as it provides a high flashpoint water/solvent mixture with solvency power often greater than xylene with the additional benefit of leaving the formation strongly water-wet. The developed computational model helped to reduce the treatment frequency resulting in reduced expenses and sustained production.
Opportunities and Challenges of Steam Generation Using Renewable Energy for Enhanced Oil Recovery Applications: Concepts Overview
Authors: Al Siyabi Idris , Al Shukaili Aiman , Al Ajmi Mustafa , Mujaini Rahima , Al Amri Moosa , Al Ghufaili Ali , Al Harrasi Marwa , Al Ma'Mari Bader
Published: February 2022

Steam generation for the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) using steam injection is considered as one of critical production process in heavy oil industry. It requires a massive amount of thermal energy to generate one ton of steam. The conventional steam generation processes use natural gas as fuel where high amount of emissions is released to ambient. The recent cost reductions of the energy generated by the renewable energy attracts organizations to adopt it. Different technologies such as PV, CSP, electric heaters and thermal energy storage can be integrated to generate steam using the renewable resources of solar and wind. The study explores the different potential of adopting such technologies and the challenges associated with them where the mismatch between the supply and the demand of energy is the main challenge and could be mitigated through storage solutions and the consideration of hybrid system with the conventional steam generation.
Emission Source Detection and Leak Rate Estimation Using Point Measurements of Concentration
Authors: Roy Arjun , Nundy Sangeeta , Kim Okja , Chan Godine
Published: February 2022

Introduction

With the advent of global climate change, it has become incumbent on governments and industries to monitor and limit greenhouse gas emissions to prevent a catastrophic rise in the average global temperature. The Paris agreement [Paris 2015] aims to lower global greenhouse gas emissions by 40% (in comparison to greenhouse gas levels observed in 1990) by 2030. Methane is a greenhouse gas whose 100- year global warming potential is 25 times that of carbon dioxide [GWP] and whose atmospheric concentration has been increasing since 2007 [Nisbet 2016, Theo Stein, et al. 2021]. Thus, there is an increased requirement on industries from government regulators to detect, localize, quantify and mitigate both fugitive and vented emissions of methane.

There are several different technologies that are available for automated methane emissions management. These include arial and ground-based mobile sensing units that are based on optical-gas imaging, satellite-based imagery [Jacob et al. 2016] and stationary metal-oxide based sensors. A key criterion that often needs to be satisfied is continuous monitoring for early detection and mitigation of fugitive leaks. Fixed metal-oxide based sensors [Yuliarto et al. (2015), Zeng et al. (2019), Yunusa et al. (2014), Potyrailo et al. (2020), Wang et al. (2010) and Feng et al. (2019)] are low-cost sensors that can be used for continuous monitoring of a site and are typically used for detection of leaks and alerting. The main challenge is to extend utility of these sensors to not only detect presence of fugitive and vented emissions, but also be able to estimate the number of leak sources and their probable locations and the total volume of hydrocarbon leaked over a period.

This paper describes an approach used for detecting anomalies in emission data, identifying possible emission sources, and estimating emission leak rates using point measurements of concentration collected over a period along with measurements of wind speed and direction. This involves multiple analytics that combine concentration and wind-condition time-series data with physics models to predict the different outcomes.