An Innovative Approach to Integrate Advanced Smart ICV Technologies in Lower Completion for Optimum Water Production Control in MRC Well to Achieve Oil Production Growth and Carbon Emission Reduction
Authors: Alhosani Khalil Ibrahim , Alshehhi Hamad Rashed Khadem , Bengherbia Mourad , Alhammadi Maryam Yousif , Altamimi Ahmed Mohamed , Parihar Shardul , Arulchelvan Palani Vel Rajan , Al Raeesi Salim Hussain , Alblooshi Hamad Mohamed , Grubert Marcel , Allen Clifford 
Published: November 2024

A Multi Reservoir Contact (MRC) producer well with twelve compartments was drilled in the reservoir with complex geology and the critical challenge of early water breakthrough. This phenomenon, marked by fractures in the top layers, mid-reservoir burrows, and reservoir dissolution in lower layers, results in excessive water production. The detrimental consequences include diminished oil recovery efficiency, reduced productivity, increased operational and lifting costs, and heightened environmental risks, particularly concerning carbon emissions. To control water production and increase oil production in this producer, the decision was made to equip lower completion compartments with advanced technologies to gain control of production and water intrusion for each compartment.

This paper provides an overview of technologies to gain control of production and water intrusion for each compartment. providing a successful integration of technologies including Inflow control Valves, Distributed Acoustic and Temperature Sensing and Chemical Tracer to provide for greater control over excessive water production and deliver a more cost-effective sustainable solution. The application of the technology will also provide important contributions to field growth plans and decarbonization process.

To produce the MRC well in a very efficient manner, all ICVs’ were fully opened in back flow period and DAS/DTS were acquired and analyzed to monitor the isolation packers between compartments. In the well commissioning period, ICVs were manipulated one by one, another DAS/DTS was run, and a Multi Phase Flow Meter was used to: Make sure packers are swelled and compartmentalization is achieved as per the design.Check compartments contribution.Provide two phase production profile.Point out compartments for water control or water shut off.

After identifying zones to be targeted for closing by Water Shut Off or ICVs chokes manipulation to eliminate or reduce water production, a plan was set and implemented accordingly with and without GL options.

During the back flow period, individual ICVs were fully opened to prepare the well for production and the well was monitored using DAS/DTS. During this monitoring phase, zones (compartments) were not yet isolated from each other due to oil and water swell packers not being swelled yet as they had not been exposed to reservoir crude yet, hance zonal in flow tests from each compartment individually was not possible. During this stage, the production contribution was found to be concentrated in the heel section of the well.

During the production (Commissioning) period, zonal well test and ICV opening/closing were again along zones after oil and water swell packers had increased in size to provide isolation post crude exposure during cleanup flow with DAS/DTS which confirmed: 1. ICVs function as per design, 2. Packers are swelled, and compartmentalization was achieved; and 3. Two phase production profile was obtained by Multi Phase Flow Meter (MPFM).

Successful plan implementation showed benefit from closing high WCT compartments by increasing oil rate and decreasing WCT, while optimizing GL rate.

Implemented technologies on this trial well showed benefit to: Clean out compartments with less human intervention.Provide individual compartment contribution among the whole lateral.Close out watered out zones and reduced WCT by around 40%.Increase oil rate by minimum 1 MSTBOPD without GL activation.GL rate sensitivity helped reduce gas lift injection rate and helped in less energy consumption (to lift gas in oil producer); therefore, decarbonization was achieved.Net Uplift due optimized GL rate is one 1 MSTBOPD.Train site staff to reduce the dependency on the vendor and optimize costs.

Using such lower completion technologies in MRC oil producer well, to control water production with optimized cost and less human intervention in addition to less associated risks and less carbon emission, will support UZ asset in growth plan, enhance oil recovery, and develop world-class HSE and adopt safety-enhancing risk-reducing technologies and approaches.