Real time monitoring and control of downhole reservoirs
US5992519A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 29, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 30, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 29, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B47/00
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
The method for the active or automated control of the reservoir uses a reservoir model with available data such as seismic, log, and core data as inputs, and uses the reservoir model in conjunction with a reservoir simulation tool in order to determine a production strategy which will maximize certain criteria, e.g., profits. The production strategy may include fixed elements which are not easily altered once the wells go into production, and variable elements which can be adjusted without serious effort during production. The production strategy is implemented by drilling wells, etc., and fluids are then controllably produced from the reservoir according to the variable production strategy; i.e., fluid flow rates are monitored by sensors, and, by adjusting control valves, are kept to desired values (which may change over time) set according to the variable production strategy. According to another aspect of the invention, information gleaned as a result of the adjustments to the control means is used to update the reservoir model. As a result, the variable and fixed production strategies can be updated and implemented.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.