JPT
Go
spacer

Vol. 59 No. 7

July 2007

Technology Applications

Dennis Denney, JPT Technology Editor

Stage Cementing

TAM International has introduced its 9 5/8-in. Hatch packer (Fig. 1). The tool comprises an externally inflated casing-annulus packer and an integral metal-to-metal sealing port collar. This system provides sealing capability between a casing string and the open hole or previously set casing and a means to open and close a flow path between the casing bore and the annulus. Combining these tools into a single device and including gas-tight seals enable stage cementing of the premium-threaded production casing. An annular seal is established between the casing and borehole wall immediately after completing displacement of the primary cement and bumping the wiper plug. By use of a drillpipe-conveyed manipulation tool, circulation through the port collar allows cleaning of the annulus above the established seal, eliminating gas-cut mud or cement. A clean column of cement can be placed, generally back to the surface, above the annular seal without potential well-control concerns or an influx of gas. The inflation path to the casing-annulus packer is plugged with a metal-to-metal seal once the closing sleeve is closed and locked.

For additional information, email info@tamintl.com.

Fig. 1—TAM International 9 5/8-in. Hatch packer.

Shaped-Charge Perforating

ConneX perforating is a shaped-charge development from GEODynamics. This perforating technology is based on a concept created and patented by QinetiQ. The technology was developed with support of Shell International. Upon detonation, a secondary reaction is created within the perforation tunnel. The reaction is formed by use of new liner technology that uses a controlled combination of bimetallic liner material that is pressed under very specific conditions. The reactive properties of the charge develop high lateral pressures within the perforation tunnels, creating a self-cleaning action that results in open, debris-free holes. The perforating charge is compatible with existing gun technology and traditional perforating procedures. The new functionality is the way in which the charge is made and the way it reacts upon detonation. Tests conducted during development indicate that a strongly exothermic Hume-Rothery intermetallic reaction between liner components is induced by the shock of detonation. This secondary event occurs within the perforation tunnel within microseconds after it is formed. The secondary event “cleans” the perforation tunnel of debris and removes crushed material from the tunnel wall. The perforator does not require underbalanced conditions to clean the perforation tunnel.

For additional information, email matt.bell@perf.com.

Reduced Uncertainty in Fracture Modeling

Roxar has released its FracPerm 2.0. The software is an integrated fracture-modeling package that enables geologists and reservoir engineers to create detailed permeability maps for use in flow simulation and history matching of reservoirs to reduce project uncertainty. This fracture-modeling package is a companion to the company’s reservoir-modeling software, combining data, geological properties, geostatistics, and geohistory in a data-driven approach for interactive quality control during the model-building process. The new version includes a new model visualizer that provides a clearer view of well data, simpler ways of attaching fractures to sets, and fracture-model color-coding. The package enables better quantification of uncertainty and risk management by capturing true heterogeneity within fractured reservoirs. While it is possible to go directly from trend modeling to matching effective permeability, often it is insightful to use discrete fracture net-works (DFNs) to build a fracture model that is valid from a structural-geology perspective. DFNs model the fractures explicitly, with the fracture distribution described by fracture-density maps. These maps may be determined by several methods including proximity to fault, curvature, and stress/strain models. The DFNs are constructed to follow trends dictated by the indicator maps (e.g., stress and curvature) as shown in Fig. 2; allow for specific fracture types and their truncation rules (e.g., joints and shear fractures); and condition to well observations, azimuth data, and rock parameters or layering.

For additional information, email roxarinfo@roxar.com.

Fig. 2—Roxar FracPerm 2.0 stress model.

Reservoir Monitoring

SubWorks from Canada Tech is a continuous pressure- and temperature-monitoring system. The modular components are engineered for each reservoir-monitoring application. Components include surface electronics and wellhead feedthrough, bottomhole sensors, and connecting cables. Common applications include long-term reservoir analysis and automated reservoir-optimization solutions, including interfacing with progressing-cavity pumps, electrical submersible pumps, and chemical-injection equipment. Primarily, it uses sensors mounted on the outside of the production-tubing string and connected to the surface through a cable using digital-telemetry technology. The surface system supplies power to the downhole sensors and receives real-time data. The real-time data can be used to improve production, diagnose problems, control reservoir performance, and help critical operational decisions. The system can be used with wellhead pressures as high as 5,000 psi. The system measures surface pressures and temperatures in addition to downhole pressures up to 20,000 psi with the quartz sensor or 10,000 psi with the continuous-monitoring Piezo-resistivity tool. Downhole temperatures can be as high as 300°F.

For additional information, email info@canadatech.com.

Production-Optimizing Analysis

eProduction Solutions, Weatherford International’s production-optimization business unit, has released its WellFlo 4.0 software. The software application was redesigned to function more intuitively, closely match constructed well models to reality, and improve its graphical user interface (GUI), which enables users to do more with the models and data. The software provides modeling, design, and analysis for electrical submersible pumps and gas lift, inflow- and out-flow-performance modeling, and other applications. The software was designed with five basic well-completion and production-engineering functions: configuration, tuning, analysis, design, and output. An engineer can build well models with a guided step-by-step well-configuration interface. These rigorous models display the behavior of reservoir inflow and well-tubing and surface-pipeline flow for any reservoir fluid. This single-well tool uses nodal-analysis techniques to model reservoir-inflow and well-outflow performance. Modeling can be applied to designing, optimizing, and troubleshooting individual wells. The software has two internal subapplications that can be used separately from the rest of the program and offer the user an engineering toolkit: detailed reservoir inflow-performance modeling and detailed fluid-PVT modeling. The software user is never more than one or two clicks away from external data or well tools. Built-in hooks allow this version to link to real-time data and integrate with other engineering applications, such as reservoir-modeling packages and in-house software applications.

For additional information, visit www.ep-solutions.com.

Seismic to Simulation

Schlumberger has announced release of its Petrel 2007.1 seismic-to-simulation software, which includes new functionality for exploration and development workflows. Capabilities include enhanced seismic performance, handling, and scalability for data sets up to 60 gigabytes on the desktop and an optional connection to a Linux-cluster server for terabyte-range data sets. Interpreters can create composite lines across multiple surveys, both 3D and 2D, as needed. The composite-line display on the interpretation window can be used to visualize and interpret seismic horizons across multiple surveys. Modeling flow in fractured reservoirs requires tight integration between the static and dynamic reservoir-modeling disciplines and provides a way to visualize and analyze many data types that may be direct or indirect indicators of fractures. Additional capabilities include fractured-reservoir modeling that supports creation of DFNs (Fig. 3) and uses the Eclipse reservoir-simulation dual-porosity models; multisegmented well support to model the fluid physics in horizontal wellbores; and drilling enhancements including real-time data feeds for logs, events, and trajectories for immediate incorporation for real-time monitoring and modeling. The GUI has been updated to Microsoft’s .NET format.

For additional information, visit www.slb.com/Petrel.

Fig. 3—Model of DFNs with Schlumberger’s Petrel 2007.1.