Intelligent Well System with Hydraulic Adjustable Chokes and Permanent Monitoring Improves Conventional ESP Completion for an Operator in Ecuador

Resumen

Abstract Installing an intelligent well system in an existing completion can help operating companies accelerate production, increase ultimate recovery, and reduce interventions. It is of particular interest when all three of these benefits can be achieved in the same well. This paper focuses on such a well, the two-zone oil producer EY-D11 located in the Eden-Yuturi field of Ecuador's Block 15, in which an intelligent well system (IWS) was installed in conjunction with an electric submersible pump (ESP) during the workover of an existing completion. The two main value drivers for implementing the intelligent completion were 1) the ability to commingle production from two zones to meet accelerated production goals while fulfilling governmental requirements of properly allocating production and 2) the ability to regulate water production from both zones during commingled production. Secondary drivers included reducing the need for well interventions, the desire to pull the completion easily to repair or replace the ESP, and the acquisition of additional knowledge regarding the performance of the upper zone. These value drivers were satisfied with a system whose key components included remotely operated hydraulic adjustable chokes controlled by a semi-automated surface control system; and a field-proven suite of downhole sensors composed of a venturi-type single-phase flow meter and pressure / temperature gauges with all sensors controlled via a single surface data acquisition unit. The intelligent well system satisfies the drivers by commingling flow from multiple zones while dealing simultaneously with the different characteristics of each zone to optimize production. The EY-D11 well currently has commingled production from an upper and lower zone utilizing a single ESP, gaining incremental production of 3,500 barrels/day over the previous single-zone ESP completion. Based on the successful installation and results from this well, a second identical intelligent completion system was installed in the EY-D15 well in the Eden-Yuturi field in April 2004. Three additional completions are scheduled for the field in 2004 using essentially the same system.