SMART/INTELLIGENT WELLS

Smart wells are normally but not necessarily horizontal wells, equipped
with downhole monitoring and control. Smart wells are
Non-conventional and equipped well
Have PDGs (Permanent Downhole Gauges)
Have ICVs (Interval Control Valves)
Packers
Control early high k preferential zones
1. Water channelling
2. Gas coning
3. Reducing GP failures
4. Heel effects
5. Monitor interval pressure drawdown

Case history
The first smart well completion was installed at August 1997
Sagas norre platform in North Sea.
 During past 10 years this technology has doubled.
Initial smart wells use permanently downhole electronic gauge and
sensors.
In 1998 well dynamics use direct hydraulic and mini hydraulic
system.
High initial cost
Development of new monitoring systems like fibre optic with high
level of reliability, accuracy, resolution and stability.
Now a-days ,200 smart wells are installed.
Ex- OSEBERG field, Saudi Arabia
Smart wells are used in horizontal wells and very thin layer zones.
 Smart wells increase ultimate recovery and increase OPEX
(operational Expenditure)
High initial cost of smart wells using them for shutting gas/water
coning is not beneficial.
Certainly it will be used in the future when the presence of
reservoir decrease and for MRC (maximum reservoir contact)
more horizontal and smart wells will be used.
High initial area to set up rig , hence high cost of setting or
installation cost.

Elements of smart well

Digital Downhole Monitoring Downhole flow

infrastructure control and control
communication devices
Manual systems Control systems Gauges Zonal isolation

Automated Auxiliary Fibre optic Interval control

system components distributed valves (ICVs)
temperature
sensing system
Integrated Flow meters
systems Wellhead
sensors

1. Digital infrastructure
Critical elements of smart well technology
Communication and control integration between ICVs and
PDGs.
Functions of digital infrastructure
I. It acquires data from well instrumentation and
delivers it to the interpretation and modelling
applications.
 II. It enables remote configurations of smart well
downhole ICVs as result of data analysis,
effectively closing the loop.

2. Downhole control and communication

Downhole control systems provide a method of integrating
the surface control system with the downhole smart well
tools such as ICVs and PDGs.
Downhole control systems
I. SCRAMS
II. Digital hydraulics- The Digital Hydraulics
system is an all-hydraulic, multi drop intelligent
completion system that can direct any flow control
tool in the Halliburton portfolio, providing simple
and reliable zonal control for even the most
complex reservoirs. The Digital Hydraulics system
allows up to six flow control devices to be
controlled from only three hydraulic control lines,
making a large number of tubing hanger
penetrations unnecessary.
III. Direct hydraulic-The Direct Hydraulics downhole
control system uses direct hydraulic control lines
from the surface to remotely actuate downhole flow
control devices such as interval control valves
(ICV). The Direct Hydraulics system also provides
on/off variable control of flow into or out of
reservoir intervals and can be used in onshore,
platform, or subsea applications.
IV. Accu-Pulse The Accu-Pulse control module
allows the operator to control produced or injected
fluid rates to the desired quantity, greatly
enhancing reservoir management capabilities.
Auxiliary Components
I. Control-Line Cut Sub - The Halliburton Intelligent
Completions control-line cut sub (CLCS) incorporates
 reliable and field-proven methods for effective
removal of the tubing string and control lines in
contingency situations. The CLCS helps ensure
proper retrieval of complex upper completions,
ensuring a clean tubing stub for subsequent fishing
operations.
The CLCS is used in Smart Well completions where
hydraulic line and electric line flat packs are used,
and where removal of the complex upper completion
is necessary.
3. Monitoring
The ability of accurately and reliably monitor downhole
pressure, temperature and flowrate enables reservoir management
Downhole gauges:
I. ROC permanent downhole gauges (PDG) help
increase productivity through the life of the well or
reservoir by providing reliable, real-time permanent
monitoring of downhole conditions. Based on an
industry-standard, field proven resonating quartz
crystal sensor, ROC gauges can be used for single or
multi-zone monitoring applications. In multi-zone
applications, variations of the standard gauge are
available, along with dual, triple, and quad splitter
block assemblies for multi-drop capabilities.
II. EZ-gauge permanent pressure monitoring system
III. Symphony plus- electronic permanent p/t
IV. Flow meters
V. Fibre optic distributed temperature sensing
systems
4. Downhole flow control devices
The ability of an accurately operated interval control valve
(ICVs) is reliably control flow into or out of an isolated reservoir
interval is the basis of any smart well design.
 Current applications of smart well
1. Water or gas shut off
2. Optimal sequential production
3. Commingled production
4. Fluid transfer for sweep and pressurization
5. Intelligent water flooding
6. Monitoring
 7. Intelligent multilateral wells
8. Application of smart wells in oil rims
9. Downhole production test
10. Pressure drop in horizontal wells

1. Water or gas shut off

In horizontal wells, water breakthrough in the layers does not occur
simultaneously because of permeability differences. Using a completion
with an on-off ICV in each
interval, well segments can be
shut off when water breaks
through, thus reducing the
amount of water to be
processed at surface and
preventing early lift-die out of
the well.
Detection of the water could
be done, in theory, by using
the results from pressure and temperature sensors at the ICVs.
A similar solution could of course be used to shut off early gas influx.

2. Optimal sequential production

Bottom up sequence
In the smart completion the well is perforated on all zones initially with
no need to re-enter for water shut off or re-perforations.

Diagram
 3. Commingled production
A second example is the use of
ICVs to allow commingled production
from zones with different pressures,
through choking the inflow from the
highest pressured zone with a
continuously variable ICV, to avoid
cross-flow to the lowered pressured
zone; see Figure 5.
In fig. Green-gas, blue -water. red-oil

The alternative, conventional, scenario would be to sequentially

produce the two zones, through shifting of a sleeve on wire line or coiled
tubing, or through work over and re-perforation of the well.
Benefits of the smart well solution is in this case
accelerated production
if production is restricted at surface, the maintaining of a
constant production plateau.
Additional benefits are the absence of a work over, which is
particularly attractive for sub-sea wells.

Plot for commingled vs sequential

4. Fluid transfer for sweep or pressurisation

Figure 6 shows an example where a smart well is used to
connect an oil reservoir with weak gas cap drive to an underlying gas
reservoir with a higher pressure. Pressure sensors and a continuously
variable ICV at the injection
interval allow control of the gas
dump flood. In this example, a
second well is used to drain the
oil. Alternatively, the oil could
be produced trough the same
well as used for the internal gas
injection, using a concentric or
parallel dual completion
solution.

5. Intelligent water flooding

In the fractured carbonate reservoir water well injector
improved sweep efficiency and water cuts often approach
uneconomic level resulting in low ultimate recoveries
Fractures can act as conduit as short circuiting conduits
between wells with serious negative effects on sweep

IC open
when no
formation
fracture

ICV closed
in injection
well when
there is
formation
diagram
fracture

By controlling water injection across the intervals, it is

possible to prevent water shortcutting between producer
injector part due to fractures.
Injector is divided in controlled segments that act as
independent injectors. As the water cut increases at
producer the various segments at the injector are tested to
identify and shut in the one responsible for short circuited
 water. The
closed fracture
now transmits
oil from matrix
to producer
(instead of
water from
injector)
This cause increase cumulative oil production over other
solutions like chemical or mechanical fracture shut off in
fractured reservoirs.
6. Monitoring
Monitoring of P and T and flow rate
Now a- days by using some sensors measurement of GOR
and WOR is possible
Applications of monitoring
I. Choke position correlation
II. Flow rate estimation
III. Real time reservoir model update
IV. Well test
V. Reducing uncertainties

Close loop reservoir management

acquire data Data Interpret and models

Generate and evaluate option Models

execute
Plans and decision

Physical asset
 7. Intelligent multilateral wells
Multilateral wells help reduce well
costs and can have a significant
impact when platforms are slot
limited or the cost of sea floor
templates need to be capped.
Ability to control the inflow of each
leg of a multilateral reduce
unexpected production behaviour of
one leg.

8. Application of smart wells in oil rims

A horizontal well in the oil thin rim between the OWC (Oil
Water Contact) and the GOC (Gas Oil Contact) will be
subjected to early water or gas breakthrough.
Production declines abruptly at breakthrough as it becomes
gravity drainage dominated or lifting is compromised due to
excessive water.
After gas breakthrough at one location this location can be
shut in and moved to other location. While the coned gas at
the shut in location recedes back to the gas cap rebuilding
the oil column.
9. Downhole production test
Different types of sensors at downhole (e.g. -fibre optic system)
performing different types of production test.
10.Pressure drop in horizontal wells
In horizontal wells very uneven inflow along the axis of the
well occur because of frictional.
This typically occurs for large diameter, high rate wells
producing from highly permeable reservoirs.
As a result the well is prone to early water or gas
breakthrough.
 SCRAMS
Surface Controlled Reservoir Analysis and Management System

The SCRAMS system is a fully integrated control and data acquisition

system that allows the operator to remotely control the wellbore and
obtain real-time pressure/temperature data for each zone. This data
feedback and accurate flow control capability allow the operator to
optimize reservoir performance and enhance reservoir management.

The SCRAMS system is ideal for onshore, platform, and subsea

Applications

Features
Can be used to control infinitely variable hydraulic flow
control valves
Can be used for land, platform, or subsea applications
 Capable of interfacing with multiple subsea control
vendors
Infinitely variable control valve positioning
Flow estimation derived from fundamental metrology

Benefits

Optimize reservoir performance by controlling multiple

reservoirs without intervention
Enhance reservoir management through real-time data
acquisition
Remotely control the wellbore
Obtain real-time pressure/temperature data for each
reservoir interval
Steer around faults for continued functionality using full
redundancy capability
Control multiple intervals from only one of the two
electro-hydraulic flat packs through multi-drop
functionality

Operation
The link from the control equipment located outside the well to the
downhole tools includes redundant hydraulic and electrical buses in the
form of control lines and electrical conductors enclosed in a flat pack.
The hydraulic control line provides the hydraulic locomotive force to the
SAM (sensor actuated Module) tool, which in turn, using solenoid
valves, distributes this force to each side of the ICV piston. The electrical
conductor allows transmission of power and communication signals from
the well controller to all of the downhole tools by means of the multi-drop
telemetry system. To simplify and increase the reliability of the cable to
the downhole tool interface, the SCRAMS system adopts a signal-on
power telemetry system. To further enhance the downhole system
survivability, the redundant electric and hydraulic network is segmented
(SegNet communications protocol).

SCRAMS COMPONENTS
1. IV-ICV (Infinitely Variable ICV)-
each IV-ICV is coupled to a SAM tool in a SCRASMS
completion and is used to control the flow into or out of the
reservoir interval.
The SAM tool manipulates the IV-ICV choke using a position
sensor that is magnetically coupled to the N-ICV actuator.
 This process allows the incremental positioning of the choke
from the closed to the fully open positions, enabling high
resolution of flow control downhole.

2. SAM Sensor Actuation Module-The SAM tool provides the

control and data acquisition functionality for the SCRAMS system.
The SAM tool contains redundant electronics, each separately
connected to individual flatpacks, a hydraulic manifold to distribute
hydraulic power, and sensors for pressure/temperature
measurement. The SAM tool is the active component of the SegNet
infrastructure. Incoming electrical and hydraulic buses are terminated
into the SAM tool and exit to provide communication to other SAM tools
further down the completion string. Solenoid valve and electrical
switches incorporated in the SAM tool allow isolation of any potentially
faulty sections of the network connecting the next tool in the completion.

Application of measurement and control concepts to reservoir

engineering
Figure 7 is a more detailed version of Figure 2, and represents the oil
production process as a model-based control problem. In the modelling
phase a box has been added to emphasise the role of identification, i.e.
the activity of building and updating a model using measured data.

Some topics that are currently being investigated or are planned to be

addressed in the near future include:
Development of system models of the behaviour of reservoirs, wells
and surface facilities, and in particular of a model-based control
framework for reservoir engineering, including the time-varying and non-
linear aspects.
Development of system identification techniques to estimate reservoir
model parameters from down-hole measurements. This involves low
order models focused on direct identification and control, as a well as
large scale reservoir models.
Development of model reduction techniques and control algorithms for
the systematic optimisation of production parameters.
Use of down hole measurement and control equipment to perform
frequent down hole well tests.
Development of techniques to systematically take into account the
effects of uncertainties in the entire cycle of system response,
measurement, modelling and control.
CONCLUSION:
High cost, absence of requirement to smartness, wrong reservoir
management and high pressure reservoirs cause needing to smart
wells become less.
By developing this technology the cost of different part of smart
well decrease also pressure of reservoir is decrease.