Wells – Processes – Distinct – separate injection and producing wells
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-01
2001-09-04
Tsay, Frank S. (Department: 3672)
Wells
Processes
Distinct, separate injection and producing wells
C166S270100, C166S300000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283210
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to conformance methods for oil or gas wells and particularly to early stage proactive conformance rather than late stage reactive conformance.
Liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons are extracted from the earth through wells that penetrate into or through hydrocarbon-bearing formations or reservoirs. Techniques for creating and using such wells are well-known. For a production well, such techniques are used during drilling, completing, and producing phases.
Drilling pertains to forming a borehole in the earth. Completing pertains to making the hole ready to allow desired hydrocarbons to flow up through it. Producing pertains to controlling and maintaining this flow.
There can be other fluids in the reservoir. Pertinent examples include water and unwanted gas. Amounts of these unwanted fluids relative to desired hydrocarbons and their locations relative to the reservoir can change over time (for example, by coning or channeling). When this occurs, one response is to provide a conformance treatment. In general, conformance is the management of unwanted water and gas in a well/reservoir.
Conformance treatments have been used near the end of, or otherwise late in, the production phase because that is when the adverse impact of unwanted water or gas has been most noticed (for example, a relatively large amount of water or unwanted gas begins to be produced). Although such late stage, or reactive, conformance treatment can be useful, it may be too late to reverse some or all detrimental reservoir conditions that may have resulted from the unwanted water or gas flow. These detrimental results may negatively affect the reservoir ultimate recovery factor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the above-noted and other shortcomings of the prior art by providing novel and improved proactive conformance. In a particular implementation, such conformance is part of a completion method for a given well. The present invention is used proactively to seek enhancement of production from the beginning of the useful life of the well. The present invention may also be described as preventative in that its early proactive use may avoid reservoir damage that might occur if conformance were left to typical late stage implementation.
A proactive conformance treatment method may be significantly more effective and also more economical to apply than a reactive treatment. This can be by way of, for example, delaying potential water production whereby higher desired hydrocarbon production occurs without risking early water breakthrough. The present invention may lead to higher hydrocarbon production, larger ultimate recovery factor and lower production of unwanted water.
The present invention can be defined as a proactive conformance method for a well, comprising: selecting a well either in a completion phase or early in a production phase of the well; and performing a conformance treatment on the well in the completion phase or early in the production phase. Preferably, the conformance treatment is performed before the well is completed (i.e., sometime during the completion phase between the well having been drilled and the well being placed in production). More specifically within the completion phase, the conformance treatment can be performed after running open hole logging or before setting casing, for example. In at least such latter implementation the present invention provides a method of completing a well comprising: performing a conformance treatment on an open bore of the well; and casing at least a portion of the conformance treated bore.
Another preferred aspect of the present invention is the use of magnetic resonance imaging. With regard to this aspect, the present invention can be defined as a method of completing a well, comprising: using magnetic resonance imaging to analyze the well to determine where unwanted mobile fluid is in a reservoir intersected by the well; and completing the well in response to using magnetic resonance imaging, including treating the well to confine at least part of the unwanted mobile fluid determined to be in the reservoir. In a preferred implementation of the proactive conformance method of the present invention, the method further comprises using magnetic resonance imaging in the well prior to performing the conformance treatment, and performing the conformance treatment in response to using the magnetic resonance imaging.
Therefore, from the foregoing, it is a general object of the present invention to provide novel and improved proactive conformance. Other and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of the preferred embodiments is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.
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Creel Prentice G.
East, Jr. Loyd E.
Everett Don M.
Johnson Michael H.
Rester Steve
Gilbert, III E. Harry
Halliburton Energy Service,s Inc.
Kent Robert A.
Tsay Frank S.
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