Computerized method and system for improving petroleum production and recovery using a reservoir management factor

• US 10,329,881 B1
• Filed: 01/17/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QRI Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: QRI Group, LLC
• Inventors: Saleri, Nansen G., Toronyi, Robert M., Ault, Joseph W., Wong, Cromwell D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Application Number:
  US15/408,397
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 705 711
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/16 Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/00 Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/08 Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202

Abstract

Determining a Reservoir Management Factor™ (RMF™ or β) for a petroleum producer provides a novel metric, selection, design, implementation and monitoring tool designed for use in implementing capital projects for increasing production and reserves of the petroleum producer. The RMF or β can be determined according to the following equation:
β=sum of regression coefficients=sum of (reserves coefficient, production coefficient)

• • wherein,
    • reserves coefficient=the coefficient of the petroleum producer'"'"'s reserves; and
    • production coefficient=the coefficient of the petroleum producer'"'"'s production.
      The producer can based on the RMF, select, design, implement and monitor one or more capital projects for increasing production and reserves of the petroleum producer. The capital projects can include drilling additional wells, stimulating existing wells, and increasing reservoir contact of existing wells.

Claims

1. A method for modifying operation of production units at a petroleum reservoir to increase petroleum production/recovery efficiency of the petroleum reservoirs, the method comprising:

measuring, using one or more sensors placed in the petroleum reservoir, physical or geological characteristics of the petroleum reservoir relating to at least one of reservoir pressure, fluid saturations, well productivity and drawdown, fluid profile, oil production, gas production, water production, injection rate, real displacement efficiency, vertical displacement efficiency, and pore displacement efficiency;

calculating, using one or more processors, a coefficient of reserves based on measurements of the physical or geological characteristics of the petroleum reservoir obtained by the one or more sensors placed in the petroleum reservoir, wherein the coefficient of reserves is measured in units of monetary amount divided by quantity of petroleum and corresponds to a value of current reserves associated with the petroleum reservoir;

receiving present or historical production data for one or more producing oil wells associated with the petroleum reservoir,

calculating, using one or more processors, a coefficient of production based on the present or historical production data, wherein the coefficient of production is measured in units of monetary amount divided by quantity of petroleum and corresponds to a current production value of the petroleum reservoir;

calculating, using one or more processors, a reservoir management factor (β

) for the petroleum reservoirs based on the coefficient of reserves and the coefficient of production, wherein the reservoir management factor (β

) is measured in units of monetary amount divided by quantity of petroleum and corresponds to a market value premium associated with increasing the petroleum production/recovery efficiency of the petroleum reservoir per unit quantity of petroleum;

based on the reservoir management factor (β

), using one or more processors to execute computer executable instructions for selecting and designing a modification of production units at the petroleum reservoirs to increase the petroleum production/recovery efficiency of the petroleum reservoir,

wherein if the reservoir management factor (β

) is above a minimum threshold and below an intermediate threshold, the modification comprises stimulating one or more existing wells;

wherein if the reservoir management factor (β

) is above the intermediate threshold and below an upper threshold, the modification comprises one or more of stimulating one or more existing wells or increasing reservoir contact of one or more existing wells; and

wherein if the reservoir management factor (β

) is above the upper threshold, the modification comprises one or more of stimulating one or more existing wells, increasing reservoir contact of one or more existing wells, or drilling one or more new wells; and

implementing the modification of production units at the petroleum reservoir to increase petroleum production/recovery efficiency of the petroleum reservoir, wherein the production units are selected from one or more of producing oil wells, water injection wells, gas injection wells, heat injectors, or sub-components thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the reservoir management factor (β

) comprises determining an absolute sum of

the coefficient of reserves; and

the coefficient of production.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein calculation the coefficient of reserves is additionally based on statistical algorithms and historically observed petroleum production data for a sample set of petroleum producers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the reservoir management factor (β

) further comprises relating a sum of the coefficient of reserves and the coefficient of production through a multivariable correlation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein if the reservoir management factor (β

) is below the minimum threshold, the modification comprises changing one or more of a volume, a pressure, a temperature, or a well bore path of at least one production unit at the petroleum reservoir.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum threshold comprises at least $2/bbl or a unit equivalent thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum threshold comprises at least $5/bbl or a unit equivalent thereof, the intermediate threshold comprises at least $7/bbl or the unit equivalent thereof, and the upper threshold comprises at least $9/bbl the a unit equivalent thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the intermediate threshold comprises at least $10/bbl or the unit equivalent thereof, and the upper threshold comprises at least $12/bbl or a unit equivalent thereof.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the upper threshold comprises at least $15/bbl or the unit equivalent thereof.

10. In a computing system having a processor and system memory, a method for modifying operation of production units used in producing petroleum from petroleum reservoirs of a petroleum producer in order to increase petroleum production/recovery efficiency of the petroleum reservoirs, the method comprising:

receiving measurement data obtained by one or more sensors placed in the petroleum reservoirs, the measurement data relating to physical and geological characteristics of the petroleum reservoir relating to at least one of reservoir pressure, fluid saturations, well productivity and drawdown, fluid profile, oil production, gas production, water production, injection rate, real displacement efficiency, vertical displacement efficiency, and pore displacement efficiency;

receiving, at the computing system, a type, number, location, and efficiency of wells servicing the petroleum reservoirs;

calculating, using the processor, a coefficient of reserves based on the measurement data obtained by the one or more sensors placed in the petroleum reservoirs, the coefficient of reserves being measured in units of monetary amount divided by quantity of petroleum;

calculating, using the processor, a coefficient of production based on the type, number, location, and efficiency of wells servicing the petroleum reservoirs, the coefficient of reserves being measured in units of monetary amount divided by quantity of petroleum;

calculating, using the processor, a reservoir management factor (β

) for the petroleum reservoirs based on the coefficient of reserves and the coefficient of production, wherein the reservoir management factor (β

) is measured in units of monetary amount divided by quantity of petroleum;

based on the reservoir management factor (β

), selecting and designing a modification of production units for the petroleum reservoirs, at the computing system, to increase petroleum production/recovery efficiency of petroleum reservoirs of the petroleum producer; and

implementing, using the computing system, the modification of production units, including manually or automatically modifying operation of one or more production units selected from producing oil wells, water injection wells, gas injection wells, heat injectors, or sub-components thereof, wherein adjusting the operation of the one or more production units is selected from change in volume, change in pressure, change in temperature, change in well bore path, drilling one or more new wells, stimulating one or more existing wells, and/or increasing reservoir contact of one or more existing wells.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving data at the computing system relating to production of petroleum by the producer included in a 10K filing; and

the computing system calculating the coefficient of reserves and the coefficient of production based in part from the data included in a 10K filing.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein calculating one or both of the coefficient of production or the coefficient of reserves comprises using statistical algorithms and historically observed petroleum production data for a sample set of petroleum producers.

13. The method of claim 10, the computing system determining the reservoir management factor (β

) according to the following equation;

β

=the coefficient of reserves minus the coefficient of production.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the petroleum producer is a publicly traded corporation and wherein the reservoir management factor (β

) reflects a market premium on increased reserves.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, at the computing system, data relating to barrels of proven reserves (Reserves) to be created by the modification;

receiving, at the computing system, data relating to a net present value (NPV) of the modification; and

the computing system determining, by relating the reservoir management factor (β

) to the barrels of proven reserves (Reserves) and the net present value (NPV), a true value index (TVI) for the modification.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the true value index (TVI) is determined according to the following:

TVI=NPV+(β

*Reserves).

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising using the reservoir management factor (β

) as part of a method for determining an economic feasibility of the modification.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising monitoring the modified production units using sensors at the modified production units.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein monitoring the modified production includes a remote computing system displaying a dashboard with data relating to the monitored production units.

20. A method for modifying operation of production units at a petroleum reservoir to increase petroleum production/recovery efficiency of the petroleum reservoir, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computing system comprising one or more processors, measurement data corresponding to measurements taken by one or more sensors placed in the petroleum reservoir, the measurement data corresponding to physical or geological characteristics of the petroleum reservoir and relating to at least one of reservoir pressure, fluid saturations, well productivity and drawdown, fluid profile, oil production, gas production, water production, injection rate, real displacement efficiency, vertical displacement efficiency, and pore displacement efficiency;

calculating, using the one or more processors, a coefficient of reserves based on measurements of the physical or geological characteristics of the petroleum reservoir obtained by the one or more sensors placed in the petroleum reservoir, wherein the coefficient of reserves is measured in units of monetary amount divided by quantity of petroleum and corresponds to a value of current reserves associated with the petroleum reservoir;

receiving, at the computing system, present or historical production data for one or more producing oil wells associated with the petroleum reservoir;

calculating, using the one or more processors, a coefficient of production based on the present or historical production data, wherein the coefficient of production is measured in units of monetary amount divided by quantity of petroleum and corresponds to a current production value of the petroleum reservoir;

calculating, using the one or more processors, a reservoir management factor (β

) for the petroleum reservoir based on the coefficient of reserves and the coefficient of production, wherein the reservoir management factor (β

) is measured in units of monetary amount divided by quantity of petroleum and corresponds to a market value premium associated with increasing the petroleum production/recovery efficiency of the petroleum reservoir per unit quantity of petroleum;

based on the reservoir management factor (β

), determining a modification of production units at the petroleum reservoir that increases the petroleum production/recovery efficiency of the reservoir;

receiving, at the computing system, data relating to a quantity of proven reserves to be created by the modification and a net present value (NPV) of the modification; and

calculating, using the one or more processors, a true value index (TVI) for the modification based on the NPV of the modification and the reservoir management factor (β

); and

implementing the modification of production units at the petroleum reservoir to increase petroleum production/recovery efficiency of the petroleum reservoir, wherein the increase in petroleum production/recovery efficiency corre, wherein the production units are selected from one or more of producing oil wells, water injection wells, gas injection wells, heat injectors, or sub-components thereof.