Dynamic Production System Management

• US 20070198223A1
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Johnson, William, Reid, Laurence, Russell, Andrew, Ella, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

Data about operation of a well for extracting a product from the subterranean reservoir and at least one of a characteristic of a subterranean reservoir or operation of a processing and transport system upstream of a point of sale is received. A corrective action can be automatically initiated on at least one of the well or the processing and transport system in response to a difference between the received data and a specified operational objective. An adjustment to a model of the reservoir, the well, and the processing and transporting system can be automatically initiated in response to the received data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving data about operation of a well for extracting a product from a subterranean reservoir and at least one of a characteristic of the subterranean reservoir or operation of a processing and transport system upstream of a point of sale prior to a refinery;

automatically determining, using the data and a model of the well, the subterranean reservoir and the processing and transport system, a corrective action to at least one of the well or the processing and transport system in relation to a specified operational objective; and

automatically initiating the corrective action to at least one of the well, a gathering system of the processing and transport system or a production facility of the processing and transport system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the corrective action comprises an adjustment to an operation of at least one of the well, a gathering system of the processing and transport system or a production facility of the processing and transport system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically determining comprises automatically determining real time.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically initiating an adjustment to the model in response to the received data.

5. A method, comprising:

receiving data about operation of a well for extracting a product from a subterranean reservoir and at least one of a characteristic of the subterranean reservoir or operation of a processing and transport system upstream of a point of sale; and

automatically initiating a corrective action on at least one of the well or the processing and transport system in response to a difference between the received data and a specified operational objective.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the operational objective comprises at least one of product sales rate or a product production rate.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the processing and transport system comprises a production facility for processing the product upstream of a refinery and a gathering system for transporting the product from the well to the point of sale.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein automatically initiating a corrective action on the production facility comprises at least one of initiating an adjustment to an amount of a flow supplied to a separator, an adjustment to the pressure of a flow supplied to the separator, an adjustment to a flow rate of a flow supplied to a separator, an adjustment to an amount of a flow supplied to a dehydrator, an adjustment to the pressure of a flow supplied to the dehydrator, an adjustment to a flow rate of a flow supplied to a dehydrator, an adjustment to a valve, an adjustment to a choke, an adjustment to a flow control device, an adjustment to a compressor, an adjustment to a pump, an adjustment to a heater, an adjustment to a cooler, or an adjustment to a fluid level.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein automatically initiating a corrective action on the gathering system comprises at least one of initiating an adjustment to an amount of a flow through a pipe, an adjustment to a pressure of a flow supplied through a pipe, an adjustment to a flow rate of a flow supplied through a pipe, an adjustment to a valve, an adjustment to a choke, an adjustment to a flow control device, an adjustment to a compressor, an adjustment to a pump, an adjustment to a heater, and an adjustment to a cooler.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein automatically initiating a corrective action on the well comprises initiating an adjustment to at least one of a production rate from the well or an injection rate to the well.

11. The method of claim 5 further comprising automatically determining the corrective action using a model of the subterranean reservoir, the well and the processing and transport system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the model comprises at least one of a first principal model, a proxy model, or a derived model.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising automatically initiating an adjustment to the model in response to the received data.

14. The method of claim 5 wherein the data about a characteristic of the subterranean reservoir comprises at least one of seismic data, geologic data or log data.

15. The method of claim 5 wherein the data about operation of the well comprises at least one of flow rate, pressure, temperature, fluid composition, fluid density, viscosity or actuator state.

16. The method of claim 5 wherein the data about operation of the processing and transport system comprises at least one of flow rate, pressure, temperature, fluid composition, fluid density, viscosity or actuator state.

17. The method of claim 5 wherein receiving data comprises receiving the data in real time.

18. The method of claim 5 wherein automatically initiating a corrective action comprises automatically initiating a corrective action in real time.

19. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations, comprising:

receiving data about operation of a well for extracting a product from a subterranean reservoir and at least one of a characteristic of the subterranean reservoir or operation of a processing and transport system upstream of a point of sale; and

automatically initiating a corrective action on at least one of the well or the processing and transport system in response to a difference between the received data and a specified operational objective.

20. The article of claim 19 wherein the operational objective comprises at least one of product sales rate or a product production rate.

21. The article of claim 19 wherein the processing and transport system comprises a production facility for processing the product upstream of a refinery and a gathering system for transporting the product from the well to the point of sale.

22. The article of claim 21 wherein automatically initiating a corrective action on the production facility comprises at least one of initiating an adjustment to an amount of a flow supplied to a separator, an adjustment to the pressure of a flow supplied to the separator, an adjustment to a flow rate of a flow supplied to a separator, an adjustment to an amount of a flow supplied to a dehydrator, an adjustment to the pressure of a flow supplied to the dehydrator, an adjustment to a flow rate of a flow supplied to a dehydrator, an adjustment to a valve, an adjustment to a choke, an adjustment to a flow control device, an adjustment to a compressor, an adjustment to a pump, an adjustment to a heater, an adjustment to a cooler, or an adjustment to a fluid level.

23. The article of claim 21 wherein automatically initiating a corrective action on the gathering system comprises at least one of initiating an adjustment to an amount of a flow through a pipe, an adjustment to a pressure of a flow supplied through a pipe, an adjustment to a flow rate of a flow supplied through a pipe, an adjustment to a valve, an adjustment to a choke, an adjustment to a flow control device, an adjustment to a compressor, an adjustment to a pump, an adjustment to a heater, and an adjustment to a cooler.

24. The article of claim 19 wherein automatically initiating a corrective action on the well comprises initiating an adjustment to at least one of a production rate from the well or an injection rate to the well.

25. The article of claim 19 further comprising automatically determining the corrective action using a model of the subterranean reservoir, the well and the processing and transport system.

26. The article of claim 25 wherein the model comprises at least one of a first principal model, a proxy model, or a derived model.

27. The article of claim 25 wherein the operation further comprises automatically initiating an adjustment to the model in response to the received data.

28. The article of claim 19 wherein the data about a characteristic of the subterranean reservoir comprises at least one of seismic data, geologic data or log data.

29. The article of claim 19 wherein the data about operation of the well comprises at least one of flow rate, pressure, temperature, fluid composition, fluid density, viscosity or actuator state.

30. The article of claim 19 wherein the data about operation of the processing and transport system comprises at least one of flow rate, pressure, temperature, fluid composition, fluid density, viscosity or actuator state.

31. The article of claim 19 wherein receiving data comprises receiving the data in real time.

32. The article of claim 19 wherein automatically initiating a corrective action comprises automatically initiating a corrective action in real time.

33. A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions operable to cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving data about operation of a well for extracting a product from a subterranean reservoir and at least one of a characteristic of the subterranean reservoir or operation of a processing and transport system upstream of a point of sale; and

automatically initiating a corrective action on at least one of the well or the processing and transport system in response to a difference between the received data and a specified operational objective.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the operational objective comprises at least one of product sales rate or a product production rate.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein the processing and transport system comprises a production facility for processing the product upstream of a refinery and a gathering system for transporting the product from the well to the point of sale.

36. The system of claim 33 wherein automatically initiating a corrective action on the production facility comprises at least one of initiating an adjustment to an amount of a flow supplied to a separator, an adjustment to the pressure of a flow supplied to the separator, an adjustment to a flow rate of a flow supplied to a separator, an adjustment to an amount of a flow supplied to a dehydrator, an adjustment to the pressure of a flow supplied to the dehydrator, an adjustment to a flow rate of a flow supplied to a dehydrator, an adjustment to a valve, an adjustment to a choke, an adjustment to a flow control device, an adjustment to a compressor, an adjustment to a pump, an adjustment to a heater, an adjustment to a cooler, or an adjustment to a fluid level.

37. The system of claim 33 wherein automatically initiating a corrective action on the gathering system comprises at least one of initiating an adjustment to an amount of a flow through a pipe, an adjustment to a pressure of a flow supplied through a pipe, an adjustment to a flow rate of a flow supplied through a pipe, an adjustment to a valve, an adjustment to a choke, an adjustment to a flow control device, an adjustment to a compressor, an adjustment to a pump, an adjustment to a heater, and an adjustment to a cooler.

38. The system of claim 33 wherein automatically initiating a corrective action on the well comprises initiating an adjustment to at least one of a production rate from the well or an injection rate to the well.

39. The system of claim 33 further comprising automatically determining the corrective action using a model of the subterranean reservoir, the well and the processing and transport system.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the model comprises at least one of a first principal model, a proxy model or a derived model.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein the operations further comprise automatically initiating an adjustment to the model in response to the received data.

42. The system of claim 33 wherein the data about a characteristic of the subterranean reservoir comprises at least one of seismic data, geologic data or log data.

43. The system of claim 33 wherein the data about operation of the well comprises at least one of flow rate, pressure, temperature, fluid composition, fluid density, viscosity or actuator state.

44. The system of claim 33 wherein the data about operation of the processing and transport system comprises at least one of flow rate, pressure, temperature, fluid composition, fluid density, viscosity or actuator state.

45. The system of claim 33 wherein receiving data comprises receiving the data in real time.

46. The system of claim 33 wherein automatically initiating a corrective action comprises automatically initiating a corrective action in real time.