Configurable Adaptive Chemical Inflow Control Device Eliminates Intervention

Abstract

Abstract The successful application of Passive and Autonomous Inflow Control Devices (ICDs) to delay water breakthrough, extend well life and increase recovery in Horizontal wells is one of the major technical achievements in the oil and gas industry in recent years. These devices are used as open hole completion equipment to balance inflow along the well borehole section and have enhanced well performance in an efficient and cost-effective manner. To understand the history and background of the field challenge and previously proposed solutions, the paper presents comprehensive and chronological evolution of ICD's through time. This timeline starts with the introduction of conventional ICDs evolving to adaptive ICDs, and presenting the way forward for the technology. This paper introduces a new Chemistry based Autonomous Inflow Control Device (Chemical-AICD or C-AICD) for oil wells which restricts water based on chemically induced alterations on fluid path. The operation of these devices is completely independent of viscosity and density and need no intervention for water shutoff. The design allows for injection activities even after the device is closed. The operational of the device incorporates a time trigger selective water/oil dissolvable mechanism on thin coatings applied on a ball. The time and environment dependent selective dissolution changes the diametrical position of the ball within a specially designed funnel, changing the flow port area available for inflow. While newer, advanced completion technology is created to enhance well performance, it is often more complex in design and field installation and comes at a higher cost than existing field-proven technologies. The revolutionary Chemical-AICD design allows applications for oil production in fields where minimization of water production is desirable, while being both cost effective and efficient. A wide range of applications for interventionless water shutoff are presented with a comparison between various ICDs for a typical application to showcase the unique technical and economic benefits of a Chemical-AICD.