Real-time monitoring of reservoir fluids integrated with simulation models and 4D seismic with CoViz 4D allows asset teams to efficiently manage and optimize problem-solving and productivity.
Reservoir teams obtain a better understanding of well production when real-time well monitoring data can be acquired and visualized in context of the geologic structure, lithology and changing reservoir conditions. Based on this information, engineers and geoscientists can assess the effectiveness and efficiency of current production strategies and continually make adjustments to optimize recovery. Reservoir teams can gain an even greater understanding of the factors that influence production when well monitoring data is visualized and animated, in DGI’s CoViz 4D, to show changing reservoir conditions over time.
To illustrate the value of integrating real-time well monitoring data with other relevant subsurface information, below we describe several use cases. We make the assumption that production data is acquired digitally in the field then relayed to database servers for easy access and immediate integration into 3D and 4D (time series) visualization and analytic tools.
Real-Time Well Monitoring of Production
Depicting production data spatially linked to specific wells in DGI’s CoViz 4D can give production engineers an immediate understanding of recovery efficiency, allowing comparisons of results across wells, and even across fields. Three-dimensional vertical “production towers” reflect changing production data for each well and can optionally include quantitative data alongside. By default, towers are positioned at the bottom of well paths. As production data changes from hour to hour, day to day, week to week, the towers grow and shrink vertically.
Towers indicate daily gas, oil, and water production data allowing production engineers to easily monitor and compare results.
Visual alerts can be included to call attention when specific thresholds have been reached in a well. For example, they appear when daily production drops below a long-term average, when oil cut exceeds a certain percentage, or when pressure falls below a well-specific value. The ability to immediately depict real-time well monitoring data in relation to nearby wells enhances the understanding of performance across a reservoir.
Monitor Injection and Production Wells
Real-time well monitoring of injection operations helps geoscientists and engineers quickly determine the sweep and effectiveness of injection methods. Visualizing water or steam injection that drives well production allows production engineers to compare production and injection volumes and determine which production wells are performing better or worse, according to when the injection well is on- or off-stream (i.e., injecting or not injecting).
In some oil fields, on-and-off injection cycling (‘huff-and-puff’) is done to allow time for the oil to flow to the producing well(s) to avoid over-pressurizing the reservoir and possibly causing formation damage. With water injection being costly and steam injection even more so, cyclic injection can reduce costs and increase long term production. By visually monitoring the injection process in CoViz 4D—asset teams can watch injection progress to see the fluid production begin in the adjacent wells. The quantities of the fluids going in and out of the reservoir can easily be graphed for comparison. This aids greatly in making sure wells are performing as expected and is an enormous benefit in identifying underperforming production wells that need remediation.
Visualization of production data in CoViz 4D gives asset teams greater insight when assessing the effectiveness of production operations. When real-time well monitoring data is displayed in context of current reservoir conditions, geoscientists and production engineers can readily evaluate the interplay of geologic, petrophysical, and recovery techniques and their impact on production. Visual analysis can confirm the effectiveness of current production methods or identify anomalies and determine the reasons for the problems, allowing production engineers to make needed operational changes.
The CoViz 4D visualization below compares production data and seismic response with a dynamic gas saturation model to show where water injection is replacing oil. Long, narrow hardening signals indicate water replacing oil along four injection wells, confirming an effective water injection process. Volumes of water injected are indicated by vertical (light) blue towers.
3D visualization of injection and production wells and fluid volumes relative to changes in gas saturation.
Improve the Accuracy of Simulation Models
Co-visualization of production data and reservoir simulation results can be used to improve the accuracy of reservoir simulation models. The refinement of simulations is accomplished through the visual cross-correlation of reservoir simulation results to match actual production volumes. When predicted production data no longer corresponds with actual production data, the reservoir simulation model needs to be updated. For example, when production volumes cause fluid contacts to change over time, the reservoir simulation model needs to be updated to reflect the known changes.
Time-Series Analysis of Real-Time Well Monitoring Data
Real-time well monitoring data enables production engineers to continually evaluate well performance and make changes, when necessary, to further enhance productivity. Real-time well monitoring data can provide even greater value in showing how development and operational decisions have affected well performance over time.
When snapshots of production data are visualized in CoViz 4D and animated in context of reservoir conditions that change over timeopens PDF file —geological models, offset wells, injection locations, and oil/water and/or gas/oil contacts—geoscientists and production engineers can determine how operational decisions have positively or negatively impacted production during the course of field development. Lessons learned from these analyses can be applied to similar geologic formations or subsurface conditions to help optimize productivity in nearby fields.
A Unique Software Solution for Data Integration, Visualization, and Analysis
All of the capabilities described above—integration of a wide variety of production and subsurface data types, including real-time well monitoring data and rich 3D and 4D (time series) visualization that facilitates collaborative decision making and analysis across the reservoir team—are available in CoViz 4D. Powerful data integration, visualization, and analysis capabilities help reservoir teams obtain the maximum value from real-time well monitoring data and apply the insight to make well-informed reservoir development and operational decisions.
CoViz 4D, a data visualization analytics software from Dynamic Graphics, Inc., gives oil and gas professionals the ability to acquire real-time well monitoring data and analyze it in context of changing subsurface conditions. Powerful visualization capabilities enable reservoir teams to evaluate the effectiveness of their development and production decisions throughout the life of a reservoir. Based on collaborative analysis, teams can modify their strategy to further optimize productivity. To learn more about CoViz 4D contact our team.
