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CS019 Fibre Flow

Challenge In commingled injection schemes, it is essential to determine the distribution of injection rates among the different layers. This is traditionally achieved using conventional production logging surveys. Cost is also an issue, as operators have to cover the costs of the survey and the mobilisation of crew and equipment to the wellsite. In addition, conventional surveys have a small associated health, safety and environment risk because production logging tools have to be run inside the wellbore during active injection. Consequently, the industry is always seeking accurate and cost-effective injection profiling methods that reduce health, safety and environmental risks and utilise existing resources. Fibre Flow is commonly used to diagnose unexpected or undesirable well system behaviour, but it can also be used proactively to ensure the well system is working optimally. Solution Flow profiles can be determined by interpreting temperature data acquired from a permanently installed downhole fibre-optic cable but, until now, accuracy has been a limiting factor. This technique, referred to as distributed temperature sensing (DTS), is an effective alternative to conventional production logging methods. After initial installation, permanently installed DTS systems have no associated mobilisation costs and eliminate the risks of well interventions. The well in this example is a vertical water injector in the Middle East. It was drilled and completed as a cased-hole perforated injector and had an optical fibre permanently installed on the outside of the casing. Water is injected into three sandstone layers, each with different permeabilities, that are interbedded with shale units. Petroleum Development Oman selected TGT’s Fibre Flow product to quantify the flow profiles in the well system through temperature modelling of DTS data. Fibre Flow is delivered by the True Flow diagnostic system using Cascade flow modelling technology. TGT’s Fibre Flow product revealed that most of the injected water entered the bottom zone (A3) and identified a downward crossflow from A1 and A2 into A3 under shut-in conditions. Result TGT’s Fibre Flow product delivered accurate, quantified injection rates for three different zones (A1, A2 and A3) in the subject well. It also revealed the presence of downward wellbore crossflow under shut-in from zones A1 and A2 into A3. The crossflow was identified by studying the ‘warm-back’ effect in the DTS shut-in temperature as it shifted towards the average near-wellbore temperature. The Fibre Flow results were seen to be in good agreement with a conventional production logging survey that had previously been run in the well. Fibre Flow has the potential to unlock the value of fibre-optic systems that are already installed in thousands of wells. Using existing built-in monitoring systems means the operator is maximising available resources and installation investment. Also, avoiding an intervention significantly reduces the carbon-footprint of the survey. In this case, Fibre Flow helped the operator to make better use of the fibre-optic systems already installed in the well and enabled it to assess important well performance criteria, including validating correct water injection.

Product animations

Fibre Flow well animation

True Flow Products

Fibre Flow

Locate and quantify flow in the well system with fibre optics More and more wells are fitted with distributed temperature (DTS) fibre to monitor performance or are using hybrid fibre optic cables for logging. However, DTS alone cannot provide a complete picture of flow dynamics in the well system. The addition of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) can change that for the better. But, making sense of DTS and DAS data and activating the well to reveal its actual flow performance isn’t easy for traditional systems. Fibre Flow brings all the benefits of our Total Flow product to wells using fibre optics, to tell the whole flow story, from the reservoir to the wellbore. Delivered by our analysts using the True Flow system with Cascade technology and advanced acoustic processing and analysis, Fibre Flow provides the clarity and insight needed to manage well system performance more effectively. Fibre Flow is often used to diagnose unexpected or undesirable well system behaviour, but it can also be used proactively to ensure the well system is working optimally – both in terms of flow performance and integrity. The combination of both DTS and DAS technology incorporated within Fibre Flow delivers a whole new level of well system diagnostics. Challenges Quantify flow profiles in well systems with fibre optic DTS sensing or using hybrid fibre optic cables Poor production or injectivity performance Unexpected change in well system performance Unexpected water or gas breakthrough Suspected cross-flow in wellbore or behind-casing Recalibrating reservoir model Reservoir flow assessment and characterisation Validate sealing performance of completion components Benefits Understand the true source of production and quantify flow profiles accurately Know where injection fluids are going and quantify flow profiles accurately Identify cross-flow and thief zones Locate source of water or unwanted gas Locate integrity failures precisely enabling targeted remediation Maximise intervention efficiency and minimise intervention costs Better well and reservoir management decisions, precisely targeted Improve well system performance and extend productive life of asset Resources Product flyers(22) Case studies(36) Product animations(21) Platform flyers(8) System flyers(2) More(183) Hardware specifications(7) Technical papers(128) Intellectual property(48) White papers(0) Resources Related Systems & Platforms True Flow System Well systems connect reservoirs to the surface so injectors and producers can flow to and from the right place. LEARN MORE Platforms Chorus Cascade Indigo Maxim MediaFibre Flow provides the clarity and insight needed to manage well system performance more effectivelyWell sketch shows a range of flow scenarios that Fibre Flow can locate and quantify.Indicative logplot for Fibre Flow Log plot shows a fish-hook injector well where the objective was to define the formation injection profile in the horizontal section (Zones 4, 5, and 6). QZI indicated modelled static temperature and formation injection profile. QZ shows the total injection rate: 390 m3/d. Smooth-shaped static temperature gradient between Zone 3 and 4 indicates communication between them. Zone 3 absorbs 3% of total injection rate.

Product flyers

Fibre Flow Product Flyer

Harts E&P Magazine – Diagnosing flow downhole

Production logging is an essential resource for managing well and reservoir performance, but traditional methods only see half the picture. In this article, we look at a new approach that looks further to reveal the true flow picture. Article featured in Harts E&P The last few decades have brought impressive advances in ‘production logging’ technology, especially in the context of new sensor designs and diagnosing complex flow downhole. Fibre optics are also playing an increasing role in production surveillance. However, the fundamental technique of using wellbore-confined production logging tools (PLT’s) to infer total well and reservoir flow performance still dominates the industry. Basically, PLT measurements are used to monitor fluid properties and flow dynamics in the wellbore and importantly, to determine production and injection ‘flow profiles’ where fluids enter or exit the wellbore, such as via perforations or inflow control devices. These measured and calculated flow profiles are used to assess the production and injection performance of the entire well system. However, the validity and accuracy of this approach depends on many factors, and chief amongst them is the ‘integrity of communication’ between the wellbore and reservoir formations at the entry/exit points. Analysts and operators using PLT’s must assume that fluids entering or exiting the wellbore are flowing radially from or to the formations directly behind the entry/exit points. And unfortunately, this is often not the case. Flowpaths can exist through annular cement channels, formation packers or natural fissures, and fluid will always find the path of least resistance. From a compliance, environmental and performance perspective, these unwanted flowpaths are bad news. Decisions made assuming wellbore flow correlates directly to target reservoir flow can lead to complex reservoir and field management issues, and compromised asset performance. From a diagnostics perspective, it’s clear that analysts and operators can’t rely on PLT’s alone to diagnose and manage well system performance – a more powerful diagnostic approach is needed. Seeing further The challenge of behind-casing ‘cross-flow’ is not new and the industry has made several attempts over the decades to diagnose this insidious phenomenon. Some of the early techniques used nuclear activation, chemical tracers and noise logging to try to detect and map flow behind pipe, but these methods generally lacked the precision demanded of modern-day diagnostics and were, at best, qualitative. However, fueled by an increased operator focus on compliance, the need for better asset performance, and pure ingenuity, a new diagnostic capability has emerged that is rapidly becoming the new industry standard for diagnosing flow downhole. True Flow system Understanding the dynamics and connectivity of wellbore and reservoir flow downhole with any degree of precision and accuracy is a highly complex task that extends beyond the capabilities of conventional ‘logging’. Which is why ‘True Flow diagnostics’ utilises a more powerful ‘system-based’ approach. The True Flow system combines experience and expertise with proprietary technology and an industry proven workflow to deliver a more complete picture of well system flow dynamics, and enable better informed well, reservoir and field management decisions (Figure 1). Programmes and methods The first ingredient and stage in the workflow is ‘Programmes & methods’. Following an initial customer consultation, analysis of well performance history, completion design, reservoir and fluid properties and assessment of diagnostic objectives, analysts customise a survey programme that will effectively ‘stress-test’ the well system to expose its flow dynamics in a number of scenarios. This can be likened to a heart specialist exercising a patient on different treadmill settings whilst scanning physiological parameters such as heart-rate, blood pressure and electro-cardio signals. Typical programmes will include a precisely-timed sequence of flowing and non-flowing surveys that allow the entire well system to warm-up and cool-down between surveys. Tools and measurements The second stage and ingredient is the application of high-fidelity ‘Tools & measurements’ by engineers that survey the well according to the diagnostic programme. The measurements come from basic and advanced PLT-type wellbore probes, and a combination of proprietary acoustic and high-precision temperature sensors. Fluids flowing throughout the well system generate acoustic signals encoded with flow information. The acoustic sensing technology used by the True Flow system captures this information in the form of sound pressure across a wide frequency and amplitude range. Importantly, the remarkable dynamic range of this technology means it can sample absolute sound levels from deafeningly loud to imperceptibly quiet without losing clarity or detail. This means that a wide variety of flow scenarios can be located and characterised throughout the well system, from the wellbore to several metres into the reservoir formation. The temperature sensor in itself is unremarkable, being an industry standard fast-response, high-precision type capable of resolving to decimals of degrees. However, correlating temperature changes observed during the diagnostic programme and combining it with the acoustic data, wellbore flow measurements and other well and reservoir information is the key to quantifying flow by the next ingredient of the system – ‘Processing & modeling’. Processing and modeling During the processing and modeling stage, data acquired during the survey programme are enhanced further by analysts using a proprietary digital workspace and a number of processing and modeling ‘plug-ins’. High-resolution acoustic data are transformed into an ‘Acoustic Power Spectrum’ to reveal the characteristic signatures of different types of flow. Analysts can select from a catalogue of digitally enhanced spectra to illuminate particular aspects of the flow and extract maximum information from the acoustic signals. The subsequent flow modeling is integral to the entire True Flow system and represents another significant advancement in flow diagnostics. Precision temperature measurements acquired during all stages of the diagnostic programme are assimilated together with all other data to derive ‘reservoir flow profiles’. These are distinct from conventional PLT-derived wellbore flow profiles because they quantify flow exiting or entering formation layers whether or not casing or perforations are present. Built on more than a decade of R&E and commercially proven in thousands of wells, the flow modeling engine solves complex thermohydrodynamic physics by matching simulated and measured temperature and other responses in the flow scenarios created during the diagnostic programme. The result is ‘quantified reservoir flow’ that together with wellbore flow measurements complete the total flow picture. Analysis and interpretation The previous True Flow stages are curated under the watchful eye of analysts who also administer the final important stage of the workflow – ‘Analysis & interpretation’. Armed with all available well data, processed and modeled results, and an expert knowledge of true flow applications, the analyst will derive and compile the diagnostic result. Whilst more complex scenarios can take a number of days to complete, the final result is a more comprehensive and accurate diagnostic of reservoir and wellbore flow that ultimately leads to better well management decisions and improved asset performance. The True Flow system is used to provide a range of diagnostic answer products that address most flow-related applications. These products include ‘Total Flow’, which combines both wellbore and reservoir flow (Figure 2), ‘Sand Flow’ for sand management applications, ‘Fracture Flow’ to optimise fracturing programmes, ‘Stimulate Flow’, ‘Horizontal Flow’, and many more. FIGURE 2. A typical Total Flow answer product derived using the True Flow system is depicted. The PLT-derived wellbore flow profile (left) shows oil and water entering the wellbore at P2 only, suggesting the source of production is from the target reservoir at the same depth. However, the True Flow system reveals that several other formation layers are contributing to this flow, including that the main oil production is coming from the upper and lower sections of the A1 formation, and the water is emanating from deeper layers. By seeing the total flow picture, the operator has a more accurate and complete understanding of well and reservoir behavior and is able to target appropriate remediation. A bright future The old thinking cannot answer today’s new challenges. As well systems become more complex and older, managing performance will remain a priority and continue to task the industry. Wells are built to connect the right fluids to the right places, safely and productively, but forces, materials and age conspire to undermine this perfect balance. Traditional production logging will continue to play an important role in managing production, but it’s clear that we need to look beyond the wellbore, to the reservoir itself, in order to see the true picture.

True Flow

Know where your flow is going with True Flow True Flow diagnostics reveal elusive flowpaths around the entire well system, so you can get an accurate picture of where your flow is, or isn’t, going. Understanding how fluids flow between permeable formation layers and the well completion is key to managing performance. This includes flow behind casing in unperforated zones, and between producing or injection layers. True Flow gives you a complete picture of flow dynamics, so you get the insights you need to make informed decisions, keeping your well safe, clean, and productive. The system approach Much of what affects performance happens outside the wellbore, beyond the reach of conventional tools. That’s why we use diagnostic systems, not just tools. They see more, completely and accurately, from the wellbore to the outer reaches of the well, into the reservoir. The picture they reveal enables you to better understand what is happening and manage your well more effectively. Our True Flow diagnostic system follows a logical workflow and is powered by four remarkable technology platforms—Chorus, Cascade, Indigo and Maxim. Each platform is charged with a specific task, but works together to reveal a more complete picture of flow within your well system. Each ingredient is the result of our ingenuity and relentless drive to reveal a greater truth. The product approach The final link in the True Flow diagnostic system is our tailored portfolio of proprietary products. The products are designed to address the full spectrum of well system flow challenges, True Flow products provide the in-depth answers you need to keep your well performing productively and profitably. True Flow Products Know where your flow is going with these True Flow products: Total Flow Reservoir Flow Wellbore Flow Dual String Flow Fibre Flow Fracture Flow Stimulate Flow Sand Flow Reservoir Pressure Horizontal Flow Resources System flyers(2) Platform flyers(8) Product flyers(22) Case studies(36) Technical papers(128) More(48) Intellectual property(48) White papers(0) ResourcesMediaWell sketch shows a range of typical flow scenarios that Dual String Flow can locate and quantify.Sand Flow precisely locates sand entry to the wellbore and provides a qualitative sand count, clearly identifying problem zones, even in turbulent flow conditions.Well sketch shows a range of flow scenarios that Fibre Flow can locate and quantify.Well sketch shows flow scenarios before and after fracturing that Fracture Flow can evaluate.Well sketch shows a range of typical behind casing flow scenarios – that Reservoir Flow can locate and quantify. Well sketch shows a range of pressures exhibited at different formation layers that Reservoir Pressure can evaluate.Stimulate Flow provides that information. Used pre- and post-stimulation, Stimulate Flow evaluates reservoir flow performance before and after acidising so that stimulation programs can be optimised and then assessed to evaluate impactWellbore Flow provides wellbore flow profiles and fluid analysis in a wide variety of flow regimes.

Water management

Water managementWater management Overview Resource management Improve injection performance Reduce water production Go to section OverviewResource managementImprove injection performanceReduce water production Home Search Results Water is a precious natural resource that is used prolifically by the industry for a wide range of purposes, such as drilling, reservoir injection, cementing and hydraulic fracturing.Improve natural resource management Water is a precious natural resource that is used prolifically by the industry for a wide range of purposes, such as drilling, reservoir injection, cementing and hydraulic fracturing. Water can come from recycled sources, but in some areas it is sourced from natural aquifers or the oceans, and this can cause an ecological imbalance. It’s important that water is used sparingly and efficiently. Apart from the large amounts of water used for injection, hydraulic fracturing and chemical also needs huge amounts of water to be effective. TGT has developed two specific answer products in our True Flow range that help operators assess the effectiveness of fracturing and stimulation operations—Fracture Flow and Stimulate Flow. These surveys can be deployed pre- and post-operations to help optimise fracturing and stimulation programmes, and potentially reduce associated water usage. RESERVOIR FLOW CASE STUDY A typical hydraulic fracturing job uses 5-10 million gallons of water per well. Improve injection performance Most oil reservoirs will inevitably require additional pressure support to maintain production and improve oil recovery. Water injection is used widely for this purpose and many oilfields are injected with tens to hundreds of thousands of barrels per day. Pumping water is energy intensive and the resulting CO2 emissions can range from 1-2 kgCO2 per barrel. In fact, water injection is responsible for ~40% of total CO2 emissions for a typical oilfield. Making matters worse, well completion and formation integrity issues can lead to water being diverted away from the target reservoir. This can result in abnormally high injection rates, reduced field production performance, and high water cut in producer wells. TGT’s True Flow products are being used globally by operators to ensure that all injected water is reaching the target and revealing where it is not. In many cases, these diagnostics lead to a significant reduction in water volumes and CO2 emissions, and increased field production. RESERVOIR FLOW CASE STUDYFIBRE FLOW CASE STUDY Pumping 10,000 barrels of water per day produces 5.4 ktCO2 annually. Reduce water production High water cut is a persistent industry challenge responsible for unnecessarily high CO2 emissions and higher carbon per barrel. Excess water needs to be managed at surface, treated then reinjected or disposed of, and this requires energy. Also, excess water often means less oil, reduced recovery and longer production times, increasing emissions even further. And complicating the issue, produced water may be channeling from several elusive sources hidden behind the casing. In many cases, excess water cut can be minimised or cured. If the operator can identify the true source of water downhole, measures can be taken to shut-off the water and restore oil production to lower carbon and economic levels. TGT’s True Flow products are used widely for this purpose. Unlike conventional diagnostics that can only detect water entering the wellbore, TGT’s through-barrier diagnostics can reveal the true source behind casing, enabling effective remediation, improved recovery rates and reduced carbon emissions. MULTI-SEAL INTEGRITY CASE STUDYTOTAL FLOW CASE STUDY High water-cut leads to higher CO2 barrel and lower oil production rates

Energy and resource efficiency

Energy and resource efficiencyEnergy and resource efficiency Overview Infrastructure performance Intervention efficiency Improve injection performance Reduce water production Go to section OverviewInfrastructure performanceIntervention efficiencyImprove injection performance Reduce water production Home Search Results Producing hydrocarbons requires energy. Turbines and diesel generators account for 70% of upstream CO2 emissions. Our diagnostics can help you become more energy efficient and reduce your carbon overhead.Improve infrastructure performance Building and operating hydrocarbon extraction infrastructure represents a huge investment in energy, capital, time, materials and people resources. Maximising the return on that resource must be achieved, while protecting people and the planet. If a well or reservoir is not producing to its full potential during its life then the resource that built or operates it is not being fully leveraged and some is being wasted. Equally, if maintenance and workover resources are being utilised, they should operate efficiently and contribute to overall asset performance with the goal of keeping wells safe, clean and productive. All TGT diagnostic products are adept at revealing inefficiencies and guiding measures that enable existing infrastructure and resources to operate at maximum efficiency. For example, if a well is producing at high water cut, our Total Flow product will reveal the exact sources of water to enable targeted remediation. True Integrity products can be used proactively to identify casing weakness before the casing fails, helping to maintain asset performance and preventing more costly scenarios. Equally, because workover and rig resources are better targeted, time and energy is saved in getting the job done right first time. TOTAL FLOW CASE STUDYPRIMARY SEAL INTEGRITY CASE STUDY Drilling a single deepwater well can produce more than 20 ktCO2 Improve intervention efficiency Well delivery and intervention operations such as drilling, fracking, workovers, decommissioning [P&A] and diagnostic surveys require energy intensive surface equipment. Rigs, trucks, and pumps derive power from diesel engines or gas turbines that emit CO2 when the fuel is burned. A typical semi-submersible drilling rig emits roughly ~130 tCO2 per day and a Light Well Intervention vessel around 30 tCO2 per day. Improving efficiency and minimising the time to perform operations is a key factor in reducing energy consumption and emissions. All TGT diagnostic products deliver insights that enable all types of operations to be carefully planned and precisely targeted so they can be executed efficiently with precision. Also, by enabling ‘lighter’ or ‘rigless’ interventions, our diagnostics can be deployed with minimal carbon footprint before heavier equipment is mobilised. Lastly, because through-barrier diagnostics provide a more complete picture, we provide maximum information in the minimum amount of time. Time savings translate to both cost and carbon savings and our aim is make every hour count. MULTI TUBE INTEGRITY CASE STUDY A typical Jack-up rig emits 70 tCO2 per day. Improve injection performance Most oil reservoirs will inevitably require additional pressure support to maintain production and improve oil recovery. Water injection is used widely for this purpose and many oilfields are injected with tens to hundreds of thousands of barrels per day. Pumping water is energy intensive and the resulting CO2 emissions can range from 1-2 kgCO2 per barrel. In fact, water injection is responsible for ~40% of total CO2 emissions for a typical oilfield. Making matters worse, well completion and formation integrity issues can lead to water being diverted away from the target reservoir. This can result in abnormally high injection rates, reduced field production performance, and high water cut in producer wells. TGT’s True Flow products are being used globally by operators to ensure that all injected water is reaching the target and revealing where it is not. In many cases, these diagnostics lead to a significant reduction in water volumes and CO2 emissions, and increased field production. RESERVOIR FLOW CASE STUDYFIBRE FLOW CASE STUDY Pumping 10,000 barrels of water per day produces 5.4 ktCO2 annually Reduce water production High water cut is a persistent industry challenge responsible for unnecessarily high CO2 emissions and higher carbon per barrel. Excess water needs to be managed at surface, treated then reinjected or disposed of, and this requires energy. Also, excess water often means less oil, reduced recovery and longer production times, increasing emissions even further. And complicating the issue, produced water may be channeling from several elusive sources hidden behind the casing. In many cases, excess water cut can be minimised or cured. If the operator can identify the true source of water downhole, measures can be taken to shut-off the water and restore oil production to lower carbon and economic levels. TGT’s True Flow products are used widely for this purpose. Unlike conventional diagnostics that can only detect water entering the wellbore, TGT’s through-barrier diagnostics can reveal the true source behind casing, enabling effective remediation, improved recovery rates and reduced carbon emissions. MULTI-SEAL INTEGRITY CASE STUDYTOTAL FLOW CASE STUDY High water-cut leads to higher CO2 per barrel and lower oil production rates.

Water management – Old launch

Water is a precious natural resource that is used prolifically by the industry for a wide range of purposes, such as drilling, reservoir injection, cementing and hydraulic fracturing. Improve natural resource management Water is a precious natural resource that is used prolifically by the industry for a wide range of purposes, such as drilling, reservoir injection, cementing and hydraulic fracturing. Water can come from recycled sources, but in some areas it is sourced from natural aquifers or the oceans, and this can cause an ecological imbalance. It’s important that water is used sparingly and efficiently. Apart from the large amounts of water used for injection, hydraulic fracturing and chemical also needs huge amounts of water to be effective. TGT has developed two specific answer products in our True Flow range that help operators assess the effectiveness of fracturing and stimulation operations—Fracture Flow and Stimulate Flow. These surveys can be deployed pre- and post-operations to help optimise fracturing and stimulation programmes, and potentially reduce associated water usage. Reservoir Flow Case Study Key fact: A typical hydraulic fracturing job uses 5-10 million gallons of water per well. Key fact: Pumping 10,000 barrels of water per day produces ~5.4 ktCO2 annually. Improve water management—injection Most oil reservoirs will inevitably require additional pressure support to maintain production and improve oil recovery. Water injection is used widely for this purpose and many oilfields are injected with tens to hundreds of thousands of barrels per day. Pumping water is energy intensive and the resulting CO2 emissions can range from 1-2 kgCO2 per barrel. In fact, water injection is responsible for ~40% of total CO2 emissions for a typical oilfield. Making matters worse, well completion and formation integrity issues can lead to water being diverted away from the target reservoir. This can result in abnormally high injection rates, reduced field production performance, and high water cut in producer wells. TGT’s True Flow products are being used globally by operators to ensure that all injected water is reaching the target and revealing where it is not. In many cases, these diagnostics lead to a significant reduction in water volumes and CO2 emissions, and increased field production. Reservoir Flow Case StudyFibre Flow Case Study Improve water management—production High water cut is a persistent industry challenge responsible for unnecessarily high CO2 emissions and higher carbon per barrel. Excess water needs to be managed at surface, treated then reinjected or disposed of, and this requires energy. Also, excess water often means less oil, reduced recovery and longer production times, increasing emissions even further. And complicating the issue, produced water may be channeling from several elusive sources hidden behind the casing. In many cases, excess water cut can be minimised or cured. If the operator can identify the true source of water downhole, measures can be taken to shut-off the water and restore oil production to lower carbon and economic levels. TGT’s True Flow products are used widely for this purpose. Unlike conventional diagnostics that can only detect water entering the wellbore, TGT’s through-barrier diagnostics can reveal the true source behind casing, enabling effective remediation, improved recovery rates and reduced carbon emissions. Reservoir Flow Case StudyFibre Flow Case Study Key fact: High water-cut leads to higher CO2 per barrel and lower oil production rates.