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Collaborating Authors
Inclined Gravity Downhole Oil-Water Separator: Using Laboratory Experimental Results for Predicting the Impact of Its Application in High Rate Production Wells
Fitnawan, Eko Awan Yudha (StatoilHydro ASA) | Rivera, Rocio Milena (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) | Golan, Michael (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)
Abstract As an oilfield goes mature, an increased water cut can significantly decrease the maximum fluid production rate or even stop the production entirely. Therefore, separating produced water from the wellstream as early as possible is a potential way to maximize oil production. A novel inclined gravity downhole oil-water separator concept has been introduced and patented by ABB Research Ltd., which combines gravitational separation with distributed water tapping along the incline separator tube. The concept depicts that the downhole separator can be installed somewhere above the production packer and below SCSSV (surface-controlled subsurface safety valve). Gravitational forces create a separated water or water rich layer at the lower side of the pipe. This segregated water rich layer is drained using distributed tapping points along the separation tube and then flow to surface via annulus, whilst the oil rich layer flow through the tubing continue up to surface. Several experimental tests have been performed and this paper describes how to use the experimental results into a well performance simulator to predict how the inclined gravity downhole oil-water separator modifies the performance of high production rate wells. The study includes the well performance effect of separator setting depth, setting inclination, tubing size and tubing configuration. Well performance sensitivity due to water cut and separation efficiency is also discussed. The simulation results show that inclined downhole oil-water separation is very beneficial and able to increase oil production up to 82% for the selected wells with 81–87% water cut. Introduction Conventionally, oil and water are separated at the surface using gravity-driven separators, where the size of the separator is a function of flow rate and the required retention time. The gravity separators often occupy large portions of the space on the offshore platform. In the mid 80's hydrocyclones and centrifuges have been introduced to treat produced water before disposal. Around the 90's, tests of separation facilities with hydrocyclones as a bulk separator has been carried out successfully. These technologies have directed the industry towards the size reduction of separation facilities at surface. However, a major further step is to separate the bulk of the water in a downhole in-line arrangement . Applying downhole oil-water separation (hereafter, called as DOWS) could de-bottleneck the production plant on platform and reduce the space on board, eliminate future need of new constructions to increase water handling capacity. By separating water in the downhole, the liquid density of the wellstream and the back pressure on the formation are reduced. Hence, increasing the drawdown pressure which enhances production (Fig. 1). Three basic types of downhole oil water separator have been classified based on the separation system utilized. The first type using hydrocyclones, the second based on gravity forces and the third type using membrane separation technology, which is yet to be developed and applied in the field but has been investigated through simulation studies. A new concept in the gravity type separation is inclined gravity downhole oil-water separator with distributed water tapping where the drained water can be controlled effectively. Some advantages of this type of downhole separator are its simplicity, robustness in structure and the little sensitivity to the accuracy of installation angle. Due to its simplicity components, it also has a long-life potential. In the case where the separator fails to perform well it can be kept and used as ordinary tubing without the need of workover cost to pull it out. Some of the challenges to this concept are the design of the instrumentation that can regulate the drainage rate to achieve the best separation and the potential well integrity issue with regards to flowing HC in the A-annulus.
- North America > United States > Texas (0.29)
- Europe > Norway > Norwegian Sea (0.24)
- Research Report > Experimental Study (0.66)
- Research Report > New Finding (0.48)
The complete paper focuses on a system for water separation in downhole horizontal wells. The water produced from the well is not lifted to the surface, but reinjected into suitable parts of the reservoir, either for pressure support or for diposal. The method of water separation and reinjection has been evaluated for oil-producing fields. The complete paper presents details of the technical solutions and an economic analysis. The concept of downhole oil/water separation (DOWS) has been oriented around hydrocyclone-based technologies.
Application of Machine Learning to Evaluate the Performances of Various Downhole Centrifugal Separator Types in Oil and Gas Production Systems
Osorio Ojeda, Laura Camila (The University of Oklahoma) | Olubode, Michael (The University of Oklahoma) | Karami, Hamidreza (The University of Oklahoma) | Podio, Tony (Echometer)
Abstract Pumping artificial lift techniques, such as rod pumps and ESPs, are applied for gassy wells more than ever before. This has made the downhole separators a critical part of most such installations. There are multiple categories of downhole separators, with various techniques developed to assess and improve their performances, but no general guidelines are established for their application. This paper aims to classify the separator types and review their performances in the open literature. In addition, various data sets are collected and put together to evaluate and rank downhole centrifugal separators using data analysis and machine learning (ML) techniques. A comprehensive literature review is conducted to collect the available downhole separator performance data. Experiments and Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations are the techniques used by the researchers. This information is collected to identify the optimum conditions for each separator type, considering the effects of liquid and gas rates and other flow parameters. The data collected from various research projects over the last 20 years are combined to make a comprehensive downhole separation databank. These data are analyzed using various machine learning algorithms to rank the performances of downhole separators at various operating conditions. Various downhole separators have been tested in the open literature, including poor-boy separators, two-stage separators, packer-type separators, rotary and spiral separators with different designs, etc. A critical factor that adds to the uncertainty is the separator's control system, which significantly affects its efficiency. The available data show that most separators provide separation efficiencies higher than 80% if the downstream casing valve is adequately controlled. The separation efficiencies decline as the liquid and gas rates increase past an upper limit. The collected data from multiple previous studies form a broad dataset. Data analysis is used to compare the performances of different downhole separator classes, and machine learning is applied to identify a robust prediction model. This paper gathers, interconnects, and examines several available research works through data analytics. The results provide a fundamental source and a valuable guideline for downhole liquid-gas separation, particularly in artificial lift applications.
- Production and Well Operations > Well Operations and Optimization > Downhole fluids separation, management and disposal (1.00)
- Facilities Design, Construction and Operation > Processing Systems and Design > Separation and treating (1.00)
- Data Science & Engineering Analytics > Information Management and Systems > Artificial intelligence (1.00)
Abstract There is growing recognition and concern for the adverse impacts that ever increasing volumes of produced water have on oil production operations and reserves recovery. New technologies must be developed and successfully implemented to minimize the negative economic and environmental consequences of water production. Taking a novel approach in addressing these concerns, the Centre For Engineering Research Inc. has developed systems for downhole separation and same well injection of produced water. These systems have demonstrated significant potential to alleviate the high costs, production limitations and environmental risk associated with the handling of large volumes of produced water at surface. PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd. has deployed several of these systems in field trials at its Alliance operation in Canada which produces 38 API oil from a sandstone reservoir. The paper describes the candidate wells selected and the separation systems used in this application. Issues related to well conversions and system installation are reviewed and preliminary results from the field trials are presented. Introduction Produced water contributes to high operating expenses and is a major source of environmental concern for oil producers. Excessive water production also results in many wells and fields being suspended and abandoned, despite the fact that significant volumes of oil are still being produced. While it is not often reported, the water volumes produced in association with conventional oil are significant. In Canada, the oil industry produces almost six cubic meters of water, on average, for every cubic meter of oil produced. Some wells can be produced economically with water to oil ratios of over 100 with conventional production methods, but most wells currently become uneconomic at ratios as low as 10:1 or 20:1 due to the lifting and water handling costs. The Centre for Engineering Research Inc. (C-FER) initiated a feasibility study in 1991 to examine non-conventional means to reduce oil well lifting and water handling costs by reducing the volume of water produced to surface. This work resulted in the idea of combining hydrocyclone separators with conventional downhole oil field pumping systems to accomplish oil production, oil/water separation and simultaneous injection of the produced water in the same wellbore An ongoing joint industry project was subsequently organized by C-FER to further evaluate this concept through the development and testing of prototype separator systems. The project scope includes the development and field testing of prototype equipment for three downhole separation systems based on electric submersible pump (ESP), progressing cavity pump (PCP) and beam pump lift systems. The main objectives of the field tests are to demonstrate the operation and prove the economic benefits of the respective separation systems. The research and development project also addresses economic feasibility modeling, well recompletion design strategies and reservoir modeling to assess implementation of the technology in different fields. The many potential benefits associated with downhole oil/water separation and same well injection of produced water have been described previously by Peachey, 1991. This paper provides a description of this novel technology and presents the results from some of the initial field trials undertaken by PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd. with ESP oil/water separation systems. Downhole Separation Systems The downhole oil/water separation (AQWANOTM) systems under development by C-FER consist of a hydrocyclone separator coupled to a modified conventional pumping system. The hydrocyclone separator units employ standard liquid/liquid hydrocyclone liners (Colman, 1980, Schubert, 1992) which have been packaged for downhole service. P. 453
- North America > United States > Texas > Tarrant County (0.41)
- North America > United States > Texas > Denton County (0.41)
- North America > United States > Texas > Fort Worth Basin > Alliance Field > Barnett Shale Formation (0.99)
- North America > Canada > Alberta > Western Canada Sedimentary Basin > Alberta Basin > Ellerslie Formation (0.99)
- Production and Well Operations > Well Operations and Optimization > Downhole fluids separation, management and disposal (1.00)
- Production and Well Operations > Artificial Lift Systems (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Environment > Water use, produced water discharge and disposal (1.00)
- Facilities Design, Construction and Operation > Processing Systems and Design > Separation and treating (1.00)
Fields with equipment is 30 BOPD and costs for large-volume artificial-lift high volumes of produced water, increasing 1,700 BWPD. In some water cuts, static oil rates, and low cases, wells or fields have been suspended recovery factors were identified as the Predesander DHOWS System. DHOWS system initially installed consisted or abandoned with significant volumes of Many fields exhibiting high or increasing of three PCP's, all driven by the same oil left in the ground solely because of the water production caused by water-coning rod string from the surface. The total-flow poor economics resulting from the excessive mechanisms are heavy-oil (14 to 25 API) emulsion enters the intake of the totalfluid water production. These fields are becoming uneconomical pump, sized to pressurize the fluid In 1991, a joint-industry project was to operate.
- North America > Canada > Alberta (0.32)
- Asia > Middle East > Israel > Mediterranean Sea (0.25)
- North America > Canada > Alberta > Hayter Field > 1994450Ab Hayter 10-21-40-1 Well (0.99)
- North America > Canada > Alberta > Western Canada Sedimentary Basin > Alberta Basin > Provost Field (0.94)
- Production and Well Operations > Well & Reservoir Surveillance and Monitoring (1.00)
- Production and Well Operations > Well Operations and Optimization > Produced water management and control (0.72)
- Facilities Design, Construction and Operation > Processing Systems and Design > Separation and treating (0.65)
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