Enhanced Horizontal Well Performance by Advanced Temperature and Acoustic Models

Horizontal wells provide more contact and productivity than vertical wells. However, the economic and efficiency gains of horizontal wells is matched by the complexity of managing them and the reservoirs they drain. Underpinning Horizontal Flow by utilizing advanced temperature and acoustic modeling to enhance production logging, specifically targeting the limitations of traditional tools such as PLTs, DTS, DAS, and tracers that struggle with complex flow patterns, completions, and crossflows. By broadening diagnostic capabilities to the formation level and improving vertical and radial resolutions, the proposed diagnostic approach aims to refine fluid movement tracking in horizontal wells with several case studies presented. Leveraging technology for thermo-hydro dynamic simulation predicts temperature and pressure in a 3D grid around the well, incorporating factors affecting these measurements over time. This tool helps in planning and tool selection before data collection and is calibrated with actual data afterwards. It also includes the capability to model active fracture geometries, which affects temperature profiles. Additionally, spectral acoustic modeling has been introduced, offering deep insights into how sound waves travel through geological formations, well structures, and the borehole itself. By analyzing the time delays or phase shifts in sound arrival across the hydrophone array, the model can pinpoint the source of turbulence and enable high-resolution tracking of fluid flow, both vertically and radially. This dual approach significantly enhances the diagnostic precision of complex flow scenarios. Additional resources via - urtec-2023-3969929 and SPWLA-2023-0029:.
 
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