(369b) Towards Field Wide Production Optimization for Upstream Field Recovery: A Holistic Analysis and Optimisation Framework of the Upstream Field from Reservoir to Host Facility

Towards Field Wide Production Optimization For Upstream Field Recovery
Shakeel Ramjanee, CEng MEng, MIChemE (Imperial College London)
Supervisors: Dr Benoit Chachuat, Professor Ann Muggeridge & Professor Nilay Shah

Integrated Asset Modelling (also known as Integrated Production System Modelling ‐ IPSM) is the modelling and simulation of an entire production facility consisting of both subsurface and surface elements. The intent is to holistically capture the complex interactions between the individual components of the system.

Historically asset modelling has entailed discrete reservoir, wells and facility models; however this mindset is slowly altering towards integrated asset modelling for production forecasts and optimisation whereby both system imposed constraints i.e. fluid flow from the reservoir and surface handling constraints can be considered simultaneously.

The full benefits of the integrated simulation tools employed within industry are not fully realised due to a number of limitations; complexity of the reservoir models and hence limited usability in day to day production optimisation, overcoming the 'silo' discipline mentality that is common within interdisciplinary surveillance teams, simplification of integrated models is often in tension with accuracy and lastly, the limited capability of current tools to apply multi objective optimization analysis.

With these challenges, it can often be difficult to justify the effort and investment required to develop and deploy an integrated asset model. Despite these practical challenges, integrated asset modelling, if executed correctly can provide one of the best means of optimising production throughout field life with direct realized benefits such as extended field life and sustained production uptime.

The main objective of this research study is to understand the opportunities and limitations with the current existing industry integrated packages and develop a viable, representative alternative that is applicable for day to day surveillance and medium to long term field production optimisation. This research also aims to formally outline the drivers for integrated asset modelling followed by a review of the most common integrated asset modelling tools on the market in addition to review of the optimisation and reservoir modelling simplification methods available in literature.

An IPSM model has been constructed and benchmarked via an integrated modelling tool employed within the upstream industry. This has then been evaluated against a derived proxy model via a HDMR (High Definition Meta-modelling Representation) general purpose meta modelling tool at Imperial College London for comparison including a global sensitivity analysis of the variables selected for the model development. This mathematical proxy model is then compared against the coupling of a full physics reservoir model to the integrated field model with telling comparisons, performance and crucially results. These models (which includes an aquifer driven case) are then utilised as inputs to further optimisation studies to evaluate the impact of short term decision making on the long term decision horizon i.e. field performance.

The ultimate aim is to develop a viable alternative which incorporates aspects of secondary recovery (water and/or gas injection) and allows for short/medium term horizon analysis for improved integrated field management and hence, improved production optimization modelling capability.