End-Point Model for Optimization of Multilateral Well Placement in Hydrocarbon Field Developments

Damian Janiga, Daniel Podsobiński, Paweł Wojnarowski and Jerzy Stopa
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Damian Janiga: Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Drilling, Oil and Gas, AGH University of Science and Technology, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
Daniel Podsobiński: Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Drilling, Oil and Gas, AGH University of Science and Technology, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
Paweł Wojnarowski: Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Drilling, Oil and Gas, AGH University of Science and Technology, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
Jerzy Stopa: Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Drilling, Oil and Gas, AGH University of Science and Technology, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 15, 1-24

Abstract: Drilling cost is one of the most critical aspects in the reservoir management plan. Costs may exceed a million dollars; thus, optimal designing of the well trajectory in the reservoir and completion are essential. The implementation of a multilateral well (MLW) in reservoir management has great potential to optimize oil production. The object of this study is to develop an integrated workflow of end-point multilateral well placement optimization integrated with the reservoir simulator supported by artificial intelligence (AI) methods. The paper covers various types of MLW construction, including: horizontal, bi-, tri-, and quad-lateral wells. For quad-lateral wells, the capital expenditure is highest; nevertheless, acceleration of oil production affects the project’s NPV (net present value), indicating the type of well that is most promising to implement in the reservoir. Tri- and quad-lateral wells can operate for 12.1 and 9.8 years with a constant production rate. The decreasing hydrocarbon production rate is affected by reservoir pressure and the reservoir water production rate. Other well design patterns can accelerate water production. The well’s optimal trajectory was evaluated by the genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). The major difference between the GA and PSO optimization runs is visible with respect to water production and is related to the modification of one well branch trajectory in a reservoir. The proposed methodology has the advantage of easy implementation in a closed-loop optimization system coupled with numerical reservoir simulation. The paper covers the solution background, an implementation example, and the model limitations.

Keywords: multilateral well; optimization; end-point model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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