Effective Reservoir Management with Flow Control Devices for SAGDProducer Wells in Mackay River

摘要

Inflow Control Devices (ICDs) have been adopted for commercial steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD)production for nearly ten years and yet the function they serve is not well understood, and field dataevaluating their performance remains scant. Thus, the purpose of the current study is twofold: Firstly,the study derives a simplified analytical model demonstrating how increasing the dP across ICDs acts toimprove conformance along a producing lateral. The resulting equation of the analysis acts as a simplerule of thumb for determining an appropriate pressure drop across ICDs to achieve conformance. Secondly,the study evaluates the performance of ICDs that had been installed in four wells, two of which had ICDsinstalled prior to circulation and two that adopted ICDs later in their lifecycle. The field data shows that ICDsincrease production rates and improve conformance along the lateral. These improvements are achieved byan increased drawdown facilitated by the ICDs. This part of the study highlights how early-life results maydiffer between ICD bearing wells compared to their conventionally completed (slotted liner) offsets: ICDbearing wells exhibit improved conformance and an ability to develop more challenging reservoir resultingin different oil production profiles and composite SORs.