Well production optimization using hyperspectral imaging
Methods and systems are provided for optimizing bitumen production from a plurality of wells employing steam-based recovery techniques such as SAGD, using hyperspectral imaging of produced emulsion samples to estimate total bitumen content at each well as a means of determining steam injection adjustment to enhance production.
1. A method for optimizing production of hydrocarbon from a plurality of steam-assisted gravity drainage well-pairs, each well-pair comprising an injector well and a producer well, the method comprising:
injecting steam into a subsurface reservoir through the respective injector wells of the plurality of well-pairs;
allowing the injected steam to mobilize hydrocarbon in the reservoir and generate a producible emulsion;
producing the emulsion through the respective producer wells of the plurality of well-pairs;
obtaining a plurality of samples of the emulsions produced from the respective producer wells of the plurality of well-pairs;
measuring reflectance spectral data for each one of the plurality of samples;
estimating bitumen content for each one of the plurality of samples based on the reflectance spectral data; and
adjusting steam injection through at least one injector well of the plurality of well-pairs based on the estimated bitumen content for each one of the plurality of samples such that well-pairs with higher estimated bitumen content receive increased steam volume in a subsequent steam injection;
wherein a total volume of steam is made available for injection through the injector wells; and
wherein the step of adjusting the steam injection comprises directing a larger percentage of the total volume of steam to the well-pairs with the higher estimated bitumen content in the subsequent steam injection.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the emulsion is an oil-water emulsion.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the respective injector wells of the plurality of well-pairs are initially provided with a same volume of steam.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
each one of the well-pairs originates at a well pad, and each of the samples is obtained at the well pad of the corresponding well-pair.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the emulsion from at least one well-pair is piped to a central processing facility for mixing with the emulsion from other well-pairs after sampling at the corresponding well pad.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
repeating the operations of the method at least one time to adjust steam injection through the injector wells of the plurality of well-pairs over time.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the estimating of bitumen content for each one of the plurality of samples uses a calibration model based on measurements of control samples.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the measurements of the control samples comprises Dean-Stark measurements of total bitumen content in each of the control samples and measuring reflectance spectral data of each of the control samples.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the Dean-Stark measurements and the reflectance spectra for the control samples is incorporated into the calibration model using Gaussian fitting and wavelet analysis.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the reflectance spectral data is measured using a spectrometer.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the spectrometer is an Analytical Spectral Device Fieldspec FR spectrometer or hyperspectral sensor.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the adjusting steam injection through at least one injector well of the plurality of well-pairs is configured such that at least one well-pair with higher estimated bitumen content receives increased steam volume in a subsequent steam injection based on sorting the well-pairs according to estimated bitumen content.
13. A method for optimizing production of hydrocarbon from a plurality of steam-assisted gravity drainage well-pairs, each well-pair comprising an injector well and a producer well, the method comprising the steps of:
injecting steam at an injection rate into a subsurface reservoir through the respective injector wells of the plurality of well-pairs;
allowing the injected steam to mobilize hydrocarbon in the reservoir and generate a producible emulsion;
producing the emulsion through the respective producer wells of the plurality of well-pairs;
obtaining a plurality of samples of the emulsions produced from the respective producer wells of the plurality of well-pairs;
measuring reflectance spectral data for each one of the plurality of samples;
estimating bitumen content for each one of the plurality of samples based on the reflectance spectral data; and
adjusting rate of steam injection through at least one injector well of the plurality of well-pairs based on the estimated bitumen content for each one of the plurality of samples such that well-pairs with higher estimated bitumen content receive steam at an increased rate in a subsequent steam injection;
wherein the steam is constantly generated and made available for injection through the injector wells; and
wherein the step of adjusting the steam injection rate comprises increasing the steam injection rate to the well-pairs with the higher estimated bitumen content in the subsequent steam injection.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the emulsion is an oil-water emulsion.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the respective injector wells of the plurality of well-pairs are initially provided with steam at the same injection rate.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
each one of the well-pairs originates at a well pad, and each of the samples is obtained at the well pad of the respective well-pair.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the emulsion from at least one of the well-pairs is piped to a central processing facility for mixing with the emulsion from the other well-pairs after sampling at the well pad.
18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
repeating the operations of the method at least one time to adjust rate of steam injection through the injector wells of the plurality of well-pairs over time.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the estimating of bitumen content for each one of the plurality of samples uses a calibration model based on measurements of control samples.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein:
the measurements of the control samples comprises Dean-Stark measurements of total bitumen content in each of the control samples and measuring reflectance spectral data of each of the control samples.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein:
the Dean-Stark measurements and the reflectance spectra for the control samples is incorporated into the calibration model using Gaussian fitting and wavelet analysis.
22. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the reflectance spectral data is measured using a spectrometer.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein:
the spectrometer is an Analytical Spectral Device Fieldspec FR spectrometer or hyperspectral sensor.
24. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the adjusting the rate of steam injection through at least one injector well of the plurality of well-pairs is configured such that at least one well-pair with higher estimated bitumen content receives increased steam injection rate in the subsequent steam injection based on sorting the well-pairs according to estimated bitumen content.