Granted Patent B2

US 12,584,381 · App. 17/697,163 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Inventors: Hassan Almarhoon (Al Qatif, SA); Senan Bo Khamseen (Dhahran, SA)

Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company

E21B43/00E21B41/00G06F30/27E21B2200/20

Abstract

Claims (78)

1 . A hydrocarbon reservoir production system comprising:

a production monitoring system comprising:

a well production monitoring system configured to obtain well production data for wells in a hydrocarbon reservoir, the well production data comprising measured hydrocarbon production of the wells in a first production region and wells in a second production region; and

a gas production monitoring system comprising gas production sensors configured to sense gas characteristics of hydrocarbons produced by the wells, each of the gas production sensors configured to sense a characteristic of gas produced by one or more of the wells and being associated with a first production region or a second production region, the gas production monitoring system configured to generate gas production data comprising measurements of gas characteristics sensed by the gas production sensors, each of the measurements being associated with a production region of the gas production sensor and a time of measurement, wherein the gas production sensors comprise carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) content type sensors, hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) content type sensors, and total dissolved gas content type sensors,

the gas production monitoring system configured to:

receive, by way of a user interface, user selection of modeling parameters comprising a selected region and a selected time period; and

generate, in response to receiving the selection of the modeling parameters, a set of well performance data comprising:

well production data comprising a subset of the production data for a subset of the wells (i) in the selected region and (ii) measured in the selected time period; and

gas production data comprising gas characteristics sensed by gas production sensors (i) associated with the selected region and (ii) measured in the selected time period;

a production modeling system configured to generate, based on the set of well performance data, a model of the performance of the subset of the wells located in the selected region and identify a first well having the greatest amount of sales gas contributions to production of the hydrocarbon reservoir production system and a second well having the least amount of sales gas contributions to production of the hydrocarbon reservoir production system;

a production operations system configured to regulate, based on simulation of the model, operation of one or more of the wells in the selected region, wherein regulating operation of one or more of the wells located in the selected region comprises:

determining, based on application of predicted well production data for the subset of the wells located in the selected region to the validated model, sets of predicted sales gas characteristics for the subset of the wells located in the selected region;

assessing the predicted sales gas characteristics to determine a select one of the sets of predicted sales gas characteristics that satisfies a sales gas criteria;

determining, based on determined select one of the sets of predicted sales gas characteristics, target production flowrates for the wells in the selected region and

operating the wells in the selected region in accordance with the target production flowrates by controlling valves associated with the wells.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the well production monitoring system comprises production flowrate sensors and the measured hydrocarbon production of the wells comprises measurements of flowrate of actual hydrocarbon production of the wells.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas production sensors comprise different types of gas production sensors, wherein the modeling parameters comprise a selection of one or more of the different types of gas production sensors, and wherein the gas production data comprises gas characteristics sensed by gas production sensors (i) associated with the selected region, (ii) measured in the selected time period, and (iii) of a type of gas production sensor selected.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the modeling parameters comprise a selection of one or more of the CO 2 content type sensors, H 2 S content type sensors, and total dissolved gas content type sensors.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the generation of the model comprises:

dividing the set of well performance data into:

a training dataset;

a validation dataset; and

a testing dataset;

generating, using the training dataset, trained models of the performance of the subset of the wells located in the selected region, the models configured to determine predicted sales gas characteristics for the selected region based on production characteristics of the wells located in the selected region;

conducting, by applying the validation dataset to the trained models, a validation operation to select one of the trained models as a validated model; and

conducting, by applying the testing dataset to the validated model, a verification operation to verify accuracy of the validated model.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sales gas criteria comprises a lowest CO 2 , H 2 S or total dissolved gas (TDG) content or a corresponding threshold value for CO 2 , H 2 S or total dissolved gas (TDG) content.

7 . A method of producing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon reservoir, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a well production monitoring system, well production data for wells in a hydrocarbon reservoir, the well production data comprising measured hydrocarbon production of the wells in a first production region and wells in a second production region;

sensing, by production sensors of a gas production monitoring system, gas characteristics of hydrocarbons produced by the wells, each of the gas production sensors sensing a characteristic of gas produced by one or more of the wells and being associated with a first production region or a second production region,

generating, by the gas production monitoring system, gas production data comprising measurements of gas characteristics sensed by the gas production sensors, each of the measurements by a gas production sensor being associated with a production region of the gas production sensor and a time of measurement, wherein the gas production sensors comprise carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) content type sensors, hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) content type sensors, and total dissolved gas content type sensors;

receiving, by way of a user interface of a production monitoring system, user selection of modeling parameters comprising a selected region and a selected time period; and

generating, in response to receiving the selection of the modeling parameters, a set of well performance data comprising:

well production data comprising a subset of the production data for a subset of the wells (i) in the selected region and (ii) measured in the selected time period; and

gas production data comprising gas characteristics sensed by gas production sensors (i) associated with the selected region and (ii) measured in the selected time period;

generating, by a production modeling system and based on the set of well performance data, a model of the performance of the subset of the wells located in the selected region;

identifying, by a production modeling system and based on the model, a first well having the greatest amount of sales gas contributions to production of the hydrocarbon reservoir production system and a second well having the least amount of sales gas contributions to production of the hydrocarbon reservoir production system;

regulating, by a production operations system and based on simulation of the model, operation of one or more of the wells in the selected region, wherein regulating operation of one or more of the wells located in the selected region comprises:

determining, based on application of predicted well production data for the subset of the wells located in the selected region to the validated model, sets of predicted sales gas characteristics for the subset of the wells located in the selected region;

assessing the sales gas characteristics to determine a select one of the sets of predicted sales gas characteristics that satisfies a sales gas criteria;

determining, based on determined select one of the sets of predicted sales gas characteristics, target production flowrates for the wells in the selected region and

operating the wells in the selected region in accordance with the target production flowrates by controlling valves associated with the wells.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the well production monitoring system comprises production flowrate sensors and the measured hydrocarbon production of the wells comprises measurements of flowrate of actual hydrocarbon production of the wells.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the gas production sensors comprise different types of gas production sensors, wherein the modeling parameters comprise a selection of one or more of the different types of gas production sensors, and wherein the gas production data comprises gas characteristics sensed by gas production sensors (i) associated with the selected region, (ii) measured in the selected time period, and (iii) of a type of gas production sensor selected.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the modeling parameters comprise a selection of one or more of the CO 2 content type sensors, H 2 S content type sensors, and total dissolved gas content type sensors.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the generation of the model comprises:

dividing the set of well performance data into:

a training dataset;

a validation dataset; and

a testing dataset;

generating, using the training dataset, trained models of the performance of the subset of the wells located in the selected region, the models configured to determine predicted sales gas characteristics for the selected region based on production characteristics of the wells located in the selected region;

conducting, by applying the validation dataset to the trained models, a validation operation to select one of the trained models as a validated model; and

conducting, by applying the testing dataset to the validated model, a verification operation to verify accuracy of the validated model.

12 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to perform the following operations for producing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon reservoir:

obtaining, by a well production monitoring system, well production data for wells in a hydrocarbon reservoir, the well production data comprising measured hydrocarbon production of the wells in a first production region and wells in a second production region;

sensing, by way of production sensors of a gas production monitoring system, gas characteristics of hydrocarbons produced by the wells, each of the gas production sensors sensing a characteristic of gas produced by one or more of the wells and being associated with a first production region or a second production region,

generating, by the gas production monitoring system, gas production data comprising measurements of gas characteristics sensed by the gas production sensors, each of the measurements by a gas production sensor being associated with a production region of the gas production sensor and a time of measurement, wherein the gas production sensors comprise carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) content type sensors, hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) content type sensors, and total dissolved gas content type sensors;

receiving, by way of a user interface of a production monitoring system, user selection of modeling parameters comprising a selected region and a selected time period; and

generating, in response to receiving the selection of the modeling parameters, a set of well performance data comprising:

well production data comprising a subset of the production data for a subset of the wells (i) in the selected region and (ii) measured in the selected time period; and

gas production data comprising gas characteristics sensed by gas production sensors (i) associated with the selected region and (ii) measured in the selected time period;

generating, by a production modeling system and based on the set of well performance data, a model of the performance of the subset of the wells located in the selected region;

identifying, by a production modeling system and based on the model, a first well having the greatest amount of sales gas contributions to production of the hydrocarbon reservoir production system and a second well having the least amount of sales gas contributions to production of the hydrocarbon reservoir production system;

regulating, by a production operations system and based on simulation of the model, operation of one or more of the wells in the selected region, wherein regulating operation of one or more of the wells located in the selected region comprises:

determining, based on application of predicted well production data for the subset of the wells located in the selected region to the model, sets of predicted sales gas characteristics for the subset of the wells located in the selected region;

assessing the sales gas characteristics to determine a select one of the sets of predicted sales gas characteristics that satisfies a sales gas criteria;

determining, based on determined select one of the sets of predicted sales gas characteristics, target production flowrates for the wells in the selected region and

operating the wells in the selected region in accordance with the target production flowrates by controlling valves associated with the wells.

13 . The medium of claim 12 , wherein the well production monitoring system comprises production flowrate sensors and the measured hydrocarbon production of the wells comprises measurements of flowrate of actual hydrocarbon production of the wells.

14 . The medium of claim 12 , wherein the gas production sensors comprise different types of gas production sensors, wherein the modeling parameters comprise a selection of one or more of the different types of gas production sensors, and wherein the gas production data comprises gas characteristics sensed by gas production sensors (i) associated with the selected region, (ii) measured in the selected time period, and (iii) of a type of gas production sensor selected.

15 . The medium of claim 12 , wherein the generation of the model comprises:

dividing the set of well performance data into:

a training dataset;

a validation dataset; and

a testing dataset;

generating, using the training dataset, trained models of the performance of the subset of the wells located in the selected region, the models configured to determine predicted sales gas characteristics for the selected region based on production characteristics of the wells located in the selected region;

conducting, by applying the validation dataset to the trained models, a validation operation to select one of the trained models as a validated model; and

conducting, by applying the testing dataset to the validated model, a verification operation to verify accuracy of the validated model.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (34)