Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090205819 | Well Modeling Associated With Extraction of Hydrocarbons From Subsurface Formations - A method and apparatus associated with various phases of a well completion. In one embodiment, a method is described that includes identifying failure modes for a well completion. At least one technical limit associated with each of the failure modes is obtained. Then, an objective function for the well completion is formulated. Then, the objective function is solved to create a well performance limit. | 08-20-2009 |
20090216508 | Well Modeling Associated With Extraction of Hydrocarbons From Subsurface Formations - A method and apparatus for associated with various phases of a well completion. In one embodiment, a method is described that includes identifying first principle physical laws governing performance of a well completion and parameters associated with the first principle physical laws or the well. A coupled physics simulator is selected based on the first principle physical laws. Then, a coupled physics limit is generated based upon the coupled physics simulator that incorporates the first principle physical laws and the parameters. | 08-27-2009 |
20090240478 | Earth Stress Analysis Method For Hydrocarbon Recovery - A method and apparatus for systematic, transient analysis method for determining the formation effective displacement, stress and excess pore pressure field quantities at any depth within a stratified subterranean formation resulting from the subsurface injection and/or withdrawal of pressurized fluids are provided. | 09-24-2009 |
20090292516 | Earth Stress Management and Control Process For Hydrocarbon Recovery - A method for controlling hydrocarbon recovery to improve well interactions while preventing excessive strain or stress-induced well deformations and mechanical failures is described. The method incorporates a systematic, transient analysis process for determining the formation effective displacement, stress and excess pore pressure field quantities at any depth within a stratified subterranean formation resulting from the subsurface injection and/or withdrawal of pressurized fluids. | 11-26-2009 |
20100004906 | Fluid Injection Management Method For Hydrocarbon Recovery - A method for controlling fluid injection parameters to improve well interactions and control hydrofracture geometries is provided. The method incorporates a systematic, transient analysis process for determining the formation effective displacement, stress and excess pore pressure field quantities at any depth within a stratified subterranean formation resulting from the subsurface injection of pressurized fluids. | 01-07-2010 |
20100191511 | Method For Multi-Scale Geomechanical Model Analysis By Computer Simulation - A method of predicting earth stresses in response to changes in a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir within a geomechanical system includes establishing physical boundaries for the geomechanical system, acquiring logging data from wells drilled, and acquiring seismic data for one or more rock layers. The well and seismic data are automatically converted into a three-dimensional digital representation of one or more rock layers within the geomechanical system, thereby creating data points defining a three-dimensional geological structure. The method also includes (a) applying the data points from the geological structure to derive a finite element-based geomechanical model, and (b) initializing a geostatic condition in the geomechanical model, and then running a geomechanics simulation in order to determine changes in earth stresses associated with changes in pore pressure or other reservoir characteristics within the one or more rock layers. | 07-29-2010 |
20100299111 | Well Modeling Associated With Extraction of Hydrocarbons From Subsurface Formations - A method and apparatus for producing hydrocarbons is described. In the method, a failure mode for a well completion is identified. A numerical engineering model to describe an event that results in the failure mode is constructed. The numerical engineering model is converted into a response surface. Then, the response surface is associated with a user tool configured to provide the response surface for analysis of another well. | 11-25-2010 |
20110162848 | Fluid Injection Completion Techniques - Methods for injecting a fluid into a subsurface formation are provided. Each of the methods includes the obtaining data, including formation parameters and operational variables, related to an injection well. A regime of operation for the injection well is determined. The regime of operation is determined using a heuristic model. In one aspect, one or more operational variables, including completion design, reservoir development procedures, and/or injection procedures, is designed based at least in part on the determined regime of operation. Water or other fluid may then be injected into the subsurface formation. The step of determining the regime of operation for the injection well may use a full physics computational simulation to construct a mathematical model that can estimate the operating regime for the water injection well. Alternatively or in addition, field data may be used. | 07-07-2011 |