With the growing pressure to optimize data value and reduce costs, operators are continually seeking better ways to maximize value from exploration and production. One effective solution is to optimize the hydraulic fracture stimulation design of a shale gas well. However, a gap of understanding exists in how completion design relates to long-term reservoir production. Our motivation is to provide the data necessary to fill in the gaps and ultimately leverage unrealized production potential and cost savings.
The inability to effectively understand the dynamic and varying production behavior of a shale gas well lies within the sparse sampling of data. One method for wellbore production monitoring combines the use of a Production Logging Tool (PLT) and analysis. As a point sensor wireline tool, a PLT is not suitable for permanent, continuous measurement across a large producing zone. At best, a wellbore is logged at a few discrete points within its production life. To improve completion design, long-term observation of inflow production behavior is required.
The OptaSense permanent well monitoring solution provides long-term Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS). It features a permanent hardware system and portal service. Field data is processed with a flow/no flow algorithm to produce a real-time cluster efficiency metric. Field data and processed data are then streamed to the portal for online viewing and downloading. The portal and data are supported by OptaSense DxS Pro software, allowing users to download and perform in-depth analysis to generate quantitative results on demand. Through this setup, real-time and long term trends of individual stages and clusters can be observed. Observation of contributing cluster performance over a long period of time demonstrates whether cluster performance is influenced by completion design. The OptaSense permanent monitoring solution shows long-term behavior of a reservoir section, including regions of diminishing influence and changing cluster response, allowing for better reservoir management. The OptaSense permanent well monitoring solution also removes the requirement for multiple field acquisitions and provides continuous data.
With a long-term monitoring solution from OptaSense, you can develop smarter completion designs that optimize field development, from improving well, stage, and perforation spacing for maximized recovery to increasing operational efficiency that saves time and money.
For more information about our permanent well monitoring solutions, contact your local sales representative.
