Simulation of Heavy Oil Production using Smart Wells

Abstract

The application of long horizontal wells, especially in heavy oil reservoirs with a water drive, is associated with some challenges including the early breakthrough of water into the well. To solve this challenge, smart horizontal wells completed with downhole flow control devices (FCDs) and zonal isolation are widely used today. Therefore, evaluating the functionality of different types of FCDs in reducing water cut is necessary to achieve a successful design of smart wells for heavy oil production. In this paper, heavy oil production from smart wells completed with the main types of FCDs is modeled and simulated through a case study. According to the obtained results, compared to conventional wells, by using smart wells more oil and at the same time, less water can be produced from heavy oil reservoirs. Besides, in comparison with ICDs, AICDs and AICVs have better functionality in improving oil recovery and reducing water cut. It can also be concluded that among the main types of FCDs, AICVs have the best performance in achieving cost-effective heavy oil production.