Method and system for heat management of an oil field

Abstract

The present invention includes a method and system for heat management in an oil field, the method including the steps of, on a first time interval: determine a thermal maturity for each subsurface region associated with a pattern of oil wells in the oil field, input the thermal maturity output from step (a)(i) and determine a latent heat target and steam injection target for each subsurface region; and input the latent heat target and steam injection target output from step (a)(ii) and a subsurface region development plan and recalibrate a steam optimizer policy engine, on a second time interval: using the recalibrated steam optimizer policy engine from step (a)(iii) and operating data, determine steam injection schedules; and collect operating data; and on a third time interval: input the thermal maturity output from step (i) and perform a periodic look-back process, thereby producing deviations from latent heat targets; and input the deviations from latent heat targets from step (c)(i) and re-determine the subsurface region development plan.

1 . A method for heat managements in an oil field, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) on a first time interval:
 i) determine a thermal maturity for each subsurface region associated with a pattern of oil wells in the oil field; 
 ii) input the thermal maturity output from step (a)(i) and determine a latent heat target and steam injection target for each oil well in the subsurface region; and 
 iii) input the latent heat target and steam injection target output from step (a)(ii) and a subsurface region development plan and recalibrate a steam optimizer policy engine, 
   (b) on a second time interval:
 i) using the recalibrated steam optimizer policy engine from step (a)(iii) and operating data, determine steam injection schedules; and 
 ii) collect operating data; and 
   (c) on a third time interval:
 i) input the thermal maturity output from step (i) and perform a periodic look-back process, thereby producing deviations from latent heat targets; and 
 ii) input the deviations from latent heat targets from step (c)(i) and re-determine the subsurface region development plan. 
   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the periodic look-back process in step (c)(i) comprises comparing latent heat target and steam injection target outputs from step (a)(ii) above to collected operating data from step (b)(ii) above, calculate deviations of actual heat delivery results from scheduled heat delivery results. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the re-determined subsurface region development plan from step (c)(ii) is sufficient to overcome the latent heat target deficiencies output from step (c)(i). 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , whereby the revised subsurface region development plan from step (c)(ii) is used in step (a)(iii) upon its next execution on the first pre-determined time interval. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the collected operating data from step (b)(ii) comprises injection rates, steam generation rates, steam generation capacity production rates and water delivery capacity. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein steam injection schedules determined in step (b)(i) comprise continuous steam injection schedules and cyclic steam injection schedules. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first time interval, second time interval, and third time interval are pre-determined. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first time interval is from about nine months to fifteen months, the second time interval is from about one month to six months, and third time interval is from about one hour to one week. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first time interval is about one year, the second time interval is three months, and third time interval is about one day. 
   
   
       10 . The method for heat management in an oil field, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) on a first pre-determined time interval:
 i) determine a thermal maturity for each subsurface region associated with a pattern of oil wells in the oil field; 
 ii) input the thermal maturity output from step (a)(i) and determine a latent heat target and steam injection target for each subsurface region; and 
 iii) input the latent heat target and steam injection target output from step (a)(ii) and a subsurface region development plan and recalibrate a steam optimizer policy engine, 
   (b) on a second pre-determined time interval,
 i) using the recalibrated steam optimizer policy engine from step (a)(iii) and operating data, determine continuous and cyclic steam injection schedules; and 
 ii) collect operating data comprising injection rates, steam generation rates, steam generation capacity, production rates, and water delivery capacity; and 
   (c) on a third pre-determined time interval:
 i) input the thermal maturity output from step (i) and perform a periodic look-back process comprising comparing latent heat target and steam injection target outputs from step (ac)(ii) above to collected operating data from step (b)(ii) above and calculating deviations of actual heat delivery results from scheduled heat delivery results, and 
 ii) input the deviations from latent heat targets from step (c)(i) and re-determine the subsurface region development plan, wherein the re-determined subsurface region development plan is sufficient to overcome the latent heat target deficiencies outputs from step (c)(i). 
   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first the interval is from about nine months to fifteen months, the second time interval is from about one month to six months, and third time interval is from about one hour to one week. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first time interval is about one year, the second time interval is three months, and third time interval is about one day. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , whereby the revised subsurface region development plan from step (c)(ii) is used in step (a)(iii) upon its next execution on the first pre-determined time interval. 
   
   
       14 . A system for heat management in an oil field, the method comprising:
 (a) a CPU.   (b) a memory operatively connected to the CPU, the memory containing a program adapted to be executed by the CPU and the CPU and memory cooperatively adapted for heat management of an oil field;   (c) the program comprising a first code segment configured and adapted for, upon a first pre-determined time interval:
 i) determining a thermal maturity for each subsurface region associated with a pattern of oil welts in the, oil field; 
 ii) inputting the thermal maturity output from step (a)(i) and determining a latent heat target and steam injection target for each subsurface region, and 
 iii) inputting the latent heat target and steam injection target output from step (a)(ii) and a subsurface region development plan and recalibrate a steam optimizer policy engine, 
   (d) the program comprising a second code segment configured and adapted for, upon on a second pre-determined time interval:
 i) using the recalibrated steam optimizer policy engine from step (a)(iii) and operating data, determining steam injection schedules, and 
 ii) collecting operating data; and 
   (e) the program comprising a third code segment configured and adapted for, upon on a third pre-determined time interval:
 i) inputting the thermal maturity output from step (i) and performing a  8  periodic look-back process comprising comparing latent heat target and steam injection target outputs from step (a)(ii) above to collected operating data from step (b)(ii) above and calculating deviations of actual heat delivery results from scheduled heat delivery results; and 
 ii) inputting the deviations from latent heat targets from step (c)(i) and re-determining the subsurface region development plan, wherein the re-determined subsurface region development plan is sufficient to overcome the latent heat target deficiencies output from step (c)(i). 
   
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the periodic look-back process comprises comparing latent heat target and steam injection target outputs to collected operating data, and calculating deviations of actual heat delivery results from scheduled heat delivery results. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the re-determined subsurface region development plan is sufficient to overcome the latent heat target deficiencies. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the collected operating data comprises injection rates, steam generation rates, steam generation capacity, production rates, and water delivery capacity. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein steam injection schedules determined comprise continuous steam injection schedules and cyclic steam injection schedules. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the first time interval is from about nine months to fifteen months, the second time interval is from about one month to six months, and third time interval is from about one hour to one week. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the first time interval is about one year, the second time interval is three months and third time interval is about one day.