Intelligent water flood regulation

Abstract

A technique facilitates remote monitoring and control of water flood regulator assemblies from a surface location, or other remote location, and for at least one zone in a well. For each zone, a regulator assembly comprising a regulator is deployed and is adjustable to enable regulation of a flow of water into a corresponding water flood injection zone. A control system is operatively coupled with the assembly to enable selective adjustment of the assembly for regulation of the water flow rate without employing intervention operations. In some applications, the surface controlled intelligent water flood regulator provides real time injection point flow information and enables real time adjustment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for flow control in a water flood injection well, comprising:
 a downhole water flood regulator assembly having:
 a regulator disposed downhole to provide a flow of water into a water flood injection zone; 
 a sensor for detecting the flow rate through the regulator; and 
 a mechanism for controlling the flow rate through the regulator; and 
   a surface control system which receives data from the sensor and sends command signals to the mechanism to adjust the flow rate.   
     
     
         2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the downhole water flood regulator assembly further comprises a power storage device located downhole proximate the regulator. 
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the downhole water flood regulator assembly further comprises a power generator for supplying power to the power storage device. 
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the power generator generates power by utilizing oscillations of a permanent magnet through a coil. 
     
     
         5 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a thermal flow sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the downhole water flood regulator assembly comprises a plurality of downhole water flood regulator assemblies disposed along a tool string in a wellbore. 
     
     
         7 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the sensor and the mechanism operate in real time to enable real time adjustment of flow rates into the water flood injection zone. 
     
     
         8 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the regulator is received in a side pocket mandrel disposed along the tool string. 
     
     
         9 . The system as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising a telemetry system having repeaters disposed along the tool string for carrying data uphole and command signals downhole. 
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 deploying a water flood regulator into a water flood injection well;   injecting water into a surrounding reservoir via the water flood regulator;   monitoring a flow rate of the water through the water flood regulator with a sensor;   sending data related to the flow rate to a surface control system;   processing the data to determine whether the flow rate should be adjusted; and   sending control signals downhole to the water flood regulator to adjust the flow rate of water flowing into the surrounding reservoir.   
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein deploying comprises deploying a plurality of water flood regulators along a tool string positioned in a wellbore. 
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein monitoring the flow rate comprises monitoring a plurality of parameters with a plurality of sensors. 
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein sending data and control signals comprises using a wireless telemetry system to transmit the data and the control signals along a wellbore. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein processing the data comprises processing the data in real time. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein sending comprises sending control signals in real time to adjust the flow rate. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein sending comprises sending control signals to adjust an orifice size or to shift a tube so as to change the flow rate. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein deploying comprises deploying the water flood regulator into a side pocket mandrel. 
     
     
         18 . A system, comprising:
 a tool string deployed in a water flood injection well, the tool string having a plurality of regulator assemblies which are adjustable to regulate flow of water into corresponding water flood injection zones; and   a control system operatively coupled with the plurality of regulator assemblies to selectively adjust individual regulator assemblies of the plurality of regulator assemblies, thus regulating the flow rate of water into each corresponding water flood injection zone during a water flood injection operation.   
     
     
         19 . The system as recited in  claim 18 , wherein each regulator assembly comprises a regulator and a sensor positioned to monitor flow rate through the regulator. 
     
     
         20 . The system as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the control system is a surface control system.