Hydrocarbon production by fluidically isolating vertical regions of formations

Abstract

Techniques of hydrocarbon production by fluidically isolating vertical regions of formation are described. A subterranean zone entrapping hydrocarbons includes multiple vertically arranged regions. Each region has a respective permeability for fluid flow. An open production well to produce the hydrocarbons and an open injection well to aid hydrocarbon production are formed in the subterranean zone through the multiple vertically arranged regions. At each of the production well and the injection well, the vertically arranged regions are fluidically isolated from each other. Injection fluid injected through the injection well into a fluidically isolated region is substantially confined to flow in the fluidically isolated region. A flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region is controlled to control a recovery of hydrocarbons trapped in each fluidically isolated region.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 in a subterranean zone entrapping hydrocarbons, the subterranean zone comprising multiple vertically arranged regions, each region having a respective permeability for fluid flow, an open production well to produce the hydrocarbons and an open injection well to aid hydrocarbon production formed in the subterranean zone through the multiple vertically arranged regions:
 at each of the production well and the injection well, fluidically isolating the vertically arranged regions from each other, wherein injection fluid injected through the injection well into a fluidically isolated region is substantially confined to flow in the fluidically isolated region; and 
 controlling a flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region to control a recovery of hydrocarbons trapped in each fluidically isolated region. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the multiple vertically arranged regions comprise a first region, a second region, and a third region vertically arranged in that sequence, wherein a permeability of the first region is more than a permeability of the second region and less than a permeability of the third region, wherein fluidically isolating the vertically arranged regions from each other comprises:
 lowering an injection tubing into the injection well, the injection tubing extending from a surface of the subterranean zone through the first region, the second region and the third region; and   installing a first packer around the injection tubing in an annulus between the injection well and the subterranean zone and at a location of the second region, the first packer having at least a thickness of the second region.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein controlling the flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region to control the recovery of the hydrocarbons trapped in each fluidically isolated region comprises:
 installing a first valve in a portion of the injection tubing residing in the first region and a second valve in a portion of the injection tubing residing in the third region; and   controlling the flow of the injection fluid into the first region and the third region by controlling the first valve and the second valve, respectively.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 installing a first sensor in the portion of the injection tubing residing in the first region, the first sensor configured to sense a fluid parameter of the injection fluid flowed through the portion of the injection tubing, wherein the flow of the injection fluid into the first region is controlled based on the fluid parameter sensed using the first sensor.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first sensor comprises a pressure sensor or a flow meter. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 lowering a production tubing into the production well, the production tubing extending from a surface of the subterranean zone through the first region, the second region and the third region; and   installing a second packer around the production tubing in an annulus between the production well and the subterranean zone and at a location of the second region, the second packer having at least a thickness of the second region.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 installing a second sensor in the portion of the injection tubing residing in the first region, the second sensor configured to sense a temperature of the injection fluid flowed through the injection tubing, wherein the flow of the injection fluid through the first region is controlled based on the temperature sensed using the second sensor.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second sensor comprises a pressure sensor or a flow meter. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising controlling the flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region based on determining breakthrough of injection fluid from the injection well into the production well. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein controlling the flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region based on determining breakthrough of the injection fluid from the injection well into the production well comprises:
 detecting breakthrough of the injection fluid into a region of the subterranean zone in which the production well resides;   shutting in the production well at the surface; and   shutting off injection fluid flow into the region of the subterranean zone in which the injection well resides.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising controlling the flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region based on determining cross flow from a high permeability region to a low permeability region that is fluidically isolated from the high permeability region. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein controlling the flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region based on determining cross flow from a high permeability region to a low permeability region comprises, in response to determining the cross flow from the high permeability region to the low permeability region, shutting off injection fluid flow into the high permeability region. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising detecting the cross flow using a sensor. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 forming a production well in a subterranean zone comprising multiple vertically arranged regions, each having a respective permeability for fluid flow, the production well extending through the multiple regions;   forming an injection well in the subterranean zone to aid hydrocarbon production through the production well, the injection well extending through the multiple regions;   at each of the production well and the injection well, fluidically isolating the vertically arranged regions from each other, wherein injection fluid injected through the injection well into a fluidically isolated region is substantially confined to flow in the fluidically isolated region; and   controlling a flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region to control a recovery of hydrocarbons trapped in each fluidically isolated region.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising controlling the flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region based on determining breakthrough of injection fluid from the injection well into the production well. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein controlling the flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region based on determining breakthrough of the injection fluid from the injection well into the production well comprises:
 detecting breakthrough of the injection fluid into a region of the subterranean zone in which the production well resides;   shutting in the production well at the surface; and   shutting off injection fluid flow into the region of the subterranean zone in which the injection well resides.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising controlling the flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region based on determining cross flow from a high permeability region to a low permeability region that is fluidically isolated from the high permeability region. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein controlling the flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region based on determining cross flow from a high permeability region to a low permeability region comprises, in response to determining the cross flow from the high permeability region to the low permeability region, shutting off injection fluid flow into the high permeability region. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 in a subterranean zone entrapping hydrocarbons, the subterranean zone comprising a first region, a second region, and a third region vertically arranged in that sequence, wherein a permeability of the first region is more than a permeability of the second region and less than a permeability of the third region, an open production well to produce the hydrocarbons and an open injection well to aid hydrocarbon production formed in the subterranean zone through the three regions:
 at each of the production well and the injection well, fluidically isolating the first region from the third region, wherein injection fluid injected through the injection well into the first region is substantially confined to flow in the first region and not the third region, and vice versa; and 
 controlling a flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region to control a recovery of hydrocarbons trapped in each fluidically isolated region. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein fluidically isolating the first region from the third region comprises:
 lowering an injection tubing into the injection well, the injection tubing extending from a surface of the subterranean zone through the first region, the second region and the third region; and   installing a first packer around the injection tubing in an annulus between the injection well and the subterranean zone and at a location of the second region, the first packer having at least a thickness of the second region, and   wherein controlling the flow of the injection fluid into each fluidically isolated region to control the recovery of the hydrocarbons trapped in each fluidically isolated region comprises:
 installing a first valve in a portion of the injection tubing residing in the first region and a second valve in a portion of the injection tubing residing in the third region; and 
 controlling the flow of the injection fluid into the first region and the third region by controlling the first valve and the second valve, respectively.