Well metering using dynamic choke flow correlation

Abstract

A system for, and method of, well metering a target well based on empirical operational parameter values for the target well is presented. The techniques include: obtaining a well-test data set, the well-test data set including field measurements of a well-test flow rate and well-test operational parameter values for at least one test well; performing, based on the well-test data set, a meta-heuristic estimation of a plurality of coefficient values in a correlation, where the correlation correlates liquid flow rate with operational parameters; measuring empirical operational parameter values for the target well; determining a liquid flow rate value of the target well based on the empirical operational parameter values for the target well and using the correlation with the plurality of coefficient values; and providing the liquid flow rate value.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of well metering a target well based on empirical operational parameter values for the target well, the method comprising:
 obtaining a well-test data set, the well-test data set comprising field measurements of a well-test flow rate and well-test operational parameter values for at least one test well;   performing, based on the well-test data set, a meta-heuristic estimation of a plurality of coefficient values in a correlation, wherein the correlation correlates liquid flow rate with operational parameters;   measuring empirical operational parameter values for the target well;   determining a liquid flow rate value of the target well based on the empirical operational parameter values for the target well and using the correlation with the plurality of coefficient values; and   providing the liquid flow rate value.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the liquid flow rate value of the target well can be improved based on the liquid flow rate value and a past liquid flow rate value of the target well; and   improving the liquid flow rate of the target well.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the improving comprises adjusting at least one of:
 a choke size of the target well,   a pump stroke rate for the target well,   a gas injection rate for the target well, or   a pump revolution per minute for the target well.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the empirical operational parameter values for the target well comprise a value for: a choke size for the target well, a wellhead pressure of the target well, and a gas-liquid ratio for the target well. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the meta-heuristic estimation is based on a particle swarm optimization. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the particle swarm optimization comprises a pre-specified: Gilbert particle, Ros particle, Baxendell particle, or Achong particle. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the particle swarm optimization comprises a time factor that provides a higher influence on the coefficients by newer well-test data of the well-test data set relative to a lower influence on the coefficients by older well-test data of the well-test data set. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the correlation is of a form: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 q 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     1 
                     
                       A 
                       1 
                     
                   
                   × 
                   
                     
                       
                         P 
                         wh 
                       
                       ⁢ 
                       
                         D 
                         
                           A 
                           3 
                         
                       
                     
                     
                       R 
                       
                         A 
                         2 
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         where q represents the liquid flow rate, P wh  represents a wellhead pressure, P wh  represents a choke size, R represents a gas-liquid ratio, and A 1 , A 2 , and A 3  represent the coefficients. 
       
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the test well comprises the target well. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 identifying the target well as a well-test candidate based on a difference between the liquid flow rate value and the well-test flow rate exceeding a predefined threshold.   
     
     
         11 . A method of well metering a target well based on empirical operational parameter values for the target well without contemporaneous use of a wellhead flowmeter at the target well, the method comprising:
 obtaining a well-test data set, wherein the well-test data set comprises field measurements of a well-test flow rate for a test well, wherein the well-test data set further comprises well-test operational parameter values for the test well, wherein the operational parameter values for the test well comprise a value for: a choke size for the test well, a wellhead pressure of the test well, and a gas-liquid ratio for the test well;   performing, based on the well-test data set, a meta-heuristic estimation of a plurality of coefficient values in a correlation, wherein the meta-heuristic estimation solves for the plurality of coefficient values in a multidimensional vector space using a swarm of particles in the multidimensional vector space, wherein a position of a particle in the swarm of particles represents potential values of the coefficients, wherein the correlation correlates liquid flow rate with operational parameters;   measuring empirical operational parameter values for the target well, wherein the empirical operational parameter values for the target well comprise a value for: a choke size for the target well, a wellhead pressure of the target well, and a gas-liquid ratio for the target well;   determining a liquid flow rate value of the target well based on the empirical operational parameter values for the target well and using the correlation with the plurality of coefficient values; and   providing the liquid flow rate value.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining that the liquid flow rate of the target well can be improved based on the liquid flow rate value and a past liquid flow rate value of the target well; and   improving the liquid flow rate of the target well, wherein the improving comprises automatically adjusting at least one of:   a choke size of the target well,   a pump stroke rate for the target well,   a gas injection rate for the target well, or   a pump revolution per minute for the target well.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the correlation is of a form: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 q 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     1 
                     
                       A 
                       1 
                     
                   
                   × 
                   
                     
                       
                         P 
                         wh 
                       
                       ⁢ 
                       
                         D 
                         
                           A 
                           3 
                         
                       
                     
                     
                       R 
                       
                         A 
                         2 
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         where q represents the liquid flow rate, P wh  represents a wellhead pressure, P wh  represents a choke size, R represents a gas-liquid ratio, and A 1 , A 2 , and A 3  represent the coefficients. 
       
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the performing occurs periodically, on demand, or upon the occurrence of specified events. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the test well comprises the target well, the method further comprising:
 identifying the target well as a well-test candidate based on a difference between the liquid flow rate value and the well-test flow rate exceeding a predefined threshold.   
     
     
         16 . A method of well metering a target well based on empirical operational parameter values for the target well without contemporaneous use of a wellhead flowmeter at the target well, the method comprising:
 obtaining a well-test data set, wherein the well-test data set comprises field measurements of a well-test flow rate for a test well, wherein the well-test data set further comprises well-test operational parameter values for the test well, wherein the operational parameter values for the test well comprise a value for: a choke size for the test well, a wellhead pressure of the test well, and a gas-liquid ratio for the test well;   performing, periodically, on demand, or upon the occurrence of specified events, and based on the well-test data set, a meta-heuristic estimation of a plurality of coefficient values in a correlation, wherein the meta-heuristic estimation solves for the plurality of coefficient values in a multidimensional vector space using a swarm of particles in the multidimensional vector space, wherein a position of a particle in the swarm of particles represents potential values of the coefficients, wherein the correlation correlates liquid flow rate with operational parameters, and wherein the correlation is of a form:   
       
         
           
             
               
                 q 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     1 
                     
                       A 
                       1 
                     
                   
                   × 
                   
                     
                       
                         P 
                         wh 
                       
                       ⁢ 
                       
                         D 
                         
                           A 
                           3 
                         
                       
                     
                     
                       R 
                       
                         A 
                         2 
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
       
       where q represents the liquid flow rate, P wh  represents a wellhead pressure, P wh  represents a choke size, R represents a gas-liquid ratio, and A 1 , A 2 , and A 3  represent the coefficients;
 measuring empirical operational parameter values for the target well, wherein the empirical operational parameter values for the target well comprise a value for: a choke size for the target well, a wellhead pressure of the target well, and a gas-liquid ratio for the target well; 
 determining a liquid flow rate value of the target well based on the empirical operational parameter values for the target well and using the correlation with the plurality of coefficient values; and 
 providing the liquid flow rate value to a production optimization system, wherein the production optimization system comprises hardware that automatically adjusts at least one of: a choke size, a pump stroke rate, gas injection rate, or a pump revolution rate. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining that the liquid flow rate of the target well can be improved based on the liquid flow rate value and a past liquid flow rate value of the target well; and   improving the liquid flow rate of the target well, wherein the improving comprises automatically adjusting, by the production optimization system, at least one of:   a choke size of the target well,   a pump stroke rate for the target well,   a gas injection rate for the target well, or   a pump revolution per minute for the target well.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the meta-heuristic estimation comprises a time factor that provides a higher influence on the coefficients by newer well-test data of the well-test data set relative to a lower influence on the coefficients by older well-test data of the well-test data set. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the meta-heuristic estimation comprises an iteration, wherein a step in the iteration comprises a respective particle in the swarm of particles moving in a direction defined by a function of both a history of the respective particle and a collective behavior of the swarm of particles. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the test well comprises the target well, the method further comprising:
 identifying the target well as a well-test candidate based on a difference between the liquid flow rate value and the well-test flow rate exceeding a predefined threshold.