System and method for efficient optimization of hydrocarbon-production well configuration and trajectory using performance versus drilling-cost profiles

Abstract

A method to perform a drilling operation in a field is disclosed. The method includes computing profiles of candidate wells in the field, each profile including points associated with a corresponding well, each point corresponding to a configuration and trajectory of said corresponding well and including a value pair of performance and drilling cost of said corresponding well, generating, based on the profiles, a ranking of the candidate wells, selecting, from the candidate wells and according to the ranking, selected candidate wells, selecting, from the points associated with each selected candidate well, a number of selected points, performing, for each of the number of selected points, reservoir simulation to generate simulation results, comparing the simulation results to a pre-determined criterion to generate a validated point, and performing, based on the configuration and trajectory of the validated point, the drilling operation.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method to perform a drilling operation in a field, comprising:
 computing a plurality of profiles of a plurality of candidate wells in the field, wherein each profile comprises a plurality of points associated with a corresponding well, each point corresponding to a configuration and trajectory of said corresponding well and comprises a value pair of performance and drilling cost of said corresponding well;   generating, based on the plurality of profiles, a ranking of the plurality of candidate wells;   selecting, from the plurality of candidate wells and according to the ranking, a plurality of selected candidate wells;   selecting, from the plurality of points associated with each selected candidate well, a number of selected points;   performing, for each of the number of selected points, reservoir simulation to generate a plurality of simulation results;   comparing the plurality of simulation results to a pre-determined criterion to generate a validated point; and   performing, based on the configuration and trajectory of the validated point, the drilling operation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein selecting the plurality of selected candidate wells is based on available computing resources for performing the reservoir simulation.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein computing the plurality of profiles of the plurality of candidate wells comprises:
 obtaining a search region surrounding a well entry point of a candidate well of the plurality of candidate wells;   generating, within the search region, a plurality of potential configurations and trajectories;   computing, for each of the plurality of potential configurations and trajectories, the value pair of performance and drilling cost;   selecting, from the plurality of value pairs of performance and drilling cost, a plurality of dominating points based on Pareto dominance; and   wherein the profile of the candidate well comprises the value pair of performance and drilling cost for each of the plurality of dominating points.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 ,
 wherein generating the plurality of potential configurations and trajectories is based on a pre-determined inter-well constraint.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 obtaining rock and fluid properties of the field, wherein computing the performance in the value pair is based on the reservoir and fluid properties; and   obtaining a drilling-cost model of the field, wherein computing the drilling cost in the value pair is based on the drilling-cost model.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of candidate wells is specified by a well entry point to a reservoir in the field,   wherein the configuration comprises a main bore and a number of laterals.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 ,
 wherein each of the main bore and laterals comprises a rectilinear well trajectory.   
     
     
         8 . A well configuration and trajectory analyzer to facilitate a drilling operation in a field, comprising:
 a computer processor; and   memory storing instructions, when executed by the computer processor comprising functionality for:
 computing a plurality of profiles of a plurality of candidate wells in the field, wherein each profile comprises a plurality of points associated with a corresponding well, each point corresponding to a configuration and trajectory of said corresponding well and comprises a value pair of performance and drilling cost of said corresponding well; 
 generating, based on the plurality of profiles, a ranking of the plurality of candidate wells; 
 selecting, from the plurality of candidate wells and according to the ranking, a plurality of selected candidate wells; 
 selecting, from the plurality of points associated with each selected candidate well, a number of selected points; 
 performing, for each of the number of selected points, reservoir simulation to generate a plurality of simulation results; and 
 comparing the plurality of simulation results to a pre-determined criterion to generate a validated point, 
 wherein the drilling operation is performed based on the configuration and trajectory of the validated point. 
   
     
     
         9 . The well configuration and trajectory analyzer of  claim 8 ,
 wherein selecting the plurality of selected candidate wells is based on available computing resources for performing the reservoir simulation.   
     
     
         10 . The well configuration and trajectory analyzer of  claim 8 , wherein computing the plurality of profiles of the plurality of candidate wells comprises:
 obtaining a search region surrounding a well entry point of a candidate well of the plurality of candidate wells;   generating, within the search region, a plurality of potential configurations and trajectories;   computing, for each of the plurality of potential configurations and trajectories, the value pair of performance and drilling cost;   selecting, from the plurality of value pairs of performance and drilling cost, a plurality of dominating points based on Pareto dominance; and   wherein the profile of the candidate well comprises the value pair of performance and drilling cost for each of the plurality of dominating points.   
     
     
         11 . The well configuration and trajectory analyzer of  claim 10 ,
 wherein generating the plurality of potential configurations and trajectories is based on a pre-determined inter-well constraint.   
     
     
         12 . The well configuration and trajectory analyzer of  claim 10 , the instructions, when executed by the computer processor further comprising functionality for:
 obtaining rock and fluid properties of the field, wherein computing the performance in the value pair is based on the reservoir and fluid properties; and   obtaining a drilling-cost model of the field, wherein computing the drilling cost in the value pair is based on the drilling-cost model.   
     
     
         13 . The well configuration and trajectory analyzer of  claim 8 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of candidate wells is specified by a well entry point to a reservoir in the field,   wherein the configuration comprises a main bore and a number of laterals.   
     
     
         14 . The well configuration and trajectory analyzer of  claim 13 ,
 wherein each of the main bore and laterals comprises a rectilinear well trajectory.   
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 a wellsite in a field for performing a drilling operation; and   a well configuration and trajectory analyzer comprising a computer processor and memory storing instructions, when executed by the computer processor comprising functionality for:
 computing a plurality of profiles of a plurality of candidate wells in the field, wherein each profile comprises a plurality of points associated with a corresponding well, each point corresponding to a configuration and trajectory of said corresponding well and comprises a value pair of performance and drilling cost of said corresponding well; 
 generating, based on the plurality of profiles, a ranking of the plurality of candidate wells; 
 selecting, from the plurality of candidate wells and according to the ranking, a plurality of selected candidate wells; 
 selecting, from the plurality of points associated with each selected candidate well, a number of selected points; 
 performing, for each of the number of selected points, reservoir simulation to generate a plurality of simulation results; and 
 comparing the plurality of simulation results to a pre-determined criterion to generate a validated point, 
 wherein the drilling operation is performed based on the configuration and trajectory of the validated point. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 ,
 wherein selecting the plurality of selected candidate wells is based on available computing resources for performing the reservoir simulation.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein computing the plurality of profiles of the plurality of candidate wells comprises:
 obtaining a search region surrounding a well entry point of a candidate well of the plurality of candidate wells;   generating, within the search region, a plurality of potential configurations and trajectories;   computing, for each of the plurality of potential configurations and trajectories, the value pair of performance and drilling cost;   selecting, from the plurality of value pairs of performance and drilling cost, a plurality of dominating points based on Pareto dominance; and   wherein the profile of the candidate well comprises the value pair of performance and drilling cost for each of the plurality of dominating points.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 ,
 wherein generating the plurality of potential configurations and trajectories is based on a pre-determined inter-well constraint.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , the instructions, when executed by the computer processor further comprising functionality for:
 obtaining rock and fluid properties of the field, wherein computing the performance in the value pair is based on the reservoir and fluid properties; and   obtaining a drilling-cost model of the field, wherein computing the drilling cost in the value pair is based on the drilling-cost model.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of candidate wells is specified by a well entry point to a reservoir in the field,   wherein the configuration comprises a main bore and a number of laterals.