FFOR SEVERAL YEARS, leading oilfield services providerSchlumberger has been working with Saudi Aramco to help theSaudi Arabian national oil company realise the full potential ofintelligent completions. Schlumberger defines the role of

intelligent completions thus: “Intelligent completions obtain downholepressure and temperature data in real time to identify problems in thereservoir or wellbore and optimize production without costly wellintervention”.

Initial costs for intelligent completions tend to be higher thantraditional completions. However, both Saudi Aramco and Schlumbergerare learning that excellent return on investment can be achieved throughoptimised production, improved reservoir recovery and mitigation of costlyproblems like water breakthrough – and that intelligent completions canplay a major part in achieving these goals.

In fact these were the goals underlying the use of intelligentcompletion in the project discussed here. In this example, slim intelligentcompletions were installed in expandable liners for multilateral maximumreservoir contact (MRC) workover wells in the Shaybah Field in SaudiArabia's Rub’al-Khali desert – the Empty Quarter.

The completion design in this case includes: a fully hydraulic tubing-retrievable advanced completion system with variable-position flowcontrol valves; remote control completions technology implementedthrough a SCADA system and operated from a site 20-km from the well; adigital downhole temperature and pressure monitoring system; andreservoir monitoring.

The variable-position flow control valves allow individual testing ofeach lateral, and allocation of production rates to optimize each lateral’scontribution and overall commingled well rate. Along with real-timemonitoring, well production rates can be sustained and extended bytimely reaction to changes in reservoir or well conditions.

The variable-position flow control valves also help to delay early waterbreakthrough thereby increasing the recovery factor. Monitoring flowpressure in real time means wells can be operated at optimum rate, abovebubblepoint pressure, to maintain gas pressure and ensure optimum oilrecovery. Ultimately intelligent completions will limit the water handlingat the surface and minimise future intervention and operatingexpenditures, while increasing the recovery factor for these MRC wells.

Because of the added expense and complexity, it is paramount thatthese completions be installed and that they operate correctly the firsttime, every time.

Quality, reliability and safety are always explicit goals. Many factorscontribute to the successful installation and operation of intelligentcompletions; these are discussed below. In the event, the project teamencountered no issues that affected the safe and successful installation of

these intelligent completions. As for the field in which these intelligent completions were employed,

the Shaybah Field, which was discovered in 1968 and brought intoproduction in 1998, is approximately 13-km wide and 64-km long. Thesurface terrain includes salt flat areas known as sabkhahs andmountainous sand dunes up to 200 m high.

The oil in the Sha’aiba formation is Arab Extra Light with an averageAPI of 42° and a solution gas-oil-ratio (GOR) of 750 scf/stb. Matrixporosity is generally high, with an average of 25 per cent, and does notvary laterally. Permeability is facies dependent and exhibits some spatialvariability. Typical permeabilities in the area of the case study well rangefrom 5 to 10 mD. The reservoir has a large overlying gas cap and arelatively weak aquifer.

As for well design and equipment, extended reach horizontal wellswere required because of the rough surface terrain and need to drill fromthe flat sabkhahs (Figure 1). Horizontal completions were required tominimize the occurrence of early gas breakthrough, maintain reservoirpressure (a concern due to overlying gas cap and weak aquifer) andachieve optimum production rates.

These are workover MRC wells with 5 ½ -inch expandable liners sethorizontally into the Shu’aiba producing interval. The quad-lateral wellwas created as follows: A 5 ½ -inch horizontal open hole was drilled outfrom the bottom of the 5 ½ -inch expandable liner. Then the four 5 ½ -

Figure 1: Shaybah quad-lateral directional plan

Initial costs for intelligent completions tend to be higher than traditional completions.

However, the benefits of their use can morethan make up for the outlay, as a recent

project in Saudi Arabia proves.Muhammad Shafiq and Athar Ali, Schlumberger

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Initial costs for intelligent completions tend to be higher than traditional completions.However, the benefits of their use can more than make up for the outlay, as a recentproject in Saudi Arabia proves as Muhammad Shafiq and Athar Ali of Schlumberger explain

Realising the full potential of

intelligent completions

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inch horizontal sidetracks were drilled from the5 ½ -inch liner (Figure 2).

All completion equipment was qualified forthe production life of the well. The intelligentcompletion was designed with four TRFC-HN APmulti-positioned downhole tubing-retrievableflow control valves to provide inflow controlfrom each of the four openhole laterals.

These valves operate as downhole chokes torestrict or shut off production from an intervalthat encounters early water breakthrough. Thevalves feature 11 positions, one fully closed, onefully opened (equivalent to the tubing flow area)and nine incremental positions, which wereindividually designed and adjusted for optimumrates for each of the laterals, according toproduction requirements in Figure 3.

Multiport packers were used and a digital permanent downholemonitoring system (PDHMS) was placed above the top packer to monitorflowing and shut-in pressures and temperatures (Figure 4).

In addition to the completion design, many other factors wereconsidered, analyzed and resolved.

Some of the primary factors were: tubing movement calculations;intervention requirements; control line protection; personnel training;assembly testing and completion sub-assemblies; trial fitting of third-partycomponents; installation procedures and associated documents; packingand shipping of assemblies; and complete the well on paper (CWOP).

However, along with these primary factors there were a number of keysuccess factors. For example, to realize maximum value, intelligentcompletions must be correctly installed and operational, the first time,every time. Crucial factors for achieving this goal include: exemplarycommunication, coordination and project management; sufficient time fordesign, preparation and testing; and perhaps, most important, proper holecleaning before installing the completions.

To ensure communication and coordination, the operator and servicecompany each designated a single point of contact, in addition to adedicated project manager.

These company contacts were responsible for facilitating andstreamlining all communications. One key communication area wasbetween the rig foreman and the company man on the rig to ensureproper final hole cleaning and testing before installation of thecompletions, which is discussed below.

The importance of CWOP and allocation of sufficient time forpreparation and testing cannot be stressed enough. On this project,everything that was to happen on the rig was planned, staged and tested,resulting in no issues that affected the successful and safe installation ofthese completions.

Sufficient time was allocated for proper andthorough preparation and site-specific trainingbefore installation began (installation technicianson this project were experienced in installingintelligent completions.) This allocation of timeenabled equipment to be fully checked out,installation equipment to be placed and secured,and personnel to become completely familiar withthe operating environment and installation plan.

Everything was tested in the fabricationworkshop and tested again, in many casesmultiple times, at the installation site. Forexample, the flow control valves were not only

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Figure 2: Shaybah slim intelligent completion schematic

Because of the added expense andcomplexity, it is paramount that thesecompletions be installed and that they

operate correctly the first time, every time

Figure 3: Downhole choke flow area and recommended flow rate

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tested through complete cycles in theworkshop but again upon arrival at thewell site, when they were installedbelow the rotary table, when running inthe hole and attaching control lines, andwhen they reached total depth (TD)before setting the packer to ensure thateach valve was properly positioned forthe particular lateral. After setting thepackers, each valve was againfunctionally tested and each lateralflowed back to the surface.

Another crucial factor for success wasproper hole cleaning before running thecompletion. When a clean-up assemblyis run, it is important to make sure that afull drift assembly is run to TD where thecompletion will be run and packers set,and that the windows cut from thelaterals are properly cleaned.

When installing the completion, thepacker outside diameter (OD) must passthrough the casing shoe. To ensure this,the clean-up drilling assembly with asimilar OD was run to the same depthwhere the completion was to beinstalled. And, to simulate thecompletion installation, the drillingassembly was run but not rotated, anextra test simulation that helped ensure

a smooth final installation. To fully understand the production potentialand for clean-up purposes, each lateral was tested individually. After the

wells were tested at full capacity, production was optimized to avoid earlywater breakthrough and maximize reservoir sweep efficiency. Theintelligent completions will allow for regular stability testing to beconducted to monitor reservoir pressure and water cut, and remotecontrols will allow for easy shut-in of watered laterals. Or during lowdemand, each lateral can be monitored and produced selectively.

The PDHMS will allow monitoring of temperature and pressure duringthe production life of these wells, and in conjunction with the remotelyoperated downhole valves, keep the well flowing above bubblepointpressure to avoid two-phase flow and enhance recovery. ■

This article is based on SPE paper 120800, Slim Intelligent CompletionsTechnology Optimizes Production in Maximum Contact, Expandable Linerand Quad Laterals Complex Wells, 2008 (authors: Muhammed Shafiq andAthar Ali, SPE, Schlumberger and Haider Al-Haj, Ibrahim Obaidi,Muhammed Qasim Qazi, S.M. Mansoor Kamal, Saudi Aramco). It waspresented at 2008 SPE Saudi Arabia Section Technical Symposium,Alkhobar, Saudi Arabia, 10-12 May.

ReferencesMohammed, A.A. et al. 2007 Intelligent Completions Technology OffersSolutions to Optimize Production and Improve Recovery in Quad-LateralWells in a Mature Field. Paper SPE 110960, presented at 2007 SPE SaudiArabia Technology Symposium, Dharan, Saudi Arabia, 7-8 May. Mubarak, S.M. et al. 2007. Using Down-Hole Control Valves to Sustain OilProduction from the First Maximum Reservoir Contact, Multilateral andSmart Well in Ghawar Field: Case Study. IPTC Paper 11630. Presented atInternational Petroleum Technology Conference, Dubai, U.A.E., 4-6December.Saleri, N.G. 2003. Shaybah-220: A Maximum-Reservoir-Contact (MRC) Welland Its Implications for Developing Tight-Facies Reservoirs. Paper SPE81487. Presented at Middle East Oil Show, Bahrain, 5-8 April.

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GE FANUC INTELLIGENT Platforms recently announced the newestversion of its batch control software, Proficy® Batch Execution 5.5. An ISA-88 standard compliant batch product, Proficy Batch is focusedon reduced costs, efficiency and just-in-time production by allowingprocess engineers to define truly generic recipes that are separate fromthe plant floor equipment. Such recipes can be reused all across the production facilities, andallow the users to reduce the effort to develop and maintain their recipelibrary. This separation makes it easy to add new products to aproduction line, improve the quality of products produced, and reducethe risk of operator error.“In this economy, it is imperative for manufacturers to be flexible intheir production to take advantage of market conditions,” said ClaireCerrato, general manager of GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms’ AutomationSoftware group. “Changing production often means reprogrammingcontrollers. Proficy Batch 5.5 gives customers flexibility in what theyproduce and how they produce it.”Batch operators typically rely on proprietary controllers and customsoftware systems to operate their batch production lines. Proficy Batchcan help these operators increase efficiency and profits by replacingcustom batch operations with a robust off-the-shelf batch platform thatresults in increased flexibility, uptime, and reliability. The ISA-88 model and SFC (Sequential Function Chart) programminglanguage makes writing new recipes a snap, therefore allowing anincrease in product mix without expensive controller re-programming. Proficy Batch also offers MES integration with Proficy PlantApplications’ Batch Analysis module and GE Fanuc’s breakthroughsolution Proficy Process Systems, enabling a complete end-to-end batchsolution. This open and layered approach to software allows customers to select

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Figure 4: PDHMS (gauge) and flowcontrol valve used in the intelligentcompletion design

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