Integrated methodology to forecast and mitígate the coning and

analyze the performance in the pipelines to improve the design of

the facilities.

Integrated methodology to forecast the effects of coning on

Surface, as a tool to mitigate posible risks in the design and
operatioal stages.

Abtract
The objective of this work is to present a fast and accurate method to determine the critical oil rate in
function of time, and provide a useful decision tool in the field operations, and also to analyze the
effects of coning in the reservoir and surface to take them in account for the design and operational
stage of the facilities.
For evaluating the critical oil rate, it was used the numerical simulation and the analytical method,
obtaining better result with the numerical simulation due to these involve dynamic conditions, properties
and characteristics of the reservoir. Also, to analyze the performance of the fluids in the well to the
surface, it was intregrated the reservoir model with a network model.

Introduction
One of the main problems that affect the oil wells is the unwanted production of high amounts of water
and gas,leading to a problem known as coning. This problem affects to the performance of the well,
reducing the oil production and in some cases leading to the abandonment of the well.
This effect is also reflected in the surface, where the coning will cause instabilities in the flow through
the pipelines, causing greater pressures losses, the possible formation of emulsion, slug flow and
problems in the separators.
Historically, this problem has tried to be resolved with empirical methods such as correlation (Schols,
Chierchi, Chaperon, etc.), by predicting the flow rate at which the coning will not occur, known as a
critical flow rate. However, these solutions present certain limitation, for example, don’t take in account
the dynamic variations presented in the fields productive life.
In the field applications, the correlations haven’t shown good results, for this reason this work present
a method based on reservoir simulation for obtaining the critical flow rate, honoring the characteristics
and properties of the reservoir, that can predict with a better accuracy the conditions at which the
coning will take place in the reservoir under dynamic conditions.
Correlation
Description of the methodology used
Reservoir
Instead of correlations, the proposed is use the numerical simulation for resolve the reservoir. The
methodology will be the next.
1. Modeling the reservoir in an eclipse model, taking in account the properties such as porosity,
permeability, heterogeneous, fluid saturations, pressures, gas cap, aquifers, oil thickness and
the numbers and positions of the wells.

2. Then, to run several cases, varying the oil rate and the depth contacts, water oil contact or/and
gas oil contact.
Original Gas/Water Qo1 Qo2 Qo3 Qo4 Qo5
Contact

3. To determine the dynamic critical oil rate, it will carry out a graphic of Cumulative Oil, Oil rate,
Water rate or/and Gas rate and Reservoir pressure. With these, it can analyze in what time
and with what oil rate, the gas rate and the water rate beginning to up. So, these are the
principal factors to determine in the time which oil rate don’t reach the coning. However, is
important analyze the behavior of the reservoir pressure to analyze if the reservoir has
sufficient energy to follow producing. Other factor to analyze is the cumulate oil production.
Surface
Study case
Reservoir

Oil thickness 200 ft

WOC depth 7400 ft

GOC depth 7200 ft

Permeability Kx=Ky=200 mD, Kz=50 mD

Porosity 20 %

Reservoir pressure 3 800 psi

Eclipse Model

Dimensions 10 x 10 x 5

Number of wells 1

Well Completion 7300 ft

Controll Mode BHP

Cases to evaluate
For this project, will be used three cases, moving the depth contacts of water and gas
and supposing certain oil rates for each case. In the next table, it can be observed.

Case 1 Case 2 Case 3

7200-7400 [ft] 7225-7375 [ft] 7250-73500 [ft]
Oil Rate [BPD] Oil Rate [BPD] Oil Rate [BPD]
1500 1500 1500
900 1000 900
800 800
800
600 600
600 400 400
400 250 100
100 100 50
Is important to mentioned that the analysis to determine the critical oil rate will be just
for one year.

Results
Below it can be observed the results getting in each case. The graphics correspond to
the oil cumulative production, the gas production and the water production placed in the
time. It should be the simulation is carry out for three years, however, the analysis will
be for the first year (2014). In the tables, it can be observed the respective oil rates, the
time when the coning starts for each rate and the reservoir pressure that the reservoir
will have after one year of production.
Case 1, Depth contact: 7200-7400 [ft]

Oil flow rate [BPD] Cumulative Gas peak Water peak Time when coning Average Reservoir
production [STB] production production starts [Months] Pressure after one
[MMSCFD] [BPD] Gas Water year [PSI]
1500 482 000 17.9 100 3 4 1554.76
900 478 000 17 100 7 7 1585.57
800 465 000 16 100 8 10 1620.47
600 444 000 14 98 12 12 1710.64
400 400 000 12 85 20 20 2241.09
100 100 000 - - - - 3 200
Case 2, Depth contact: 7225-7375 [ft]

Oil flow Cumulative Gas peak Water peak Time when coning Average Reservoir
rate [BPD] production [STB] production production starts [Months] Pressure after one year
[MMSCFD] [BPD] Gas Water [PSI]
1500 163,329 44 611 1 2 1554.76
1000 161,441 42 585 2 3 1585.57
800 159,938 38 561 3 4 1620.47
600 157,101 34 522 5 6 1710.64
400 144,031 26 457 8 10 2241.09
250 91,250 21 400 12 12 3510
100 36,500 - - - - 3782.20

Case 3, Depth contact: 7250-7350 [ft]

Oil flow Cumulative Gas peak Water peak Time when coning starts Average Reservoir
rate [BPD] production production production [Months] Pressure after one
[STB] [MMSCFD] [BPD] Gas Water year [PSI]
1500 40 900 40 930 1 1 1 580
900 40 900 41 940 1 1 1 590
800 41 000 42 965 1 1 1 595
 600 41 000 42 970 1 1 1 600
400 41 000 43 970 1 1 1 625
100 41 930 32 1000 9 9 3 030
50 45 400 31 890 22 22 3 793

Analysis

For the case 1 and 2, the highest Original Contact Critical Oil Rate Time
cumulative oil production is with the oil rate Before the coning [Months]
“1500 BPD” however the coning is reached 1000 0
7225-7375 [ft]
very fast, for this reason the oil rate is 1000 2
reduced before to reach high amount of 800 3
water and gas. In the case 3, happened 600 6
otherwise, with rates fewer the cumulative 400 10
oil production is highest due to the water 250 12
and gas production isn’t reached in the first 7200-7400 [ft] 1500 0
year. 1500 1
900 5
Analyzing the results, it was proposed the 800 8
next dynamic critical oil rates for each 600 12
case, these rates can be used in the real 7250-7350 [ft] 100 0
operations for having a operating oil 100 4
window in the time. 50 12
To have a better analysis of the cases, it was done an economic evaluation to determine
if the project is profitable. For this

Results
Analysis of results