Simulation Study of Combined Deployment of Smart Completion and Hot Water Injection in a Heavy Oil Reservoir

In this work we investigated possible synergy due to combined deployment and optimization of two IOR techniques (smart completion and hot water injection).

We used a generic simulation model of a heavy oil reservoir. The ensemble of stochastic realizations of reservoir properties was used to represent the geological uncertainties. The model consists of four heterogeneous stacked layers developed in a commingled manner by means of 9-spot pattern.

After several years of cold water injection, smart completion for the injector and hot water injection were applied and optimized both separately and simultaneously.

One random realization was selected from the ensemble. For this realization we optimized:

1. case of hot water injection (by means of Pattern Search method);
2. case of injector smart completion installation (by means of EnOpt method);
3. case of combined deployment of both IOR techniques;

A complex NPV-based criterion was set as objective function for all cases to account for oil production, water injection and expenses associated with water heating.

The simulation results showed:

• Hot water injection increased (as compared with the uncontrolled cold water injection) the NPV criterion by 1.4% and oil recovery by 1.76%;
• Smart injector case yielded the increment of 3.29% (for NPV) and 1.27% (for oil recovery);
• Simultaneous deployment of the smart injector and the hot water injection gave a gain of 8.7% (for NPV) and 4.67% (for oil recovery);

I.e. the results showed a nonlinear increase in both for NPV and oil recovery and proved the synergy due to the combined deployment of two IOR methods.

Then we carried out robust optimization (EnOpt) of the same simulation cases for the ensemble of realizations to estimate the uncertainty impact.

Results of this study also showed the synergy. The uncertainty impact to the synergy is thoroughly discussed in the paper.