随着地面数字设备的普遍推广，井下设备的数字化进程也被提上了日程。 编译 | 惊蛰 TOM? 数字油田的概念是指将智能软件/硬件应用于油田上游业务中，并将这些任务组合，成为从数据收集、决策、工作流程执行的自动化流程。建立数字油田的主要目的是改善决策效果，为最大限度的提高采收率和收益提供最佳的生产环境。 油气行业对数字油田的关注已经有一段时间，主要目的是通过自动化整个油田的大部分流程，来提高盈利能力和效率的愿望。为此，技术提供商必须专注于可以实现这一数字油田愿景系统的开发。 数字油田概念已经普遍用于临时的作业，如钻井和试井，并取得了巨大成功。然而，将其用于永久性应用程序的使用率一直很低，甚至那些已经实施的应用程序也没有得到最大限度的利用。最近，数字油田的地面系统方面取得了重大进展，但遗憾的是，井下设备的数字化进程没有以相同的速度发展，其中井下监测和控制技术的尤其需要跟上油田数字化发展的进程。 早期的数字油田发展能够帮助开发商捕获更多数据，并实时或近实时地进行分析，以优化生产并改善油井性能。其中一个关键属性是通过移除中间可能存在的人为失误，并将数据直接传递给合适的工作人员和正确的模型来提高决策效率。而现在的愿景又得到了改良，数字油田的下一个目标更加宏大，通过使用真正的智能系统和关闭反馈回路，为生产优化提供全自动化的控制和改良。 目前油气开采中使用的大多数智能井下监测和控制设备都通过液压和/或电控制线来操作，同时提供电力和通信沟通。这些控制线通常会限制完井设计，并导致作业成本和复杂性增加。此外，这些管线还具有发生早期和永久性故障的潜力，这意味着数字油田的关键组成部分可能会在井上线之前就发生故障。 这些解决方案在新的区块现场开发中比较普遍，除了完整的修井作业之外，现有井的故障设备更换选择非常有限。 如前所述，市场上有多种用于上部应用的数字油田解决方案，这些解决方案可以集成到现有应用领域，实现数据管理和流程自动化的目的。开发商则希望井下解决方案也能够达到这种水准，而目前市场上的大多数智能设备都无法满足需求。如果没有可改装的智能井下系统，要想在成熟油田实现数字油田的全部优势是遥不可及的。 压力脉冲技术 Tendeka宣布推出的一种压力脉冲遥测系统可应用于井下设备，用于开采井中的通信，并可为现有数据传输和驱动方法提供无线替代方案。遥测技术最应用于井下压力/温度测量仪，创建了PulseEight无线测量仪，扩展了记忆仪表的功能。而从更深远的角度看，该技术为油气行业提供了一种方法，可以将现有井中的实时井下数据添加到油藏模型中，而不是等到仪表被回收到地面才进行分析。 这大大提高了效率，因为它实现了井下数据的实时查看，从而加快和优化技术决策的制定。此后，PulseEight设备经过改良和升级，包括压力/温度监控，远程阀门驱动和井下流量/压力调节，并通过了认证计划。 Tendeka的PulseEight系统现在是一种模块化监控和控制设备，具有半双工无线通信功能。PulseEight该设备使用原电池供电，可将井下压力和温度数据传输到地面，也可作为远程操作的可变位置流量控制阀。 该设备的设计中使用了标准干预技术，可在生产管道内进行改装。这对于已经在地面基础设施中采用数字油田技术的成熟油田和新的开发区块来说，能够实现智能井下系统的安装，而无需进行大规模的修井作业。这使得现有资产的完?全油藏自动化成为可能，减少了数据分析/分类的工时，并允许更快地实施油藏优化技术。 PulseEight无线智能完井可用于多种不同情况，可在单井中使用多个设备，提供一系列功能，从温度压力监测，间隔控制，天然气水合物形成预防，井下调节到简单的开/关插头，都可以根据井况自动启动/关闭。由于阀门可以使用传统的桥塞，设置在生产油管的任何位置，因此设备的性能目标具有很大的灵活性。 截至目前，Tendeka已成功在世界各地作业中部署了PulseEight系统，从挪威近海的Troll Field到美国境内油田，这些项目的应用包括简单的井下状况监测到井下阀门的远程操作，其在不同的井况和应用中都非常优秀。 随着全球油价的长期下降，油气行业将重点转向了优化现有资产和延长生产寿命，而不是追求新油田开发。数字油田工具的最初产品设计目的是提供可改装的智能井筒，以解决成熟油田和区块所面临的问题，例如永久完井设备失效和过时/低效技术。 此前油气领域的研发工作重点是开发区域监测和控制功能，扩大技术的应用范围。除此之外，正在开展工作还包括以现有系统的智能为基础，建立完全自动的井下设备团队，实现自主工作，进一步提高数字油田智能完井设备的效率和性能。这些项目都将重点放在延长井下条件下的电池寿命，以开辟无线技术“井的生命”应用的可能性，取得了巨大成功。The concept of the digital oil field is based upon using intelligent software/hardware to perform tasks in the oil field’s upstream sector and to combine these into an automated process from data gathering and decision- making to process and workflow execution. The aim is to improve decision-making to provide an optimal production environment for maximum recovery and increased efficiency. The industry focus on the digital oil field has been around for some time and was born out of the desire to improve profitability and efficiency by automating much of the processes across the oil field. For this to happen, technology providers must focus on the development of systems that can be integrated into this digital oilfield vision. Downhole components The digital oilfield concept has been used in temporary applications such as drilling and well test operations with great success. However, the uptake in permanent completion applications has been low, and even those that have been implemented are often not utilized to the maximum effect. Significant advancements have recently been made on surface systems, partially due to the overlap with other industries and the role Big Data play in the digital oilfield vision. Downhole components have unfortunately not progressed at the same speed, and new advancements in downhole monitoring and control technology are required to provide in-well production optimization. The early digital oil field allowed companies to capture more data and have those analyzed in real time or near real time to optimize production and improve well performance. One of the key attributes to this was improving efficiency in decision-making by removing the middle man and delivering the data directly to the right people and into the right models. The vision now is that the digital oil field will take the next step and provide full automation for production optimization by using truly intelligent systems and closing the feedback loop. Most intelligent downhole monitoring and control equipment used is operated via hydraulic and/or electric control lines that run between the downhole device and surface control system to provide power and communication. These control lines can often limit the completion design and lead to increased cost and complexity. They also have the potential for early and permanent failure, meaning a key component of the digital oil field may be reductant before the well is brought online. These solutions are targeted toward new field developments, and there are limited options for replacement of failed equipment or equipment for existing wells other than a complete workover. As discussed previously, there are a variety of digital oilfield solutions on the market for topside applications, and these can be integrated into existing fields to manage data and automate processes. The same cannot be said for downhole solutions, and most of the intelligent equipment on the market does not address the needs of existing assets. Without these retrofittable intelligent downhole systems, the full benefit of the digital oil field is out of reach economically for several mature fields. Pressure pulse technology Tendeka has developed a pressure pulse telemetry system that can be applied to downhole devices for communication in flowing wells and used to provide a wireless alternative to existing data transfer and actuation methods. The telemetry was first applied to a downhole pressure/ temperature (PT) gauge, creating the PulseEight Wireless Gauge, which expanded the limited functionality of a memory gauge. This provided a means of adding real-time downhole data from an existing well into reservoir models rather than waiting for the memory gauge to be pulled to surface before analysis could begin. This led to greatly improved efficiency as it allowed data to be viewed in real time and meant faster decision-making on optimization techniques. Since then the PulseEight device has been modified and upgraded to include PT monitoring, remote valve actuation and downhole regulation of flow/pressure and has been through an in-depth qualification program. Tendeka’s PulseEight system is now a modular monitoring and control device with semi-duplex wireless communication. The device is powered using primary battery cells and can transmit downhole pressure and temperature data to surface as well as act as a remotely operated variable-position flow control valve. The device is designed to be retrofitted within the production tubing using standard intervention techniques. This allows mature fields and existing wells that have already embraced the digital oil field in their topside infrastructure to install intelligent downhole systems cost-effectively and without a full workover. This enables full reservoir automation for existing assets, reducing the man hours in data analyses/sorting and allowing faster implementation of reservoir optimization techniques. The PulseEight Wireless Intelligent Completion can be used in several different scenarios, with the possibility of using multiple devices in a single well to provide a range of functionalities, from PT monitoring, interval control, gas hydrate prevention and downhole regulation to simple on/off plugs that can actuate on command or autonomously based on well conditions. Since the valve can be set anywhere in the production tubing using conventional bridge plugs, there is great flexibility and range in the device’s performance objectives. Tendeka has successfully deployed the PulseEight system in fields across the world, from the Troll Field offshore Norway to the U.S. onshore market. The application of these projects has varied from simple downhole PT monitoring to remote operation of downhole valves. With a prolonged reduction in global oil prices, the focus has shifted toward optimizing existing assets and extending production life rather than pursuing highcapex new field developments. The initial offering has been designed with the aim of providing retrofittable intelligent completions to address the problems faced in mature fields such as failed permanent completion equipment and outdated/inefficient technology. Current R&D efforts are focused on expanding the operational envelope of the technology by developing a through-bore option for zonal monitoring and control, which will complement the company’s other lower completion offerings. In addition to this, work is ongoing to build on the intelligence of the existing system with the aim of creating a team of goal-seeking downhole devices to work autonomously, further enhancing the efficiency and performance of intelligent completion equipment for the digital oil field. Both projects will include focus on extending battery lifetime at downhole conditions to open up the possibility of “life of well” applications for wireless technology.