Oil and Gas 4.0 era: A systematic review and outlook

Big data (BD) analytics is one of the critical components in the digitalization of the oil and gas (O&G) industry. Its focus is managing and processing a high volume of data to improve operational efficiency, enhance decision making and mitigate risks in the workplace. Enhanced processing of seismic data also provides the industry with a better understanding of BD applications. However, the industry still exercises caution in adopting new technologies. The slow pace of technology adoption can be attributed to various causes, from the obstacles to the integration with existing systems, to cybersecurity for defending the BD system against cyber attacks. In some applications using wearable devices, physiological and location-tracking data also causes concerns related to workplace privacy implications. These shortcomings give rise to uncertainties about the practical benefits and effectiveness of applying BD in O&G activities. The objective of this paper is to perform a systematic review of BD analytics within the context of the O&G industry. This paper attempts to evaluate technical and nontechnical factors affecting the adoption of BD technologies. The study includes BD development platforms, network architecture, data privacy implications, cybersecurity, and the opportunities and challenges of adopting BD technologies in the O&G industry.

A Systematic Review of Big Data Analytics for Oil and Gas Industry 4.0

A system includes a regional blending facility having a number of bulk receiving facilities, where each bulk facility receives and stores a particle type having a distinct size modality, a bulk moving device that transfers particles between the bulk receiving facilities and of a blending/continuously receiving vessel and/or a mixer, and a carrying medium vessel. The mixer receives particles from the blending/continuously receiving vessel and/or the bulk moving device, receives a carrying medium from the carrying medium vessel, mixes the particles with the carrying medium, and provides a mixed treatment fluid. The system includes a fluid conduit that fluidly couples a wellsite location with the regional blending facility, where the fluid conduit delivers the mixed treatment fluid to the wellsite and/or delivers produced fluid from a wellbore positioned at the wellsite to the regional blending facility.

System and method for delivering treatment fluid

An apparatus and methods for forming a transverse fracture in a subterranean formation surrounding a wellbore including measuring a property along the length of the formation surrounding the wellbore, forming a stress profile of the formation, identifying a region of the formation to remove using the stress profile, removing the region with a device in the wellbore, and introducing a fluid into the wellbore, wherein a transverse fracture is more likely to form than if the region was not removed. Some embodiments benefit from computing the energy required to initiate and propagate a fracture from the region, optimizing the fluid introduction to minimize the energy required, and optimizing the geometry of the region.

Competition between transverse and axial hydraulic fractures in horizontal well

A method of performing an oilfield operation about a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation are provided. The method involves performing a fracture operation by generating fractures about the wellbore. The fractures define a hydraulic fracture network (HFN) about the wellbore. The method also involves generating a discrete fracture network (DFN) about the wellbore by extrapolating fracture data from the HFN. The DFN includes fracture branches with intersections therebetween and matrix blocks. The method also involves generating a depth of drainage through the DFN, defining production parameter (s), and performing a production operation to produce fluids from the subterranean formation based on the depth of drainage and the production parameter (s). The production operation may involve generating a flow rate through the DFN, generating a pressure profile of the DFN for an initial time based on the flow rate, and generating a production rate based on the pressure profile.

System and method for performing wellbore fracture operations

In some aspects, a one-dimensional proppant transport flow model represents flow of a proppant-fluid mixture in a subterranean region. The one-dimensional proppant transport flow model includes a proppant momentum conservation model that balances axial proppant momentum in an axial flow direction of the proppant-fluid mixture against dynamic changes in transverse proppant momentum. In some instances, the proppant momentum conservation model can vary the axial proppant momentum, for example, to account for interphase momentum transfer between the proppant and the fluid.

Proppant Transport Model for Well System Fluid Flow Simulations

In some aspects, a number of subsystem models is accessed by a computer system. Each subsystem model represents dynamic attributes of a distinct physical subsystem in a subterranean region. At least one of the number of subsystem models represents dynamic attributes of a mechanical subsystem in the subterranean region. A discrete fracture network (DFN) model representing a fracture network in the subterranean region is accessed at the computer system. The DFN model includes junction models. Each junction model represents interactions between a respective set of subsystem models associated with the junction model. Junction variables of the junction model can be defined based on dynamic attributes of the respective set of subsystem models associated with the junction model. A stimulation treatment for the subterranean region can be simulated by operating the DFN model including the junction variables.

Geomechanical and geophysical computational model for oil and gas stimulation and production

In some aspects, techniques and systems for operating a subterranean region model are described. A block matrix is identified. The block matrix includes a banded portion and an augmented portion. The banded portion includes flow variable coefficients based on governing flow equations of a model representing well system fluid flow in a subterranean region. In a row of the block matrix, decomposition of a pivot element in the row is performed. Elements along the row are modified based on an inverse of the decomposition of the pivot element. A flow variable of the model is solved based on the block matrix that contains the modified elements.

Block matrix solver for well system fluid flow modeling

In some aspects, a grid-point-spacing ratio is computed for a one-dimensional fluid flow model. The one-dimensional fluid flow model represents a flow path for well system fluid in a subterranean region, and the grid-point-spacing ratio is computed based on a parameter of the flow path. Grid points for the one-dimensional flow model are generated based on the grid-point-spacing ratio.

Generating a smooth grid for simulating fluid flow in a well system environment

Systems, methods, and software can be used to analyze microseismic data from a fracture treatment. In some aspects, data for a new microseismic event are from a fracture treatment of a subterranean zone. An updated parameter for a fracture plane is calculated. The fracture plane was previously generated based on data for prior microseismic events. The updated parameter calculated is calculated based on the data for the new microseismic event and the data for the prior microseismic events. A graphical representation of the fracture plane is displayed based on the updated parameter.

Avi Lin

Papers

Proppant Transport Model for Well System Fluid Flow Simulations

Geomechanical and geophysical computational model for oil and gas stimulation and production

Block matrix solver for well system fluid flow modeling

Generating a smooth grid for simulating fluid flow in a well system environment

Analyzing microseismic data from a fracture treatment