Field Experience of Integrating Distributed Thermal Anemometer Data Analysis into Production Log Interpretation Workflows

Abstract

The objective of this article is to share development progress and recent field examples for a new interpretation workflow enabling full integration of distributed dynamic thermal anemometry (TA) measurement data with the traditional workflow for production logging (PL) data analysis. A major focus is on oil-water inflow profiling in relatively low-rate horizontal wells. The dynamic azimuthally distributed thermal anemometry (ADTA) tool was recently field tested in several wells as a part of the PL assembly. The collected data sets and accumulated interpretation experience were used to develop a new workflow to make ADTA an intrinsic part of the data interpretation workflow. It includes a set of enhanced algorithms and software tools that provide automated calculation of the key parameters derived from TA data analysis along with traditional logs. The enhanced workflow is partially based on previously published laboratory experimental data and on utilization of collected field data interpretation experience. The newly developed algorithms and software tools enabled proving that results of the distributed TA data analysis are fully consistent with other PL data sets provided that the wellbore conditions and procedures enable high-quality measurements and interpretation. For such cases we demonstrate that profiles of multiphase inflows and wellbore phase fractions derived from the distributed TA agree reasonably well with interpretation of the spinner data, the distributed (volumetric) water-cut meter, and other PL data. Meanwhile, in cases of more challenging downhole conditions when some of the traditional PL measurements become unreliable, the distributed TA data can still provide interpretable and valuable information on the zonal inflow profiling. We discuss the uncertainty level for both cases: when all major PL data sets are available with good quality along with TA and in more challenging conditions with just a few reliable data sets. We conclude that integration of distributed TA data for quantitative analysis in multiphase wells extends PL capabilities toward more challenging wellbore conditions than previously possible. We discuss unique data sets of distributed TA data along with other PL data in the same wells and their quantitative analysis. The field examples of the fully integrated quantitative interpretation workflow are provided for horizontal wells with multiphase flow.