Derivative-free search approaches for optimization of well inflow control valves and controls

Decisions regarding problem conceptualization, search approach, and how best to parametrize optimization methods for practical application are key to successful implementation of optimization approaches within georesources field development projects. This work provides decision support regarding the application of derivative-free search approaches for concurrent optimization of inflow control valves (ICVs) and well controls. A set of state-of-the-art approaches possessing different search features is implemented over two reference cases, and their performance, resource requirements, and specific method configurations are compared across multiple problem formulations for completion design. In this study, problem formulations to optimize completion design comprise fixed ICVs and piecewise-constant well controls. The design is optimized by several derivative-free methodologies relying on parallel pattern-search (tAPPS), population-based stochastic sampling (tPSO) and trust-region interpolation-based models (tDFTR). These methodologies are tested on a heterogeneous two-dimensional case and on a realistic case based on a section of the Olympus benchmark model. Three problem formulations are applied in both cases, i.e., one formulation optimizes ICV settings only, while two joint configurations also treat producer and injector controls as variables. Various method parametrizations across the range of cases and problem formulations exploit the different search features to improve convergence, achieve final objectives and infer response surface features. The scope of this particular study treats only deterministic problem formulations. Results outline performance trade-offs between parallelizable algorithms (tAPPS, tPSO) with high total runtime search efficiency and the local-search trust-region approach (tDFTR) providing effective objective gains for a low number of cost function evaluations. tAPPS demonstrates robust performance across different problem formulations that can support exploration efforts, e.g., during a pre-drill design phase while multiple independent tDFTR runs can provide local tuning capability around established solutions in a time-constrained post-drill setting. Additional remarks regarding joint completion design optimization, comparison metrics, and relative algorithm performance given the varying problem formulations are also made.