Since its inception in 2005 by Statoil Technology Invest, RESMAN maintained exclusive focus on inflow monitoring with Intelligent Tracer technology.
As a result, the company led the evolution of the technology with focused R&D and developed the most experienced team of experts in the industry. RESMAN’s unique capabilities include:
• Proven system life: life capabilities are proven by historical field sample analysis and are continuously verified by rigorous laboratory qualification testing of every produced system.
• In-house designed molecules: RESMAN designs in-house each of our 100 unique Intelligent Tracer signatures, so they cannot be mistaken for any other chemicals found in production operations.
• Accurate inflow models: accurate inflow models were developed in-house, verified in full-scale, flow-loop testing, and proven in wells with complex completion designs and long production tie backs.
• Superior expertise in complex well environments: over 90% of RESMAN’s track record is in subsea fields. The company’s expertise was built by designing and managing the implementation of intelligent tracers for the most complex and challenging well completions in the oil and gas industry.
What It Does
RESMAN Intelligent Tracer technology accurately quantifies zonal inflow contribution and detects the location of water breakthrough. Applications include:
• Quantification of oil inflow contribution (Fig. 1).
• Water breakthrough monitoring.
• Inflow assurance monitoring (flow control valves and packers functionality, multilateral and zonal inflow conformance).
Benefits
The information obtained with RESMAN Intelligent Tracer technology provides the equivalent of a production log, but without the risk and cost of well intervention.
Benefits include:
• Risk-free: no cables, no connections, no intervention, and no major changes to completion design.
• Long-term: RESMAN oil Intelligent Tracers (RES•OIL) can achieve up to 5 years of life. The water Intelligent Tracers (RES•H2O) can have longer life-spans because they are dormant until activated by contact with water.
• Cost-efficient: no additional rig time, no expensive completion hardware, and no extra personnel required at the well site.
• HSE-friendly: RESMAN chemicals are used in extremely low concentrations (down to parts per trillion) and are compatible for water discharge. No radiation is used.
• Robust: systems are resistant to harsh downhole conditions and high pressures.
How It Works
RESMAN Intelligent Tracer technology can be formed into a variety of shapes to allow it to be integrated into a wide range of completion designs (Fig. 2).
The Intelligent Tracer systems are either oil sensitive or water sensitive and are designed to remain dormant until contacted by the target fluid. That is, the oil-sensitive systems remain dormant when in contact with water and the water-sensitive systems remain dormant when in contact with oil. both systems are dormant in air.
When contacted by the target fluid, tracer molecules are released in very small quantities (Fig. 3). This release is independent of flow conditions and happens at a lab-designed rate.
RESMAN chemists have developed more than 50 uniquely identifiable chemical signatures for oil (RES•OIL) and another 50 for water (RES•H2O). It is important to note that these chemical signatures are unique in nature and cannot be found in any commercially available chemical library. This eliminates the possibility of mistaking RESMAN’s chemical signatures for various other chemicals found in production operations.
The Intelligent Tracers are strategically integrated with the completion equipment to monitor segments of the reservoir interval. Depending on the surveillance objectives, sections of the well or individual reservoir compartments are assigned with a separate and identifiable chemical signature for oil and/or water.
After well installation, the oil flows from the reservoir, contacts the RES•OIL systems, and the chemical signature is released into the oil, thereby marking it with a unique identification. Production from each reservoir compartment transports the tracer signatures to the surface (Fig. 4), where production fluid samples are collected. The same process applies to the RES•H2O systems.
RESMAN analyzes the samples and a dedicated team of experts models the results using proprietary software and inflow models that have been empirically verified in full-scale, flow-loop testing.
Case study
Intelligent tracers quantify zonal inflow contribution Operator optimizes completion design
Challenge
An operator wanted to determine the inflow contribution from five reservoir intervals of a horizontal subsea well without intervention operations or modifications to the existing completion design. the well had a five-mile tie back to an FPSO and commingled production with several subsea production wells from the same field.
Solution
RESMAN intelligent tracers (RES•OIL) were installed in each of the five reservoir compartments of the subsea well. Proprietary inflow models developed by ReSMaN were used to quantify the inflow from each interval.
Application
The RES•OIL systems were integrated under the wire wrap of screens that also contained inflow control devices (ICds), as shown in Fig. 1. the completion was run in hole without deviating from normal procedures and without additional rig time or extra personnel at the site.
Production was shut in for 24 hours, and the well was restarted. Production fluid samples were taken at the surface to be analyzed and the results modeled.
ReSMaN used its patented Flush Out model to quantitatively measure the amount of inflow from each zone. each square in Fig. 2 shows the tracer concentration of the unique RES•OIL system installed in each of the five zones. The solid lines represent the Flush Out model* fit for each data set.
Results
The inflow distribution calculated for each reservoir compartment revealed that more than 70% of the production originated from the toe of the well, while the middle of the well displayed very poor performance (Fig. 3). By using RESMAN, the operator gained valuable understanding about zonal inflow contribution, which will enable better well placement and optimization of ICd settings for future well designs.