Dynamic programming model of the cyclic steam injection process

Journal Article · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1969 · J. Pet. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2118/2032-PA· OSTI ID:5666099

Bentsen, R G; Donohue, D A.T.

The cyclic steam-injection process has become the most widely applied and most successful thermal recovery technique in use today. Because it is a multistage-decision process, dynamic programing--characterized by a criterion function to be satisfied, a number of stages in time and space, and decisions to be made at each stage to satisfy the criterion function--may be used to predict an optimum operating policy for the specific injection project. To use dynamic programing, it must be possible to predict not only the production rate-time curve resulting from a given stimulation, but also how changes in stimulation policy will affect this curve. In this study, the effect of steam injection on well performance is estimated on the basis of a simple model that takes into account both steady-state and transient flow. Oil production rate is calculated for both types of flow, and the larger of the 2 values is used. This allows the calculation to change to radial steady-state flow at such time as this mechanism becomes more effective than the transient mechanism. It is shown how dynamic programing can be used to optimize the steam soak process with respect to net profit. (16 refs.)

• Research Organization: Alberta Univ; Pennsylvania State Univ
• OSTI ID: 5666099
• Journal Information: J. Pet. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Pet. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 21; ISSN JPTJA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID FLOW
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OIL WELLS
PERFORMANCE
PETROLEUM
PRODUCTION
PROGRAMMING
RECOVERY
STEADY FLOW
STEAM INJECTION
STIMULATION
THERMAL RECOVERY
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS