SPE-185498-MS

Application of Numerical Simulation as an Integrated Methodology for

Selecting the Best Candidates for Down Hole Heating. Huyapari Field,
Orinoco Oil Belt, Venezuela, as a Case of Study

G. Landaeta, Petropiar; V. Lara, CMG

Copyright 2017, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Latin America and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 18-19 May 2017.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
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Abstract
Exploration and production of heavy and extra heavy oil have always presented challenges that gradually
have been overcome by reservoir engineers through the application of new technologies like downhole
heating and diluent injection. However, it is recommended to conduct pre-assessment studies of these
technologies in order to optimize resources associated with the implementation phase and subsequently with
a large scale implementation of these technologies in the field.
One successful example where this pre-assessment study was applied, is the one performed in the
Huyapari field located at the Orinoco Oil Belt, currently with more than 600 active horizontal wells where
the productivity of the wells could be affected by the frictional pressure losses in the horizontal section.
This is the reason why the main objective of this paper is to develop a reliable methodology to conduct a pre
assessment study of the downhole heating cable technology by the integration of different methodologies
such as analytical and deterministic analysis, operational evaluation, and numerical simulation.
Based on the results of the implementation of a downhole heating cable in the A-P10 well (producing
with downhole heating cable since 2005) and the representation of these results by numerical simulation, it
was established a procedure that takes into account the characteristics of the reservoir and some operational
variables. The response in production of this well due to a slight increase in temperature in the horizontal
section was evaluated through numerical simulation. Some other parameters such as changes in viscosity
vs temperature, frictional pressure losses in the horizontal section, heating time were also investigated.
This procedure allowed the selection of the most prospective wells to install this technology, among more
than 200 horizontal wells in the same reservoir; just 30% of the wells met all the requirements. This selection
methodology added value to the well optimization strategy of the field saving considerable resources.
In conclusion, this study helped to represent the performance of the well when it has undergone a
stimulation with a downhole heating cable, allowing to quantify the barrels associated with cumulative
production and the developed reserves in different scenarios. This result could be of great importance for
the Orinoco Oil Belt with its more than 297 MMMBP that represents today the largest accumulation of
reserves of heavy and extra heavy oil in the world.
2 SPE-185498-MS

Introduction
The existence of deposits of heavy and extra heavy crude oil that today attract the attention of the top world's
oil companies has been known for many years, such as the fields located in California, Canada, Venezuela
and Mexico. The main reason why these reservoirs were not previously exploited is mainly due to their
characteristics of high oil viscosity and low API gravity, and to the fact that lighter crudes were produced
without major inconveniences.
The exploitation and production of heavy and extra-heavy crude has emerged as a solution to energy
supply problems, however, heavy oil exploitation methods represents a real challenge for oil producers.
Therefore, it is necessary to invest in new technologies that allow the creation of innovative techniques
for drilling, artificial lifting, stimulation and improved recovery, in order to allow this type of reservoirs to
become profitable assets. In Venezuela, the Huyapari field is located in the Ayacucho block of the Orinoco
Oil Belt (FPO). It is approximately 463 km2, and the oil in place for this field is above 20 MMM Barrels, °
API gravity goes from 7 to 9, and the viscosity range is from 1,800 to 17,000 cP. This crude has to be mixed
with a diluent of 47 ° API, to facilitate the production in the field and to obtain a 17 ° API crude oil which
is then transported to an upgrader located more than 200Km away from the field.
Historically, the technology used to increase the temperature in this type of reservoir has been the injection
of steam alternately or continuously. However, since the 1980s, the installation of a heating system with
cables has begun, which allows the increase of the temperature in the near wellbore, thus producing a
consequently decrease of the oil viscosity. An increase of the daily productivity of the well can be associated
to the implementation of this type of technology. The implementation of a downhole heating cable system
in the horizontal section of the well can generate a decrease in the oil viscosity through the increase of the
temperature, which will help to reduce the frictional pressure losses in the horizontal section, which can be
translated as an improvement in the productivity of the wells.
The selection of the type of heating system is influenced by the geometry of the hole in the horizontal
section, and the geological and dynamic characteristics of the reservoir, which are related to the production
of crude oil. When selecting the wells that could be candidates for the installation of this technology, it is
of a great importance to be able to determine which parameters can positively affect the performance of the
wells in order to optimize the resources.
Therefore it was proposed to evaluate the benefits of a downhole heating cable system through the use
of the simulator for reservoirs undergoing this type of technology and quantify its performance through
increase in the associated daily production.
The added value of these heating systems to the production of heavy and extra heavy oil is evident,
therefore it is of great importance to continue investing in the study of these types of technologies that
allows to increase the daily production associated with more efficient system and adjusted to the specific
conditions of the wells and the field.

Description of the Constant Power Downhole Electric Heating System

The companies in charge of the supply of heating cables present a heating system of 3,000 feet in length.
This system provides different levels of power, which can increase the temperature homogeneously from
the heel to the toe, where the coldest section being located at the heel and the hottest section is at the toe of
the horizontal section of the well. This system achieves high levels of power, which generates increases in
temperature at the bottom of the well of up to 70 ° F above the reservoir temperature. The system installed
in the horizontal section of the well is made up of: a) a copper conductor b) a polyethylene insulation barrier
c) a fluorine barrier to protect the insulation d) an EPDM jacket (Ethylene propylene Diene Monomer) E)
A heavy galvanized steel armature.
The power cable is installed in the vertical section of the well and this is responsible for providing the
power required by the heating cable for its operation. The power cable is connected from the surface to
SPE-185498-MS 3

the end of the heating cable and can withstand temperatures of up to 450 ° F. It consists of the following
elements: a) Copper conductor b) Insulation c) Lead sheet d) Galvanized steel frame. The power panel
consists of an outdoor metal box, which allows the control and monitoring of system temperatures. The
pipe section that is in contact with the heater cable requires the use of "Clamps" systems which act as a
coupling between them.
When the wells are completed with the downhole electric heating system, a multi-sensor system is also
installed. It consists of 6 sensors that allow constant monitoring of pressures and temperatures. 2 of these
sensors are located at the level of the pump (sensors 5 and 6 of entry and discharge), and the remaining 4
sensor are located along the horizontal section. These sensors can withstand temperatures ranging from 59
°F to 260 °F with an accuracy of ± 1.8 °F and have a resolution of 0.1° F. In terms of pressure they can
withstand ranges from 0 to 3,000 psi for the discharge sensor and from 0 to 1,500 psi for the suction-inlet
sensor of the Progressive Cavity Pump (BCP). The following figure shows the location of the sensors along
the completion of the well.

Figure 1—Location of sensors along the completion of the well

Basic parameters of the reservoir.

The reservoirs in the Huyaparí Field are constituted by unconsolidated sands containing extra heavy crude.
The porosity range varies between 16-28% and the permeability between 5 and 20 D. The depth of this
reservoirs is between 2,170 and 3,510 feet TVDss. It should be noted that due to the structure of the
production area of the Huyapari Field and the existence of a monoclinal fault, the sands located to the north
of the field are at a higher depth compared to the producing sands located to the South; Therefore, the fluids
obtained in the North have a lower viscosity because they are at a higher temperature.
The oil is produced by horizontal wells with progressive cavity pumps as the artificial lift system.
According to laboratory results and production data, the viscosity of the fluid in the reservoir ranges from
1,800 to 17,000 cP, the original Gas / Oil Ratio is 50 to 100 NCP / BN the saturation pressure of the fluid
is in the range of 650 to 1.200 psi and the volumetric factor of the oil is approximately 1.06 BY / BN.
4 SPE-185498-MS

Structure of the methodology

The execution of this project was carried out through 4 stages that are described below:
Stage I_ Pre-Selection: The implementation of the downhole heating cable technology has to start with
the selection of the area of implementation. All the variables and parameters that could affect the results of
this area selection process were established in this stage. For this, three phases were visualized:
Phase 1_Macro: a) Well pads and clusters drilled no more than three years prior to the installation of the
cable b) Well pads drilled to the south of the field due to the presence of higher oil viscosities c) Well pads
that did not present problems during the drilling operations like circulation losses, differential or mechanical
pipe sticking and use of additives that could damage the formation.
Phase 2_Meso: a) Well pads with decline rate less than 18% b) Well pads with water cut less than 5%
c) Well pads without problems of fine migration and production or sanding events d) Well pads with low
Gas Oil ratio.
Phase 3_Micro: a) Wells with low tortuosity in its horizontal section (Geo Navigation) b) Wells drilled
towards the base of the sand preferably d) Wells where its horizontal section is contacting more than 80% of
Oil sand e) Wells with lateral section less than 3500 ft f) Single-branch wells and no re-entry during drilling
g) wells without thermal completions.
Based on all of the above mentioned criteria, Cluster A was selected and its location is shown in the
next figure.

Figure 2—Location of Cluster A at Huyapari Field

Stage II_ Representation of the current conditions of the reservoir in the Simulation Model through
history match study. The following phases were established for this stage:
Phase 1: Diagnosis of the current situation through the revision of the static and thermodynamic model
and through the analysis of rock-fluid, production, and pressure data.
Phase 2: Bibliographic review of the characteristics and benefits of the downhole heating cable system
and the different methods and approaches to represent its performance in the simulation model.
SPE-185498-MS 5

Phase 3: To correctly reproduce the initial conditions of the reservoir in the simulator, good vertical
equilibrium conditions has to be achieved by an integration of the static model and dynamic model
properties. For this stage, a single time step run is performed in the simulator, resulting in the visualization
of the simulation OOIP that would represent the original oil in place and this is compared with the OOIP
calculated through volumetric methods in the static model. Others parameters like presence of aquifers, gas
cap, transition zones, initial pressures are also observed and validated.
When comparing the static OOIP (16.52 MMBN) with the OOIP calculated by the simulator (16
MMBN) in Well Pad A, a difference of approximately 5% is observed, which is a good indicator that gives
reliability to the simulation process. The main factor that generates this difference is the form in which
the petrophysical properties are assigned in the two models. In the volumetric method, average values of
permeability, porosity and water saturations are assigned; While in simulation model these properties are
calculated in a reservoir characterization and modeling software that uses geostatistical methods to simulate
and assign the values of the petrophysical properties to each of the cells of a fine model, and then by
upscaling techniques it is represented in grid cells.
After the initialization, a history match of the production data of the well clusters was carried out. Having
a reliable history match of the production data guarantees that the reservoir conditions are represented,
however, this is one of the most demanding stages of a numerical simulation project and requires time
and effort for its realization. In this study, the cumulative production and rates of oil, gas and water were
considered for the wells of cluster A. The production data of all the wells in cluster A was loaded in to the
simulator (A-P03, A-P05, A-P10 and A-P13). Then the simulated production data was compared with the
real data to detect and correct any possible deviation from the simulation response to the real data. This
process was repeated for each well under evaluation and changes to reservoir properties were made until
a satisfactory match was achieved.
The behavior estimated by the simulator for the production rate of each of the producing wells was
satisfactory since the beginning of the history match stage, observing an excellent reproduction, both in
the production rate and cumulative, which is an indication that the geological and dynamics characteristics
modeled in the simulation grid are representative of the reservoir under evaluation. The following figures
show the results obtained in the historical comparison for wells A-P05, A-P03, A-P13. A-P10.
6 SPE-185498-MS

Figure 3—Oil Rate, history match for wells in the cluster A

Figure 4—Liquid Rate, history match for wells in the cluster A

Stage III: Comparison of the results obtained from cold production and with stimulation by including a
heater cable in the lateral section of the well A-PX.
Once a satisfactory history match of all the producing wells was reached, the trajectory of the well A-
PX was designed and incorporated into the simulation model considering the premises proposed in Stage
SPE-185498-MS 7

I. Then two runs were performed. One to predict the cold production profile of the well with the Flexwell
tool, which allows a correct calculation of the frictional pressure losses and heat losses because along the
horizontal section of the well. A second case was also ran, and the objective was to include in the stimulation,
the downhole electric heating cable system with a power of 180 KW in the lateral section of the well. (This
selected power was available as a proposal from the vendors at the time of this evaluation). The next figure
shows the horizontal path of the well in the simulation grid.

Figure 5—Representation of the A-PX well trajectory in the simulation grid

The following figure shows the cold production profile (oil rate and cumulative), in which it is observed
that the oil production rate with the stimulation with the heater system is 420 BPD, while the curve of the
prediction in cold is 330 BPD, resulting in a difference of 90 additional barrels between both scenarios. For
cold production has a cumulative oil the 1.147 X106 Barrels, while with the inclusion of the heater systems
is 1.315 × 106 Barrels.

Figure 6—Comparison of daily and accumulated cold production with the stimulation of the heater system
8 SPE-185498-MS

This difference is mainly due to the effect of increasing temperature and decreasing viscosity and friction
pressure losses inside the well, as shown in the following temperature profile. Where it is observed when
the well is stimulation of the heating system the temperature increases from 122 ° F to 170 ° F, decreasing
the viscosity from 3281 cP to 1219 cP

Figure 7—Temperature Profile of the Well A-PX versus Horizontal Section

Stage IV: Technical recommendation for the possible installation of downhole heating system.
The accumulated production differential obtained with the installation of the heater system is
approximately 168 × 103 Barrels, representing an additional 14.6% of the total accumulated production to
be recovered and a slight increase in the recovery factor of 1.02%. This reflects that the installation of the
heating system influences a minimum proportion in the recovery factor. However, it allows to accelerate
the accumulated production associated to the well through decreasing the frictional pressure losses and oil
viscosity in the lateral section because of the increase in temperature.
The heat flow rate that this technology can supply to a specific well will strongly depend on the way the
producing well is operated, for example if the well is being operated at a high pump speed, much of the
heat would be lost in the produced fluids; while operating the well at lower speeds will allow the heat to
remain in the near wellbore, maximizing its benefits in the reduction of the frictional pressure losses and
the reduction in the oil viscosities. However, this type of analysis was not considered in this project and
additional studies are needed to investigate the optimum speed of operation of the pump that will maximize
the heating effects in the well.
The application of this methodology allowed the selection of 4 additional candidate wells for the
implementation of the downhole heating system in a universe of more than 600 producing wells in an area
of 463 Km2.

Conclusions
An area pre-selection based on the phases described in stage I allows a significant reduction of the well
candidates to be considered in the project.
The representation of the production history through a history match in the simulation model allows to
obtain results with less uncertainty, thus guaranteeing the obtained results.
Defining the heating system to be installed in the wells, as well as the investigation of all its technical
details and the benefits associated with the production of heavy and extra heavy oil fields, allowed to
visualize and select the best potential reservoir areas for the technology implementation.
When the heating system was incorporated, an increase in the accumulated production was observed,
however this increase only reflects a small increase in the recovery factor of the well. However, the
SPE-185498-MS 9

production acceleration effects that are observed when this technology is implemented are due to the
reduction of the oil viscosity and the frictional pressure losses along the drain of the well.

Acknowledgment
The author would like to thanks the Engineers Pedro Coronil, Richard Velázquez, Yoel Vivas, Luis Pisani,
Luis Valencia y Carlos Maldonado.

Nomenclature
Kwh: Kilo watts-hour.
Cps: Centipoise