The Next Generation of Autonomous Inflow Control Device (AICD) for Water Control in Light Oil Applications

Abstract This paper presents the design and qualification of a new autonomous flow control device (AICD) for fluid control at the sand face. This device has the unique ability by taking advantages of both density and viscosity differences of the fluids. It controls the flow of the undesired fluid (water and gas) and avoids any binary (open/close) effect that can result in instability or worse stop production. This device is specifically designed to control water production in ultra-light and light applications and to further improve control of gas production. This new generation of AICD has been developed to enhance control of water by slowly throttling back as the water cut increases while avoiding closing prematurely at a certain water cut. Additional operational features such as last-minute capacity change, and the ability to circulate to the bottom have also been incorporated into the design for ease of installation and providing flexibility and adjustability even at the rig site. The device is designed to have an operating point towards open for oil and towards closed for water by careful force field analysis confirmed by single and multi-phase flow testing. Water, oil, and gas mixtures were tested in a state-of-the-art multi-phase loop to fully evaluate and model the flow behaviour under various regimes. Although not limited to oil viscosity, so far, the device shows excellent performance with oil viscosities as low as 0.5cP tested together with water to define the operating and control points at various water cuts. A full qualification matrix of debris, erosion and cycle testing was also completed and will also be presented in the paper. The available autonomous inflow control devices/devices in the market are not very effective at controlling water when oil viscosities are below 1cP in many applications. Also, another drawback is the possibility of becoming a "binary" open-close system and shutting off zones too early. This new device addresses both the above phenomena.