Research Progress and Prospects of Intelligent Well Completion Technology

Intelligent well completion technology, as a key means to enhance the efficiency of oil and gas field development, has evolved from its early exploratory phase into a mainstream solution encompassing three major technical types: hydraulic control, electric control, and electro-hydraulic composite control. The core of this technological system lies in the integration of key elements such as downhole monitoring, downhole control, data transmission, and the surface control center. Through its large-scale application in numerous oil fields worldwide, it has significantly improved oil and gas recovery rates and extraction efficiency. In recent years, research has focused on improving the system's long-term operational stability, control precision, and the integration of data acquisition systems. However, the field still faces key challenges, including the long-term reliability of hydraulic systems, bottlenecks in electric flow control technology, and optimization of complex electro-hydraulic composite control systems. This review aims to systematically outline the development trajectory of intelligent well completion technology from its initial exploration to the current multi-type approach, analyze its application outcomes and frontier trends, and deeply examine the practical challenges it faces, with the goal of providing industry decision-makers with a comprehensive technical evolution map, clarifying future development trends, and identifying potential technological breakthroughs.