Charles E Guthrie

US Patent:

20080283245, Nov 20, 2008

Filed:

May 16, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/749628

Inventors:

David Tuk - Fairfield CA, US
Anilkumar Patel - Fremont CA, US
Charles Guthrie - Richmond CA, US
Richard Cullip - Bakersfield CA, US
Mike Riddle - Napa CA, US

International Classification:

E21B 43/24

US Classification:

166302, 700300

Abstract:

The present invention includes a method and system for heat management in an oil field, the method including the steps of, on a first time interval: determine a thermal maturity for each subsurface region associated with a pattern of oil wells in the oil field, input the thermal maturity output from step (a)(i) and determine a latent heat target and steam injection target for each subsurface region; and input the latent heat target and steam injection target output from step (a)(ii) and a subsurface region development plan and recalibrate a steam optimizer policy engine, on a second time interval: using the recalibrated steam optimizer policy engine from step (a)(iii) and operating data, determine steam injection schedules; and collect operating data; and on a third time interval: input the thermal maturity output from step (i) and perform a periodic look-back process, thereby producing deviations from latent heat targets; and input the deviations from latent heat targets from step (c)(i) and re-determine the subsurface region development plan.