Using Downhole Control Valves to Sustain Oil

Production from the First Maximum Reservoir

Contact, Multilateral and Smart Well in
Ghawar Field: Case Study
Authors: Saeed M. Mubarak, Tony R. Pham, Sultan S. Al-Shamrani and Muhammad Shafiq

ABSTRACT
This article describes a case study detailing planning,
completion, testing, and production of the first Maximum
Reservoir Contact (MRC), Multilateral (ML) and Smart
Completion (SC) deployment in Ghawar field.
The well was drilled and completed as a proof of concept.
It was completed as a trilateral and was equipped with a SC
that encompasses a surface remotely controlled hydraulic
tubing, retrievable advanced system coupled with a pressure
and temperature monitoring system.
The SC provides isolation and downhole control of
commingled production from the laterals. Using the variable
position flow control valve, the well managed to improve and
sustain oil production by eliminating water production.
Monitoring the rate and the flowing pressure in real time
allowed optimal well production.
The appraisal and acceptance loop of the completion has
been closed by having this well completed, put on production
and tested. Approval of the concept was achieved when the
anticipated benefits were realized by monitoring the actual
performance of the well.
Leveraged knowledge from this pilot has provided an
insight into SC capabilities and implementation. Moreover, it
has set the stage for other developments within Saudi Aramco.

Modeling was used extensively to illustrate the potential

benefits of the incremental expenditure of MRC, ML wells
with SCs vs. conventional completions1, 2. Several authors
quantified potential gains from using such wells and
completions in the fields development3, 4.
HRDH-A12 is the first MRC, ML well that was equipped
with SCs in Ghawar field. It was drilled and completed as a
trilateral selective producer with a surface controlled, variable,
multi-positional hydraulic controlled system.
This article discusses a closed-loop approach that led to
efficient real time production optimization. The evaluation
loop of the technology was closed when the well was
completed, put on production and tested. Approval of the
concept was achieved when the anticipated benefits were
realized by monitoring the actual performance of the well.
This article describes a case study detailing planning,
completion, testing and production. It concludes with impact
and lessons learned for future SCs.

BACKGROUND
Haradh forms the southwest part of the Ghawar oil field
located about 80 km onshore from the Arabian Gulf in the
Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, Fig. 1. The Haradh field
consists of three increments where the initial production
started in May 1996 from Increment 1, followed by Increment
2 and 3 in April 2003, and January 2006, respectively.
Increment 1 was initially developed using mainly vertical
wells, while Increment 2 was developed with horizontal wells.
The subsequent Maximum Reservoir Contact (MRC),
Multilateral (ML) wells and Smart Completion (SC)
installations in Increment 2 were part of a proof of concept
project to test and evaluate the impact of these technologies on
reservoir, well performance and overall reservoir management
strategies. As a result of the proof of concept project,
Increment 3 was developed with MRC, ML wells with SCs.

Fig. 1. Ghawar field map.

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GENERAL GEOLOGY
The producing horizon at the well location belongs to the lower
member of the Arab-D formation, which is characterized by a
complex sequence of anhydrite and limestone events with
varying degrees of dolomitization. This particular well is
located in the west flank of Haradh Increment 2, in an area
characterized by heterogeneity in reservoir rock properties,
salinity and fluid movement. Fluid mechanism in this specific
area is highly influenced by the presence of fracture corridors
and strataform super permeability. The motherbore of this well
(L0) extends to the vicinity of the projected flood front while
the other laterals extend away from the flood front, Fig. 2.
The location dictated drilling a well that can capture real
time data, maximize control, optimize production, and
increase well value.

COMPLETION STRATEGY
After analyzing the reservoir data, SC solutions were sought
to meet reservoir and production main objectives, including
but not limited to:
Sustain well productivity.
Improve sweep.

The SC, using three variable downhole flow control valves,

was designed to provide control of the inflow from each open
hole section of the well, Fig. 3. These valves operate as
downhole chokes to restrict or completely shut off production
from any interval with increasing water cut over time.
Nodal analysis and production simulation were conducted
to design and optimize choke sizes. In turn, this enabled the
optimum downhole control setting during the production life
of the well, Fig. 4.
The completion was designed to meet the following key
objectives5:
Individual zonal production control with a remotely
controlled hydraulic flow control valve.
Real time reservoir pressure and temperature data.
Zonal isolation between the three laterals.
Equipment was qualified for the production life of the well.
A Permanent Downhole Monitoring System (PDHMS) was
selected to be placed above the top packer to monitor flowing
and shut-in pressures and temperatures. Flow control valves
are equipped with 11 positions, of which one is fully closed
and one is equivalent to the tubing flow area. The flow areas
of the remaining nine positions were individually designed to
represent the most optimum choke settings for the life of the

Provide selective control of multiple laterals.

Manage water production.
Minimize production interruptions.

COMPLETION DESIGN
The HRDH-A12 well was drilled in 2004, and was completed
with a 7 liner set horizontally into the Arab-D producing
interval. A 618 horizontal open hole was then drilled out from
the bottom of the 7 liner. Due to heavy losses while drilling
L0, a 4 liner was set covering part of this open hole section.
Two 618 horizontal sidetracks (L1 and L2) were then drilled
from the 7 liner completing the trilateral well. The well was
initially completed and put on production from barefoot
laterals. A year later, the well was worked over to install a SC.

Fig. 2. HRDH-A12 location.

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Fig. 3. HRDH-A12 SC schematic.

Fig. 4. Downhole choke valve flow area and recommended flow rate.

COMPLETION PERFORMANCE
A multidisciplinary team consisting of reservoir, drilling,
completion and production engineers, as well as the vendors
experts, was formed to assure smooth and successful
operation. The team applied a project management approach
to the design, planning and installation process.
The SC was subsequently installed in early April 2005.
During the equipment testing, installation and subsequent
flow testing of the well, each of the valves were actuated
through more than 10 complete cycles (110 position changes),
which is equivalent to several years of typical operation. As a
precautionary measure and to ensure the functionality of the
Downhole Control Valves, the valves were tested downhole
prior to setting the packers.
During testing of the well once the completion was installed,
a multiphase flow meter provided three-phase flow rate
measurements. This data along with the downhole pressure
and temperature measurements were transmitted in real time
for instantaneous analysis and subsequent decision making.

WELL PERFORMANCE

Fig. 5. Gauge, multiport packer and flow control valve.

well. The flow control device was successfully qualified with

1,320 individual cycles, and multiport packers were used for
this installation, Fig. 5.

DRILLING AND GEOSTEERING

The well was drilled across the top 10 ft of the Arab-D with a
total reservoir contact of 5.6 km, Table 1, and average porosity
of 18% which was accomplished through real-time geosteering.
During the drilling phase, the plan was revised regularly
based on actual zone depths. Due to sudden changes in
formation dip, a few deviations from the plan occurred.
Among the changes was the placing of the motherbore and L1
lower in the reservoir. Lateral 2, however, climbed to tight
anhydrite above the Arab-D and was steered back into good
porosity by having a sidetrack. During drilling, total loss of
returns was encountered in all three laterals.
The design of this trilateral honored the objective that
calls for having the proper separation between laterals to
avoid interference6.

Lateral
L0
L1
L2
Total
Table 1. Lateral lengths

Length
7.125 ft
4,042 ft
7,200 ft
18,367 ft

Prior to the installation of the SC, the well was put on

production from barefoot laterals. The well was tested at a
rate of 18,000 barrels per day (MBD) dry oil at a choke
setting of 95/64. The analysis of the transient test that was
conducted in June 2004 indicated a productivity index (PI) of
350 BPD/psi as compared to 17 or 31 BPD/psi for offset
vertical or horizontal wells. The well test indicated the
presence of anisotropy, which is in good agreement with the
image log results and loss of returns while drilling, which
indicates the presence of fractures/faults intersecting the
horizontal well.
Within two months of production, the well started
producing water. The last test prior to the workover indicated
a water cut of about 23% at an oil rate of 8 MBD.
Laterals Pressure Transit Testing

During the testing of the well post SC installation, short

duration buildups were performed on each lateral. The
productivity testing for each of the laterals was
accomplished by testing an individual lateral while the other
two laterals were closed. Buildup tests were conducted
following the production rate tests by shutting-in the well
using surface valves.
This was done to determine the PI of each lateral, which
helped to decide which downhole choke setting to use for each
lateral when the production is commingled. Details of the
initial productivities of the laterals are shown in Table 2.
If it were not for the SC and PDHMS capabilities,
conducting individual lateral transient tests in a
multilateral well would not be feasible and would require
intensive intervention.
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Lateral
L2
L1
L0

Transient Test Results

Productivity Index (PI)
(BPD/psi)
165
60
80

Table 2. Buildup test results

Test

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Downhole Choke Setting

L0

L1

L2

5
5
0
0
0
10
0

3
0
0
0
3
10
3

2
0
5
2
0
10
2

Rate

WC%

7.7
1.0
3.5
3.5
3.9
Dead
6.0

22
97
65
0
0

Table 3. Rate test results at variable downhole choke settings

Optimization of Downhole Choke Settings

The well started producing water after two months of

production. After five months of production at an average oil
rate of 8 MBD, the water cut had increased to 30%.
Upon that finding, a comprehensive rate test was done on
the well. The testing involved several downhole choke settings
combinations with an objective to come up with optimized
settings that honor the production strategy for the well and
the area, Table 3.
Test results indicated that L0 was completely wet while the
production rate and water cut from L1 were choke sensitive,
which is a possible indication of the existence of coning
through vertical fractures. The impact of natural fractures on
dominating production in L1 was controlled by using the
downhole flow control technology. For instance, when the
lateral operated at higher drawdown (i.e., higher downhole
choke setting), the water cut increased as water elevated via
vertical fractures, Fig. 6. The final configuration was adjusted

Fig. 6. Higher drawdown triggers water production through vertical fractures.

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to have L0 closed, L1 opened at a choke setting of 3 and L2

opened at a choke setting of 2, Fig. 6. Using the surface
choke, the total withdrawal of the well was restricted to an oil
rate of 5 MBD and 0% water cut. Since then, the well has
been producing at this rate with no water production.
Optimization of the SC downhole chokes settings resulted
in a significant improvement in well performance. Nodal
analysis was conducted to optimize the downhole choke
settings. Production optimization tools can be used as a step
toward intelligent and integrated application of SCs3.

CONCLUSIONS
Leveraged knowledge from this experiment provided insight
into SC capabilities and implementation; moreover, it set the
stage for other increment developments (i.e., Haradh
Increment 3). Several lessons learned of high impact can be
identified, most notably:
1. Quality control of the system is a priority for successful
implementation. This can be illustrated by function testing
the completion in hole prior to setting the packers.
2. HRDH-A12 could have been dead without SC.
3. Real time surveillance and control capabilities permit
proactive measures.
4. Downhole flow control can alleviate the natural fractures
impact on dominating production.
5. Smart Completions have demonstrated the potential to
reduce well interventions7.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank Saudi Aramco management
for permission to publish this article.

REFERENCES
1. Afaleg, N., Pham, T., Otaibi, U., Amos, S. and Sarda, S.:
Design and Deployment of Maximum Reservoir Contact
Wells with Smart Completions in the Development of a

Carbonate Reservoir, SPE paper 93138, presented at the

SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition,
Jakarta, Indonesia, April 5-7, 2005.
2. Mubarak, S., Afaleg, N.I., Pham, T.R., Zeybek, M. and
Soleimani, A.: Integrated Advanced Production Logging
and Near Wellbore Modeling in a Maximum Reservoir
Contact (MRC) Well, SPE paper 105700, presented at the
15th SPE Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference,
Kingdom of Bahrain, March 11-14, 2007.
3. Yeten, B., Durlofsky, L.J. and Aziz, K.: Optimization of
Smart Well Control, SPE paper 79031, presented at the
SPE International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil
Symposium and International Horizontal Well Technology
Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, November 4-7,
2002.
4. Saleri, N.G., Kaabi, A.O. and Muallem, A.S.:
Management Haradh III: A Milestone for Smart Fields,
Journal of Petroleum Technology, November 2006,
pp. 28-33.
5. Rundgren, G., Hydro, N., Algeroy, J., Hestenes, L.E.,
Jokela, T. and Raw, I.: Installation of Advanced
Completions in the Oseberg 30/9-B-38 B Well, SPE paper
71677, presented at the 2001 SPE Annual Technical
Conference and Exhibition held in New Orleans,
Louisiana, September 30 - October 3, 2001.
6. Nughaimish, F.N., Faraj, O.A., Al-Afaleg, N. and AlOtaibi, U.: First Lateral Flow-Controlled Maximum
Reservoir Contact (MRC) Well in Saudi Arabia: Drilling
and Completion: Challenges and Achievements: Case
Study, SPE paper 87959, presented at IADC/SPE Asia
Pacific Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, September 13-15, 2004.
7. Payne, J., et al.: Controlling Water Production Using
Intelligent Completion Technology in Multilaterals, Saih
Raw Field, Oman, presented at the 2003 Oil and Gas
Journal High Tech Well Conference, Galveston, Texas,
February 11-13, 2003.

BIOGRAPHIES
Saeed M. Al-Mubarak is a Supervisor
in the Southern Area Reservoir
Management Department, and a
specialist in Real-Time Reservoir
Management (RTRM) and Intelligent
Fields. He has been very involved in
the development, the design and the
implementation of Intelligent Fields and various advanced
well completion systems. Saeed has more than 15 years of
petroleum industry experience. His contributions to the
international technical community are numerous, including
his acceptance to be a Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)
Distinguished Lecturer in RTRM during 2009-2010. Saeed
received his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering in 1992
from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
(KFUPM), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and is currently
pursuing a M.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering from the
same university.
Tony R. Pham is a Senior Petroleum
Engineering consultant with more than
20 years of experience in the petroleum
industry. In 1976 he graduated with a
B.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering
from the Texas A&M University,
College Station, TX.
Sultan S. Al-Shamrani is a Reservoir
Engineer working in the Southern
Area Reservoir Management
Department. He has 5 years of
industry experience, mainly in new
field development and intelligent field
implementation. Sultan graduated
from the University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK in 2004 with a
B.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering.
Muhammad Shafiq is a Senior Advance
Completions Architect with Schlumberger
in Saudi Arabia. He is currently
responsible for real-time reservoir
monitoring and control. Muhammad has
12 years of oil field experience. He
received his B.S. degree in Petroleum
Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology,
Lahore, Pakistan in 1995.

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