A Novel Data-Driven Model for Dynamic Prediction and Optimization of Profile Control in Multilayer Reservoirs

Establishing reservoir numerical simulation and profile control optimization methods considering the mechanism of profile control has always been a difficult research problem at home and abroad. In this paper, firstly, a physics-based data-driven model was established on daily production data of injection and production wells following the principle of material balance. Key parameters including transmissibility, control pore volume, water injection allocation factors, and injection efficiency are derived directly from history matched model, and the dominated flow channels could be quantitatively identified. Then, combined with the evaluation results of the plugging ability of the plugging agent, imaginary well nodes are added to the existing interwell relationship to characterize the heterogeneity of interwell-specific parameters. This process performs flow processing along the interwell control units, forming a new and rapid method for simulation and prediction. Lastly, based on the calculated interwell transmissibility, water injection efficiency, and allocation factors, injection wells with low water injection efficiency can be preferentially selected as profile control wells. In addition, taking the production rates, injection rates, and the amount of plugging agent as optimization variables, we established an optimal control mathematical model and realized the parameter optimization method of the profile control. We demonstrated the results of one conceptual model and two indoor experiments to verify the feasibility of the proposed method and completed two actual field applications. Model validation and actual field application show that the proposed method successfully eliminates the complicated geological modeling procedure and the tedious calculation process associated with the profile control treatment in traditional numerical simulation methods. The calculation speed improves tens or hundreds of times, and water channeling paths are accurately identified. Most importantly, this method realizes the overall decision-making of profile control well selection, dynamic production prediction, and parameter optimization of profile control measures quickly and accurately by mainly using the daily production data of wells. The findings of this study can help for better understanding of the optimization design and application of on-site profile control schemes in large-scale oilfields.