Nontechnical Guide to Petroleum Geology, Exploration

Petroleum Engineering 416
Production Enhancement
Credit 3: (3-0)
Senior Technical Elective
Spring 2009 – M W 4:10-5:25 pm, RICH 208
Instructor: Dr. G. Falcone
Office: RICH 407J
Office Hours: TBC
Phone: 847-8912
e-mail: gioia.falcone@pe.tamu.edu
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Description: Design, diagnosis and solving of production problems, and optimization of the technologies
that increase oil and gas well performance. The course begins with a review of the basic principles of reservoir,
wellbore and surface facilities modeling, leading onto solutions to integrate the different elements of a production
system and maximize the recoverable reserves from a field. During the course, the students will be assigned
group project work with the task of optimizing the production from a given field case using commercial software.
Course Objectives: At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Explain the fundamentals of integrated production systems – the underlying principles and the coupling
techniques used to solve them.
2. Build an integrated production model – construct the dataset, execute the simulator, review the results
using post-processing software.
• Perform a critical review and screening of available input data.
• Use sound engineering judgement to estimate values of missing data required to execute the
simulator.
• Generate and review results to extract relevant information from which the conclusions required to
make business decisions can be drawn.
3. Select methods to optimize a production system and maximize the recoverable reserves from a field,
given the physical constraints dictated by the production system itself and knowing the limitations of
current modeling tools.
4. Identify bottlenecks in a production system
5. Define the concept of “flow assurance” and recognize situations where under- and over-designed
production systems can affect the ultimate recovery from a reservoir.
6. Effectively present the results of an engineering study, both orally and in written reports.
7. Work effectively in a team environment, under time constraints.
Prerequisites: PETE 410, 323, 310, 311, 325.
Recommended Study Material:
• Well Performance, M. Golan, C.H. Whitson, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1991.
• Reservoir Engineering Handbook, T. Ahmed, Gulf Professional Publishing, 2001.
• Petroleum Production Systems, M.J. Economides, A.D. Hill, and C. Ehlig-Economides,
Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1994.
• Petroleum Engineering Handbook, edited by H.B. Bradley, Society of Petroleum Engineers,
1987.
• Supplemental papers from the literature and course notes.
Topics Covered:
• Introduction to integrated production systems: the production system as a network of components
through which underground hydrocarbons must flow to reach the surface.