Fluid distribution determination and optimization with real time temperature measurement

Abstract

Fluid distribution determination and optimization using real time temperature measurements. A method of determining fluid or flow rate distribution along a wellbore includes the steps of: monitoring a temperature distribution along the wellbore in real time; and determining in real time the fluid or flow rate distribution along the wellbore using the temperature distribution. A method of optimizing fluid or flow rate distribution includes the steps of: predicting in real time the fluid or flow rate distribution along the wellbore; comparing the predicted fluid or flow rate distribution to a desired fluid or flow rate distribution; and modifying aspects of a wellbore operation in real time as needed to minimize any deviations between the predicted and desired fluid or flow rate distributions.

1 . A method of determining fluid distribution along a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
 monitoring a temperature distribution along the wellbore in real time; and   determining in real time the fluid distribution along the wellbore using the temperature distribution.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of optimizing the fluid distribution. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the optimizing step further comprises comparing a desired fluid distribution with the fluid distribution determined using the temperature distribution. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining step further comprises inputting the temperature distribution to a predictive device, so that the predictive device predicts the fluid distribution. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the predictive device includes a neural network. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of inputting the fluid distribution to an optimization device. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the optimization device modifies inputs to the predictive device, so that a deviation of the fluid distribution from a desired fluid distribution is minimized. 
   
   
       8 . A method of optimizing fluid distribution along a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
 predicting in real time the fluid distribution along the wellbore;   comparing the predicted fluid distribution to a desired fluid distribution; and   modifying aspects of a wellbore operation in real time as needed to minimize any deviations between the predicted and desired fluid distributions.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of monitoring a temperature distribution along the wellbore in real time, and wherein the predicting step further comprises predicting the fluid distribution along the wellbore using the temperature distribution. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the steps of monitoring a temperature distribution along the wellbore in real time, and determining a current fluid distribution along the wellbore using the temperature distribution. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the predicting step further comprises inputting a real time temperature distribution along the wellbore to a predictive device, so that the predictive device predicts the fluid distribution. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the predictive device includes a neural network. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the comparing step further comprises inputting the predicted fluid distribution to an optimization device. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the modifying step further comprises the optimization device modifying inputs to the predictive device, so that the deviation between the predicted and desired fluid distributions is minimized. 
   
   
       15 . A method of determining fluid distribution along a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
 inputting a fluid distribution to a model;   predicting temperature distribution along the wellbore using the model;   monitoring temperature distribution along the wellbore in real time; and   modifying the fluid distribution based on a comparison between the predicted temperature distribution and the monitored temperature distribution.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the predicting step further comprises predicting pressure distribution in the wellbore, the monitoring step further comprises monitoring pressure distribution in the wellbore, and wherein the modifying step further comprises modifying the fluid distribution based on a comparison between the predicted pressure distribution and the monitored pressure distribution. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the predicting step further comprises inputting at least one parameter to a model, so that the model predicts the temperature distribution. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of optimizing the fluid distribution by modifying the parameter input to the model, then predicting the temperature distribution based on the modified parameter, then modifying the fluid distribution based on a comparison between the predicted temperature distribution based on the modified parameter and the monitored temperature distribution. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of modifying the parameter based on a comparison between the modified fluid distribution and a desired fluid distribution after the step of modifying the fluid distribution based on the comparison between the predicted temperature distribution based on the modified parameter and the monitored temperature distribution. 
   
   
       20 . A method of determining flow rate distribution along a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
 monitoring a temperature distribution along the wellbore in real time; and   determining in real time the flow rate distribution along the wellbore using the temperature distribution.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of optimizing the flow rate distribution. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the optimizing step further comprises comparing a desired flow rate distribution with the flow rate distribution determined using the temperature distribution. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the determining step further comprises inputting the temperature distribution to a predictive device, so that the predictive device predicts the flow rate distribution. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the predictive device includes a neural network. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising the step of inputting the flow rate distribution to an optimization device. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the optimization device modifies inputs to the predictive device, so that a deviation of the flow rate distribution from a desired flow rate distribution is minimized.