Training Courses

Date: 14-15 October 2023
Duration: 2 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

Instructor: Roland N. Horne

Course Description: This Geothermal Reservoir Engineering 2-day course is designed by Dr. Roland N. Horne to teach participants how to:

• Apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering to applications of geothermal energy.
• Formulate and solve engineering problems related to applications of geothermal energy.
• Use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering computational tools necessary for engineering practice.

The course will cover the following areas:

Simple Reservoir Modeling

• Diagram conduction and convection; explain which applies to a geothermal reservoir.
• Sketch a Boiling Point for Depth (BPD) curve for a fluid-dominated system and a vapor-dominated system and explain why they are different.
• Explain how and why the amount of energy in place in steam vs. water differs depending on whether it is measured by mass, energy, or volume.
• Explain the relative amounts of heat energy stored in water, steam, and rock. (Note the implications for geothermal resource exploration and energy generation.)
• Calculate the amount of wastewater produced vs. useful energy output for the given conditions.

Analysis of Measurements in Wells

• Calculate heat loss to surroundings by conduction.
• Estimate flow rates based on temperature and pressure logs.
• Interpret temperature and pressure logs to determine feed zone depths.
• Interpret temperature and pressure logs to determine reservoir pressure and temperature.
• Estimate the energy loss during single-phase and multiphase flows in wells.

Reservoir Simulation

• Use p/z models to estimate steam reservoir size and ultimate recovery.
• Use decline curves to estimate recoverable reserves.
• Construct a reservoir simulation model of a reservoir.
• Perform natural state modeling and history matching.
• Perform forecasts of future reservoir performance.

Reinjection Design

• Understand the pressure, thermal and chemical changes that take place in the reservoir during reinjection.
• Design tracer tests for the analysis of reinjection.
• Interpret tracer tests using porous medium and fractured medium models.
• Optimize the reinjection strategy.
• Understand the range of experience in reinjection at geothermal fields worldwide.

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Date: 14-15 October 2023
Duration: 2 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

Instructor: Dr. Birol Dindoruk

Course Description: Concept of gas injection and what miscibility means and not.

Gas flooding involves many aspects of engineering, from surface facilities to production engineering to reservoir engineering. There are also newer theories and their applications, especially in the context of miscibility development and assessment as summarized by Dindoruk et al. [3]. Some of the renewed momentum in gas flooding also comes from the potential for subsurface CO2 sequestration and other gases (H2,CH4, etc.) storage to lower the overall footprint of greenhouse gases. More than ever, there is a wider envelope of applications for petroleum engineers that includes coupled CO2 sequestration and geothermal energy production.

This class will focus on the key topics of gas injection processes that covers both EOR and as well as CO2 sequestration aspects, fundamentals, practical measurements and workflows.  In the class, we will emphasize use cases and various examples including experimental processes.  As the complexity of in-situ fluids and the reservoir conditions become more challenging, progress in the computational area is also being made. Therefore, complex fluids and their implications in the context of gas injection processes will be inherently part of this class. One of the new topics that we will also introduce is the use of data-centric/machine learning methods to estimate MMP as one of the key parameters of screening/design.

1. Introduction and basic concepts  

• Welcome, Course Overview 
• EOR methods: Why Gas Injection
• Overview of EOR Techniques and the Historical Progress of Gas injection
• Background (brief): displacement in porous media (microscopic to macroscopic: Scale-up)
• Primary vs Non-Primary production
• Impact of heterogeneity
• Capillary number
• Relative permeability
• Capillary pressure
• Mobility ratio
• Flood patterns
• Diffusion/dispersion, etc.
• Displacement/multiphase flow in porous media
• Generalization of Buckley-Leverett Theory
• Numerical solution of underlying material balance equations: Numerical dispersion and Numerical Peclet number. 
• Binary and ternary systems (and multicomponent systems)
• Gas injection: EOR, CO2 Sequestration, Gas Storage
• HC gases
• CO2
• N2
• H2
• Solvents and solvents with water
• Gas Pipelines/Transportation: source & sinks for CO2, and H2
• Phase behavior of injectants and in-situ fluids (HC’s, CO2, Solvents, Aqueous Fluids)

2. Miscibility, Solubility - interaction of phase behavior and flow (time permitting)

• What is solubility and miscibility
• MMP, MME, FCM

3. Quantification of MMP

• Essential data/experiments
• Correlations 
• Scale-up for Simulation

4. Pseudo-miscible systems: Koval’s method & variants

5. Mobility Control/Coverage

• GOGD/Fractured systems
• WAG, viscosification of gases, foams

6. CO2 and Aqueous systems 

• CO2 solubility in aqueous systems
• CO2 dry-out
• CO2 - cooling
• Top of the line corrosion

7.  Implications of Compositional Grading
8.  New Developments: Pore Proximity, experimental shortcuts  etc.

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Date: 14-15 October 2023
Duration: 2 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

Instructor: Carlos Torres

Course Description: 

This course is designed for those with a basic coiled tubing understanding, aiming toward deepening their knowledge on the technical design and specific applications

Topics:

• Coiled Tubing Design-Execution-Evaluation cycle
• Tubing Forces design – advanced applications
• Fishing, setting tools, extended reach, shifting tools.
• Coiled Tubing advanced string design
• Hourglass taper, high strength light strings, quench-tempered strings
• What is the application for each string
• Coiled Tubing Fishing applications (BHA, design considerations, evaluation)
• Coiled Tubing downhole motors and special tools applications
• Cementing through Coiled Tubing
• Extended reach operations

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Date: 14-15 October 2023
Duration: 2 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

Instructor: Chris R. Clarkson

Course Description: This course introduces a workflow and reviews methods for performing quantitative rate-transient analysis of fractured vertical and multi-fractured horizontal wells (MFHWs), produced from unconventional (low-permeability) gas and light oil reservoirs, including shales. State-of-the-art methods to account for unconventional reservoir complexities, such as multi-phase flow and stress-dependent permeability, are introduced, and their application is demonstrated using field examples. Techniques for analysis of both long-term (online) production and short-term (flowback) data are discussed.

Upon completion of this course, participants should:

• Recognize typical flow-regimes observed for MFHWs completed in unconventional reservoirs, and understand how to identify them using diagnostic plots
• Understand the origin of some important RTA models used to analyze unconventional reservoirs
• Understand how to correct for variable operating conditions and fluid properties
• Be conversant with straight-line (flow regime analysis) and type-curve methods, and how they are used to derive fracture/reservoir properties and fluid in place
• Be familiar with how unconventional reservoir properties may be incorporated into RTA models
• Be conversant with a rigorous workflow for the analysis of unconventional reservoir production data

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Date: 15 October 2023
Duration: 1 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

Instructor: Rawdon Seager and Nicholas J. Fulford

Course Description: As part of the international effort to combat global warming, significant attention is being given to ways to sequester (store for the long-term) carbon dioxide, which is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect. It is therefore critical that there is a universal means to record the storage volumes by recognizing the maturity of the projects to be implemented and the confidence that can be placed in the estimated sequestered volumes.

This course will look at some of the ways in which carbon dioxide can be stored and provide a detailed review of the SRMS framework prepared by the Society of Petroleum Engineers to classify and categorize the storage volumes. The course will include example calculations to show how the storage quantities can be estimated. 

In addition, the course will cover the economics of CCS in the context of the various carbon pricing and policy incentives that are being developed, with an assessment of the risks involved in capture, transport, and storage.  The economic framework in which CCS operates around the world will be described, with examples given to illustrate how the investment case is evolving.

Although there are a number of business models emerging, the most popular of these will be set out, with a description of how risks are being assessed and allocated between project participants, host governments and lenders.

Topics:

The first part of the course will provide:

• An overview of carbon capture, utilization and storage, including the role of greenhouse gasses in global warming
• Discussion of typical modes of storage of carbon dioxide in saline aquifers and depleted oil and gas fields
• Detailed review of the SRMS, including principles and key definitions
• Discussion of economics and evaluation methods
• The methodologies are illustrated with examples

The economic and commercial features of the course will cover:

• The cost base involved in capture, transmission, and storage
• Carbon pricing methodologies and their relevance to CCS
• The emerging investment case for CCS around the world, including policy support and incentives
• The CCS business model and risk allocation

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Date: 15 October 2023
Duration: 1 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

Instructor: George King

Course Description: Hydraulic fracturing places both static and dynamic stresses on casing and completion components that may not be apparent in conventional design programs. Non-uniform loading of formations, casing and cement may be driven by cyclic pressures of several thousand psi, temperature swings of over 100o F, erosion by proppant, and shock loading of the completed well. These problems can result in both temporary and permanent deformation or even well failure in rare cases. This course examines real-world case histories of casing deformation and isolation failure linked directly or indirectly to fracturing-induced stresses and covers the design and operational changes necessary to mitigate these problems. This 1-day course is example based and delivered as a lecture with videos, downhole measurements, and case histories.

Agenda:

• Introduction – where damage is occurring and general occurrence frequency in basins.
• Basics of well design for fracturing – vertical and horizontal – from wellhead to toe.
• Dog Leg Severity – reported and actual values, causes, and potential corrections.
• Coupling selection – makeup, stresses, problems, and solutions.
• Cementing issues – bonding vs annular fill, importance of TOC in design and execution
• Max pressures during fracturing and cyclic pressure fatigue of tubulars and cement
• Erosion from wellhead to toe – cause and avoidance.
• Temperature effect on tubular collapse resistance from cool frac fluids in hot formations
• Shock loading impacts on pipe and formation.
• Effects of annular pressure.
• Ovaling of the casing and risk of stuck frac plugs.
• Fracture driven interactions (aka “Frac Hits”) damage to parent and child wells.
• Risks faced in refracturing.
• Repair methods

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Date: 15 October 2023
Duration: 1 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

 Instructor: Darcy Spady and Kristian Martens

Course Description: This one-day session will include a view of best practices for decarbonization with a focus on fugitive methane reduction. It will include global and local examples of carbon regulations, give tools for de-risking regulatory compliances and field-proven methane reduction technology cases. It will be introduced within the framework of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and regional Environmental and Social Metrics as proposed by governments or regulators, including the OGMP 2.0 standard. This is especially relevant to oil and gas production and the consequent action/strategies producers need to have in place for Regulators, Banks, Investors and Governments. In particular, the session will include technical discussions regarding key methane management compliance such as fugitive emissions and case studies of implemented solutions – pneumatic device replacement, elimination of tank venting, compressor seal replacement, and elimination/recycling of casing gas. The session will also look at the typical data management requirements. It will also cover strategic planning, emissions quantification methodologies, facility design, data management, pneumatics, compression, leak detection and flaring.

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Date: 15 October 2023
Duration: 1 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

 Instructor: Dr. Rajan Chokshi 

Course Description: In this hands-on course, the participants will learn some of the techniques and workflows applied to artificial lift and production while reviewing code and practicing. The focus will be on the development of data-driven models while reviewing the underlying artificial lift principles.

After introducing data science and analytics techniques, the course will discuss some business use cases that are amenable to data-driven workflows. Two or three problems will be presented during the training. For each case there will be a demonstration of the solution of such a problem using a data analysis technique with Python code deployed in the Google-cloud. Then there will be an opportunity to solve the problems and tweak solution variables using a provided data set.

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Date: 15 October 2023
Duration: 1 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

Instructor: Jeanne Perdue 

Course Description: Unlike generic technical writing courses, this petroleum-specific class will focus on upstream jargon and oil industry writing standards following the Society of Petroleum Engineers Style Guide. Developed for engineers and geoscientists, especially those with English as a second language, this course starts by defining the parts of speech as building blocks, then teaches students how to build strong sentences, paragraphs, and documents that are clear, concise, and correct. Grammar, usage, capitalization, and punctuation rules are covered using good and bad writing examples taken from real-life oil industry writings. Microsoft Word tips for formatting text, figures, tables, and equations will be shared, along with editing and proofreading techniques for polishing the final writing product.

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Date: 15 October 2023
Duration: 1 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

 Instructor: Ashwin Venkatraman

Course Description: Conventional mature fields spread across the world – USA, Russia, Canada, Middle East, North Africa, South America and Southeast Asia, contribute to as much as 70% of all world’s oil. The cheapest and the quickest way to add oil is to increase from existing producing fields. Accordingly, the current challenges to meet world energy needs have increased focus on conventional mature fields. These fields are characterized by the availability of data and hence, lend themselves well to use of new digital tools to identify using unique workflows opportunities to increase oil production.

The democratization of advanced algorithms and the availability of data in conventional mature fields lend themselves well to their adoption of new subsurface workflows. These new workflows aided by digital tools can drastically improve decision making on improving recovery by no CAPEX expenditures (redistributing water/gas/chemicals being injected amongst current wells) or identifying where next to drill the injection or production well.

Digital tools that use these advanced algorithms can be a key differentiator and organizations are already unlocking higher recoveries from existing fields. The availability of data and democratization of these advanced algorithms is changing the landscape of subsurface workflows – helping create as well as improve existing ones. We are in an exciting phase in the industry where access as well as ease of using these advanced tools is transforming decision making in organizations.

In this course, we will start by reviewing new modeling techniques – analytics, machine learning, reduced physics and their applicability in determining relationships. We will showcase how each of these tools and techniques have been successfully applied to field data. Using successful deployment case studies, we show how combination of these tools help create hybrid models that address shortcomings associated with individual approaches We will focus on two specific applications – optimizing injection operations in conventional mature fields (gas injection, water injection or polymer/surfactant injection) as well as opportunities to accelerate field development planning for brownfields as well as greenfields.

Topics

• Review of data mining techniques, machine learning and reduced physics along with hands on sessions on how to access them easily over open-source platforms - Python and Google’s Tensor Flow.
• Constructing hybrid models that combine different models – the shortcomings of using individual approaches versus the hybrid approach and hands on sessions explaining the same using field data.
• Application of digital hybrid tools to specific subsurface data and the successful implementation that lead to optimization/decision making for current producing fields.
• Successful case studies of hybrid models to optimize water and/or gas injection operations in conventional fields by application of these digital hybrid tools
• Successful case studies that demonstrate integration of these advanced modeling tools with existing workflows of reservoir simulation to accelerate field development planning

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Date: 15 October 2023
Duration: 1 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

 Instructor: Srikanta Mishra

Course Description:  There is a growing trend towards the use of statistical modeling and data analytics for analyzing the performance of petroleum reservoirs. The goal is to “mine the data” and develop data-driven insights to understand and optimize reservoir response. The process involves: (1) acquiring and managing data in large volumes, of different varieties, and at high velocities, and (2) using statistical techniques to discover hidden patterns of association and relationships in these large, complex, multivariate datasets. However, the subject remains a mystery to most petroleum engineers and geoscientists because of the statistics-heavy jargon and the use of complex algorithms.

This workshop will provide an introduction to statistical modeling and data analytics for reservoir performance analysis by focusing on: (a) easy-to-understand descriptions of the commonly-used concepts and techniques, and (b) case studies demonstrating the value-added proposition for these methods. A software demonstration session will present the application of open-source software for solving problems.

Topics:

• Terminology and basic concepts of statistical modeling and data analytics
• Exploratory data analysis and basic linear regression modeling (for building a baseline input-output model)
• Multivariate data reduction and clustering (for finding sub-groups of data that have similar attributes)
• Machine learning for regression and classification (for developing data-driven input-output models from production data as an alternative to physics-based models)
• Proxy construction using experimental design (for building fast statistical surrogate models of reservoir performance from simulator outputs for history matching and uncertainty analysis)

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Date: 15 October 2023
Duration: 1 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

 Instructor: Dr. Shahab D. Mohaghegh

Course Description: Engineering application of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning will significantly address Climate Change in the next several decades. The main reason of positive and important contribution of Artificial Intelligence to Climate Change has much to do with its engineering application that mainly uses reality and facts and avoids marketing, business, and political ideas. Part of the CCS-Analytics incorporates Reservoir Engineering application of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning for CO2 Storage in geological formations in order to positively impact Climate Change through science and technology.

Topics:

• Climate Change
• Carbon Capture and Storage (Sequestration)
• Basics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
• Engineering Application of Artificial Intelligence
• CCS-Analytics
• CCS-Analytics for Greed Fields
• CCS-Analytics for Depleted Hydrocarbon Reservoirs
• CCS-Analytics Case Studies

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Date: 19 October 2023
Duration: 1 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

 Instructor: Aaron Burton

Course Description: This course gives an overview for completing, fracturing, and refracturing shales and other low-permeability formations that require multistage hydraulic fracturing. Participants will learn the primary types of wellbore completion options, plug-and-perf, ball-activated systems, and coiled tubing-activated systems, and how they compare in different applications. Participants will also learn hydraulic fracturing and refracturing theory and design, including slick-water fracturing, cross-linked gels, fluids, proppants, additives, refracturing options, and identifying refracturing candidates.

Topics:

• Multistage completion options
  • Plug-and-perf completions
  • Ball-activated completion systems
  • Coiled-tubing-activated completion systems
• Benefits and considerations for each completion option
• Application comparison of completion options
• General fracturing theory and design
• Selection of fracturing components – fluids, proppants, etc.
• Fracturing challenges – proppant transport, conductivity, fracture geometry, etc.
• Stimulation Design Optimization – stage placement, risk mitigation
• Refracturing theory and challenges
• Identifying refracturing candidates
• Refracturing options and design considerations

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify the different types of multistage completions
• Recognize the benefits and considerations for each type of completion system
• Use knowledge gained to select completion based on their specific application
• Understand theory and design of fracturing and refracturing wells
• Compare the application specific challenges for a fracturing and refracturing job
• Apply knowledge gained to their fracturing and refracturing application

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Date: 19 October 2023
Duration: 1 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

 Instructor: Ashwin Venkatraman

Course Description: Data driven modeling is becoming a key differentiation to unlock higher recoveries from existing fields as well as identify new opportunities. The availability of data and democratization of these advanced algorithms is changing the landscape of subsurface workflows – helping create as well as improve existing ones. We are in an exciting phase in the industry where access as well as ease of using these advanced tools is transforming decision making in organizations.

In this course, we will start by introducing advanced analytical tools and techniques - machine learning and data mining algorithms used to identify of trends and patterns in any given dataset and predict future trends. We will showcase how each of these tools and techniques have been successfully applied to subsurface data - formation evaluation data, well testing data, reservoir data as well as data from surface facilities. We shall also present case studies of how integration of this seemingly disparate data can be done through new workflows that help identify opportunities to increase recovery. Finally, we will draw important distinctions between the more traditionally used forward models (physics-based approach such as reservoir simulation) and these statistics-based models. Using a case study that demonstrates integration of these two approaches, we shall conclude by a drawing out a framework for integration of these tools in your existing workflows.

In summary, this course looks at successful application of machine learning and data analytics in E&P industry in the last several years. We will start with fundamentals of data mining algorithms, machine learning algorithms (neural networks, decision tree analysis) and present their successful implementation on subsurface data. The course is devoted to field application of these tools and techniques with focus on production optimization and optimization of water/gas injection operations.

Topics:

• Introduction to advanced analytical tools and techniques that includes data mining and machine learning algorithms along with means to access them easily over open source platforms - Python and Google’s Tensor Flow.
• Application of each of these tools to specific subsurface data and the successful implementation that lead to optimization/decision making.
• Sweet spots/new acreage identification as well as likely optimum frac stages for unconventional production using existing reservoir data as well as public data.
• Application of artificial neural networks for a) predictive maintenance on surface facilities, b) identifying lithology by formation evaluation data and c) fluid characterization
• Optimize water and/or gas injection operations in conventional fields by application of these advanced tools on production data collected as part of surveillance
• Framework to integrate these advanced modeling tools with existing workflows such as reservoir simulation using case study to explain the same.

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Date: 19 October 2023
Duration: 1 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

 Instructor: Victor van Asperen

Course Description: This course describes different types of separators and scrubbers for a desired performance, how to design, and how to troubleshoot and debottleneck. We focus on gas-liquid separation with emphasis on liquid removal from gas. Discussions will begin with descriptions of two and three phase separators. The course then covers fundamental separator/scrubber design principles including inlet piping and motion effects on performance.  Internals for enhancing separation performance will then be explained. A brief overview of inline and subsea separation will be presented. Troubleshooting and debottlenecking examples of separators and scrubbers will be discussed.

• Different types of Separators and scrubbers
• Different types of separator and scrubber internals
• Theoretical sizing of separators and scrubbers
• Effect of inlet geometry on separation performance
• Case histories

Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Identify, understand and select different types of separators for a desired service
• Identify, understand and select different types of internals for a specified performance
• Understand and discuss the theoretical basis for sizing separators
• Make a basic sizing/design for a two or three phase separator/scrubber’
• Troubleshoot separation problems in the field

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Date: 19 October 2023
Duration: 1 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

 Instructor: Carl Montgomery

Course Description: The course presents the fundamentals of hydraulic fracturing, along with addressing the general process, the "terminology," and many of the "real-world" problems - in a concise format. The overall emphasis of the day is how hydraulic fracturing fits-in with, is impacted by, or impacts geologic concerns, reservoir engineering, and operations. The day will provide a general familiarity with fundamentals of the complete hydraulic fracturing process. That is - why it works (or doesn't), where is it applicable, and what might be considered in order to "do better."

Topics:

• Introduction – What is fracturing?
• Reservoir Engineering Aspects of Fracturing
  • What can fracturing do?
  • What type of fracture do I want?
• Fracturing
  • Impact of geologic environment
  • Major fracture variables, i.e., can I create the fracture I want?
• Candidate Selection
  • Combines the above discussion into discrete "Candidate Recognition" examples
• Fracturing Materials
• Diagnostics
  • How do I know if I achieved my goal?

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Date: 19 October 2023
Duration: 1 day, 08:00 - 17:00 CST

 Instructor: Mathias Carlsen and Dave Anderson

Course Description: Two common goals of Rate Transient Analysis (RTA) are the quantification of early time well performance using the Linear Flow Parameter (LFP), as well as the contacted pore volume being drained (e.g. OOIP and OGIP). These two parameters are essential for understanding the effects of completions, geology, and depletion which then advises different strategies for optimizing the economics of future development.

We’ll cover the following topics in the course:

• RTA inputs:
  • Production data
  • PVT
  • Bottomhole pressures
• RTA What’s New?
  • Multiphase Flowing Material Balance (FMB)
  • Analytical & Numerical RTA
  • Classical vs. Fractional RTA
• Numerical reservoir simulation/modeling
• Example Cases & Exercises

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