Abstract: A physical pipeline network is decomposed into multiple subnetworks. The subnetworks include upstream subnetworks and at least one downstream subnetwork. A network solver is executed on the upstream subnetworks in parallel to obtain a set of boundary conditions and a set of control device settings. The set of boundary conditions and a set of control device settings are then used to execute the network solver on the downstream subnetwork and obtain a result having another set of control device settings. The network solver may repeat executions until convergence is achieved. When convergence is achieved, the result is presented.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for fugitive emission detection. In some embodiments, the method can include planning and performing aerial inspections of a plurality of structures within one or more facilities by determining a flight path for a scanning of fugitive emissions from a plurality of structures within one or more facilities. The flight path can cover a set of structure clusters that can be serviced by a base. The method can also include using a computer-implemented clustering method to identify the set of structure clusters that can be serviced by the respective base. The clustering method can be a hierarchical multilevel clustering method. The method can also include scanning the plurality of structures for fugitive emissions using an airborne sensor. The airborne sensor can be mounted to a flight vehicle launched from the base. The method can also include classifying the plurality of structures based on results of the scanning.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling gas lift in at least one production well, which determine a quadratic function that relates flow rate or value of oil produced from a production well to gas flow rate for gas injected into the production well based on flow rate measurements for gas injected into the production well and corresponding flow rate measurements of oil produced from the production well. The quadratic function is used to determine an optimal flow rate for gas injected into the production well. The optimal flow rate for gas injected into the production well is used to control the flow rate of gas injected into the production well, and an oil flow rate produced from the production well is measured at the optimal gas flow rate for iterative processing to refine the quadratic function and determination of optimal gas flow rate if need be.

Abstract: A method can include receiving production fluid flow rate data from a well in a field that includes a plurality of wells; generating a gas lift profile for the well using the production fluid flow rate data; solving a system of equations representing at least two gas lift profiles for at least two of the plurality of wells to generate results; and issuing an instruction based at least in part on the results to control gas lift for production of fluid by the well.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system are provided for receiving reservoir data associated with the reservoir. A simulation may be performed on the reservoir data to generate simulated reservoir data. A subset of realizations including a minimal number of realizations from a plurality of realizations may be determined based upon, at least in part, one or more statistical moments of the simulated reservoir data. An optimized reservoir model associated with an objective may be generated based upon, at least in part, the subset of realizations including the minimal number of realizations.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing oilfield rig fleet scheduling and deployment are disclosed. Wells are identified to have time constraints by which they are grouped into “ON”, “BY”, and “ADD” categories. ON wells have a beginning drilling availability window; BY wells have an ending drilling availability time only; and ADD wells have no beginning or ending time of drilling availability. The systems and methods optimize scheduling with ON wells having higher priority than BY wells, and BY wells having higher priority than ADD wells.

Abstract: A physical pipeline network is decomposed into multiple subnetworks. The subnetworks include upstream subnetworks and at least one downstream subnetwork. A network solver is executed on the upstream subnetworks in parallel to obtain a set of boundary conditions and a set of control device settings. The set of boundary conditions and a set of control device settings are then used to execute the network solver on the downstream subnetwork and obtain a result having another set of control device settings. The network solver may repeat executions until convergence is achieved. When convergence is achieved, the result is presented.

Abstract: A method is provided for mitigating fugitive methane emission, which includes scanning a plurality of facilities for fugitive methane emission using an airborne sensor, and classifying the plurality of facilities based on results of the scanning. Optionally, further inspection of at least one facility of the plurality of facilities can be performed to detect and locate fugitive methane emission based on the classifying. Optionally, at least one facility can be selectively repaired based on the further inspection in order to mitigate fugitive methane emission. In another aspect, a planning workflow is provided that employs a clustering method to define cluster data representing a set of facility clusters in a geographical region that are associated with a particular base.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system are provided for receiving reservoir data associated with the reservoir. A simulation may be performed on the reservoir data to generate simulated reservoir data. A subset of realizations including a minimal number of realizations from a plurality of realizations may be determined based upon, at least in part, one or more statistical moments of the simulated reservoir data. An optimized reservoir model associated with an objective may be generated based upon, at least in part, the subset of realizations including the minimal number of realizations.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling gas lift in at least one production well, which determine a quadratic function that relates flow rate or value of oil produced from a production well to gas flow rate for gas injected into the production well based on flow rate measurements for gas injected into the production well and corresponding flow rate measurements of oil produced from the production well. The quadratic function is used to determine an optimal flow rate for gas injected into the production well. The optimal flow rate for gas injected into the production well is used to control the flow rate of gas injected into the production well, and an oil flow rate produced from the production well is measured at the optimal gas flow rate for iterative processing to refine the quadratic function and determination of optimal gas flow rate if need be.

Abstract: Managing oilfield operations include obtaining a subsurface model including a fracture design model having an fracture property with an uncertain value. A set of representative values that represent uncertainty in the fracture property is obtained and used to solve an oilfield optimization problem with a control variable to obtain a solution. The solution includes an optimal value for the control variable. Based on the solution, an oilfield design is generated and stored.

Abstract: A technique for reducing harmonic vibration in a multiplex multi-pump system. The technique includes establishing a lower bound of system specific vibration-related information such as via pressure variation or other vibration indicator. Establishing the lower bound may be achieved through simulation with the system or through an initial sampling period of pump operation. During this time, random perturbations through a subset of the pumps may be utilized to disrupt timing or phase of the subset. Thus, system vibration may randomly increase or decrease upon each perturbation. Regardless, with a sufficient number of sampled perturbations, the lower bound may be established. Therefore, actual controlled system operations may proceed, again employing random perturbations until operation of the system close to the known lower bound is substantially attained.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing oilfield rig fleet scheduling and deployment are disclosed. Wells are identified to have time constraints by which they are grouped into “ON”, “BY”, and “ADD” categories. ON wells have a beginning drilling availability window; BY wells have an ending drilling availability time only; and ADD wells have no beginning or ending time of drilling availability. The systems and methods optimize scheduling with ON wells having higher priority than BY wells, and BY wells having higher priority than ADD wells.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer readable storage medium perform oilfield-wide optimization in a field with a plurality of wells, with each well including a well flow rate management mechanism controlled by an associated well controller. In a central controller, a network simulation model functioning as a proxy of the field is accessed to determine an optimal allocation solution for the field, and a well-specific control signal is generated for each of the plurality of wells based upon the determined optimal allocation solution. The well-specific control signal for each of the plurality of wells is communicated to cause the associated well controller to control a flow rate management parameter associated with the well flow rate management mechanism for the well.

Abstract: Oilfield management includes obtaining a binary variable array describing configurable elements of an oilfield design, partitioning the binary variable array into subgroups, and applying a transformation function to each subgroup to obtain an integer variable for each subgroup. An optimization problem is solved on the binary variable array by treating the integer variable as a continuous variable to obtain a solution, and the transformation function of each subgroup is applied to the solution to obtain a design pattern. Based on the design pattern, the oilfield design is generated.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and program product perform lift optimization in a field with a plurality of wells, with each well including an artificial lift mechanism controlled by an associated well controller. In a central controller, a network simulation model functioning as a proxy of the field is accessed to determine an optimal allocation solution for the field, and a well-specific control signal is generated for each of the plurality of wells based upon the determined optimal allocation solution. The well-specific control signal for each of the plurality of wells is communicated to the associated well controller to cause the associated well controller to control a lift parameter associated with the artificial lift mechanism for the well.

Abstract: A technique for reducing harmonic vibration in a multiplex multi-pump system. The technique includes establishing a lower bound of system specific vibration-related information such as via pressure variation or other vibration indicator. Establishing the lower bound may be achieved through simulation with the system or through an initial sampling period of pump operation. During this time, random perturbations through a subset of the pumps may be utilized to disrupt timing or phase of the subset. Thus, system vibration may randomly increase or decrease upon each perturbation. Regardless, with a sufficient number of sampled perturbations, the lower bound may be established. Therefore, actual controlled system operations may proceed, again employing random perturbations until operation of the system close to the known lower bound is substantially attained.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and program product generate a flow control device design for well completions in one or more wells of an oilfield in part by equipping a reservoir simulation model with multiple flow control device proxies represented by one or more generalized expressions for pressure drop including multiple tunable parameters associated with various physical flow control devices. Multiple reservoir simulations are then run using the reservoir simulation model to optimize an objective function based on at least a subset of the tunable parameters such that an optimal set of values determined from the optimization may be used to select flow control device types for the well completions.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for managing a subterranean formation including collecting information about a flow control valve in a wellbore traversing the formation, adjusting the valve in response to the information wherein the adjusting includes a Newton method, a pattern search method, or a proxy-optimization method. In some embodiments, adjusting comprises changing the effective cross sectional area of the valve. A method and an apparatus for managing a subterranean formation including collecting information about an inflow control valve in a wellbore traversing the reservoir and controlling the valve, wherein the control includes a direct-continuous approach or a pseudo-index approach.

Abstract: Oilfield management includes obtaining a binary variable array describing configurable elements of an oilfield design, partitioning the binary variable array into subgroups, and applying a transformation function to each subgroup to obtain an integer variable for each subgroup. An optimization problem is solved on the binary variable array by treating the integer variable as a continuous variable to obtain a solution, and the transformation function of each subgroup is applied to the solution to obtain a design pattern. Based on the design pattern, the oilfield design is generated.