Patents by Inventor William J. Bailey
William J. Bailey has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20240118451Abstract: A method can include receiving realizations of a model of a reservoir that includes at least one well where the realizations represent uncertainty in a multidimensional space; selecting a portion of the realizations in a reduced dimensional space to preserve an amount of the uncertainty; optimizing an objective function based at least in part on the selected portion of the realizations; outputting parameter values for the optimized objective function; and generating at least a portion of a field operations plan based at least in part on at least a portion of the parameter values.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2023Publication date: April 11, 2024Inventors: Vijaya Halabe, William J. Bailey, Michael David Prange, Trevor Graham Tonkin
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Patent number: 11899161Abstract: A method can include receiving realizations of a model of a reservoir that includes at least one well where the realizations represent uncertainty in a multidimensional space; selecting a portion of the realizations in a reduced dimensional space to preserve an amount of the uncertainty; optimizing an objective function based at least in part on the selected portion of the realizations; outputting parameter values for the optimized objective function; and generating at least a portion of a field operations plan based at least in part on at least a portion of the parameter values.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2016Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: Vijaya Halabe, William J. Bailey, Michael David Prange, Trevor Graham Tonkin
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Patent number: 11773700Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 2019Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: Terizhandur S. Ramakrishnan, William J. Bailey, Kashif Rashid
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Patent number: 11680464Abstract: Methods of exploiting a formation containing a reservoir of hydrocarbons utilize a gas-liquid drift-flux (DF) model for a multi-segmented wellbore (MSW). The DF model is provided for use in conjunction with a reservoir simulator. The DF model is configured to account for pipe inclinations of the MSW between ?90° and +90° including horizontal or near-horizontal wellbores in addition to vertical and slanted wellbores. The DF model is based on mixture velocity as opposed to superficial velocities, thereby permitting the DF model to be integrated with reservoir models that utilize mixture velocity. The DF model can also be continuous and differentiable over all primary variables.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2019Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: William J. Bailey, Hewei Tang, Terry Wayne Stone
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Publication number: 20210198988Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 26, 2019Publication date: July 1, 2021Applicant: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: Terizhandur S. Ramakrishnan, William J. Bailey, Kashif Rashid
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Publication number: 20210165938Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system are provided for defining one or more injector completions and one or more producer completions in one or more reservoir models. One or more edges between the one or more injector completions and the one or more producer completions in the one or more reservoir models may be defined. The one or more edges between the one or more injector completions and the one or more producer completions may define a graph network representative of the one or more reservoir models. The one or more reservoir models may be simulated along the one or more edges between the one or more injector completions and the one or more producer completions.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2018Publication date: June 3, 2021Inventors: William J. Bailey, Peter G. Tilke
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Publication number: 20210165937Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system are provided for defining one or more injector completions and one or more producer completions in one or more reservoir models. One or more edges between the one or more injector completions and the one or more producer completions in the one or more reservoir models may be defined. The one or more edges between the one or more injector completions and the one or more producer completions may define a graph network representative of the one or more reservoir models. The one or more reservoir models may be simulated along the one or more edges between the one or more injector completions and the one or more producer completions.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2018Publication date: June 3, 2021Inventors: William J. Bailey, Emilien Dupont, Lin Liang, Peter G. Tilke, Tuanfeng Zhang, Lingchen Zhu
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Patent number: 10989835Abstract: A method for deriving VOI for a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir fluid model based on DFA data (“true fluid model”) versus an “incorrect fluid model” includes calculating first, second and third objective functions that are based on NPV(s) of simulated production by a reservoir simulator with different configurations. For the first objective function, the simulator is configured with the incorrect fluid model and control variables that are optimized to derive a first group of control variable values. For the second objective function, the simulator is configured with the true fluid model and the first group of control variable values. For the third objective function, the simulator is configured with the true fluid model and control variables that are optimized to identify a second group of control variable values. The objective functions can be deterministic, or can include statistics that account for uncertainty. A visualization of such results with uncertainty is also described.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2014Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: William J. Bailey, Benoit Couet, Peter Kaufman, Oliver C. Mullins
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Patent number: 10767448Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2015Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: Hugues A. Djikpesse, Kashif Rashid, William J. Bailey, Michael David Prange, Benoit Couet
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Publication number: 20200190950Abstract: Methods of exploiting a formation containing a reservoir of hydrocarbons utilize a gas-liquid drift-flux (DF) model for a multi-segmented wellbore (MSW). The DF model is provided for use in conjunction with a reservoir simulator. The DF model is configured to account for pipe inclinations of the MSW between ?90° and +90° including horizontal or near-horizontal wellbores in addition to vertical and slanted wellbores. The DF model is based on mixture velocity as opposed to superficial velocities, thereby permitting the DF model to be integrated with reservoir models that utilize mixture velocity. The DF model can also be continuous and differentiable over all primary variables.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2019Publication date: June 18, 2020Applicant: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: William J. Bailey, Hewei Tang, Terry Wayne Stone
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Patent number: 10435995Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2015Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Assignee: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: Kashif Rashid, Benoit Couet, William J. Bailey, Xing Li
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Patent number: 10430872Abstract: Methods are disclosed for assigning a value to a geological asset or information relating thereto in the presence of private and public sources of uncertainties. The private and public uncertainties associated with a geological asset or information associated therewith are defined, and private uncertainties are assigned a subjective probability representing the best state of knowledge currently available. A multi-dimensional valuation-time lattice is constructed using the subjective probabilities for the private uncertainties and using risk-neutral probabilities for the public uncertainties. A backward recursion through the multi-dimensional lattice is performed in order to generate a present value for the asset given the present information available. During the backward recursion, a tally of delta hedging coefficients is generated and stored in order to provide an operational “map” or “decision pathway” should the project move forward.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2013Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: David J. Wilkinson, Nikita Chugunov, William J. Bailey, Benoit Couet, Terizhandur S. Ramakrishnan
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Publication number: 20180321421Abstract: A method can include receiving realizations of a model of a reservoir that includes at least one well where the realizations represent uncertainty in a multidimensional space; selecting a portion of the realizations in a reduced dimensional space to preserve an amount of the uncertainty; optimizing an objective function based at least in part on the selected portion of the realizations; outputting parameter values for the optimized objective function; and generating at least a portion of a field operations plan based at least in part on at least a portion of the parameter values.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2016Publication date: November 8, 2018Inventors: Vijaya Halabe, William J. Bailey, Michael David Prange, Trevor Graham Tonkin
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Publication number: 20170336811Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2016Publication date: November 23, 2017Inventors: Terry Wayne Stone, Kashif Rashid, William J. Bailey, Peter Wardell-Yerburgh, Peter Tilke
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Patent number: 9816353Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2013Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: Kashif Rashid, William J. Bailey, Benoit Couet, Terry Wayne Stone
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Patent number: 9708899Abstract: Apparatus and methods for controlling equipment to recover hydrocarbons from a reservoir including constructing a collection of reservoir models wherein each model represents a realization of the reservoir and comprises a subterranean formation measurement, estimating the measurement for the model collection, and controlling a device wherein the controlling comprises the measurement estimate wherein the constructing, estimating, and/or controlling includes a rolling flexible approach and/or a nearest neighbor approach.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2012Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: Michael David Prange, William J. Bailey, Dadi Wang
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Publication number: 20160326845Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2015Publication date: November 10, 2016Inventors: Hugues A. Djikpesse, Kashif Rashid, William J. Bailey, Michael David Prange, Benoit Couet
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Publication number: 20160326846Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2015Publication date: November 10, 2016Inventors: Kashif Rashid, Benoit Couet, William J. Bailey, Xing Li
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Publication number: 20150363520Abstract: A method for deriving VOI for a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir fluid model based on DFA data (“true fluid model”) versus an “incorrect fluid model” includes calculating first, second and third objective functions that are based on NPV(s) of simulated production by a reservoir simulator with different configurations. For the first objective function, the simulator is configured with the incorrect fluid model and control variables that are optimized to derive a first group of control variable values. For the second objective function, the simulator is configured with the true fluid model and the first group of control variable values. For the third objective function, the simulator is configured with the true fluid model and control variables that are optimized to identify a second group of control variable values. The objective functions can be deterministic, or can include statistics that account for uncertainty. A visualization of such results with uncertainty is also described.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2014Publication date: December 17, 2015Inventors: William J. Bailey, Benoit Couet, Peter Kaufman, Oliver C. Mullins
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Publication number: 20150339411Abstract: A method, apparatus, and program product automatically generate a surface network for an oilfield production system, e.g., as a new surface network or as an addition to an existing surface network. Candidate surface networks are generated from control vectors proposed by an optimization engine to optimize based upon an objective function that is based at least upon one or more geographical cost functions and one or more boundary conditions.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2014Publication date: November 26, 2015Applicant: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: Scott Trevor Raphael, Benoit Couet, William J. Bailey, Kashif Rashid, Peter Gerhard Tilke