Types of Wells in the Oil & Gas Industry
Fiber optic cables play vital roles in the oil & gas industry, including detecting and predicting oil & gas leakages. In gas wells, fiber optics can help quantify flow rates from a few barrels per day up to millions of Standard Cubic Foot (SCF) gas. Fiber optic cables in the oil & gas industry have broader applications in monitoring temperature and reservoir levels and transmitting data in real-time, among other uses.a
Types of Wells in the Oil & Gas Industry
- According to Petro Industry News, oil wells fall into three different categories, i.e., oil wells that produce only oil, gas wells that exclusively produce gas, and oil & gas wells that produce both gas and oil.
- Alternatively, oil & gas wells are identified based on their location, i.e., those found onshore and those found offshore.
Oil Wells
- Oil wells primarily consist of a wellbore and a casing. The wellbore is the hole that is drilled into the crust to establish the well. On the other hand, the casing features “telescope-like layers of steel pipe” put inside the wellbore to reach the well with the oil.
- Cement is pumped into the well in between the casing and the wellbore to create a strong bond that protects oil and gas and groundwater reservoirs.
- Oil wells use fiber optic cables with real-time sensors to detect leakages and forecast any emerging conditions that can potentially cause oil leakages.
- Fiber optic cables also play a critical role in monitoring and sensing data regarding pipeline temperature, asset locations, and oil reserve levels.
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Gas Wells
- Gas wells are drilled just like oil wells. The wells go as deep as 1,000 meters below the crust, then multiple layers of steel casing and cement are pumped in between the casing to ensure the well sticks firmly to the surrounding rock.
- The cement forms a strong seal that prevents the gas or fluids from leaking into any permeable rock layers. It also protects water aquifers against contamination.
- Before activating the gas well, a piece of high-pressure geophysical logging equipment is lowered into the wellbore to examine its casing and ensure it meets and complies with the relevant standards.
- Just like in oil wells, fiber optic cables application in gas wells does similar tasks such as transmitting real-time data regarding the gas reservoirs, pipeline leakages, and predicting potential leakages ahead of time.
- Fiber optic cables in gas wells help to quantify flow rates from down a few barrels per day up to millions of SCF gas in both vertical and horizontal wells.
- Fiber optic cables in gas wells can also detect gas and liquid entry points as well as provide a detailed image of the changing behavior of the well.
Oil & Gas Wells
- Oil & gas wells produce both oil and gas and are designed just like oil wells or gas wells.
- Fiber optic cables in oil & gas wells play a vital role in monitoring the oil rim, the overlying gas cap, or the aquifer below. In such cases, the oil rim is thin and requires constant monitoring to allow for an intelligent oil & gas well-production methodology.
- Fiber optic cables are also used in oil & gas wells to determine the production rates and timing regarding when to pump more water and gas above or below the oil reservoir, which helps to “control the position of the oil rim.”
- The use of fiber optic cables replaces the conventional periodic gradiomagnetic surveys applicable in determining the “location and thickness” of the oil rim in a wellbore. The oil rim is often located between the “upper gas layer and lower water aquifer.”
Research Methodology
In finding the types of wells using fiber optic cables in the oil & gas industry, your research team commenced by identifying the types of wells in the oil & gas industry, which are classified as either oil wells, gas wells, and oil & gas wells. Next, we proceeded to search for the various applications of fiber optic cables in the oil & gas sector, with a core focus on the different types of oil wells. We came across multiple publications, including scientific studies, government reports, and website publications focusing on the use of fiber optic cables in the different oil wells. In this regard, we examined various sources, such as Petro Online, Aera Energy, and Ziebel. We also checked reports published by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and DZone, which serves technology engineers. These sources cumulatively contained detailed analyses and reports about the use of fiber optic cables in the oil and gas industry.