Three-Dimensional Array Interpolation Imaging Algorithm of Water Holdup by the Capacitance Array Tool of Oil-Water...

Area of Science:

• Petroleum Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics
• Geophysics

Background:

• Gravitational differentiation causes asymmetric oil-water two-phase flow in horizontal wells.
• Existing logging techniques struggle to accurately characterize these complex wellbore flow fields.
• Precise characterization is crucial for reservoir management and production optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a 3D visualization method for water holdup fields in horizontal wells.
• To evaluate the performance of linear, cubic spline, and natural neighbor interpolation algorithms for this visualization.
• To identify the most suitable interpolation method for different flow conditions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from a Capacitance Array Tool.
• Employed a multiphase flow experimental platform with oil and water.
• Systematically varied flow rates, water cuts, and imaging angles.
• Applied and compared three interpolation algorithms: linear, cubic spline, and natural neighbor.

Main Results:

• Natural neighbor interpolation demonstrated superior accuracy and robustness in complex flow states due to its topological reconstruction capabilities.
• Linear and cubic spline interpolation performed adequately only in stable, low-to-moderate flow conditions.
• The study systematically analyzed 3D imaging characteristics across various experimental parameters.

Conclusions:

• Natural neighbor interpolation is recommended for complex flow states or when high imaging detail is required, despite higher computational costs.
• Linear or cubic spline interpolation are suitable for simpler flow states due to their computational efficiency.
• The proposed 3D visualization method enhances the characterization of challenging multiphase flow in horizontal wells.