| CPC E21B 43/122 (2013.01) [E21B 41/0035 (2013.01); E21B 43/14 (2013.01); E21B 47/06 (2013.01)] | 21 Claims |
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14. A method for automatic in-situ gas lifting of fluid in a multilateral well, the method comprising:
periodically capturing pressure data associated with the multilateral well using a plurality of downhole sensors;
dynamically determining, using a processor, a pressure gradient value associated with the multilateral well based on the periodically captured pressure data;
automatically controlling, using a first inflow control valve (ICV) placed within a first lateral, a flow of a gas from a downhole natural gas source into the multilateral well based on the dynamically determined pressure gradient;
causing a lift of the fluid received from a second lateral within the well when the first ICV is open; and
using the processor, comparing the dynamically determined pressure gradient value to a reference gradient value and, if a difference between the dynamically determined pressure gradient value and the reference gradient value is not greater than a predetermined pressure gradient tolerance, determines whether the first ICV is fully closed,
wherein, if the processor determines that first ICV is fully closed:
the processor determines whether the difference between the dynamically determined pressure gradient value and the reference gradient value is within ten percent of the predetermined pressure gradient tolerance, and
if the difference between the dynamically determined pressure gradient value and the reference gradient value is within ten percent of the predetermined pressure gradient tolerance, the processor records a choke size of the first ICV as an optimum choke size for controlling the flow of a gas from the downhole natural gas source into the multilateral well.
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