SPE-180726-MS

SAGD Production Observations Using Fiber Optic Distributed Acoustic and

Temperature Sensing: SAGD DAS - Listening To Wells to Improve
Understanding of Inflow
Warren MacPhail, and James Kirkpatrick, Devon; Ben Banack, Bryan Rapati, and Alex Ali Asfouri, Halliburton

Copyright 2016, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Canada Heavy Oil Technical Conference held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 7–9 June 2016.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
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Abstract
Performance optimization of steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) well pairs requires awareness of
unique and sometimes complex downhole processes. Reservoir monitoring tools commonly used to
characterize the downhole pressure and temperature environments include thermocouples, pressure
gauges, and discrete or distributed fiber-optic sensors. Distributed temperature sensing (DTS), the most
common fiber-optic measurement used for SAGD reservoir monitoring, has been widely adopted for
SAGD production monitoring due to its ability to accurately measure a wide variety of temperatures in
harsh environments. High-measurement density along the entire SAGD well length has proven to be
useful for both production optimization (Krawchick et al. 2006) and well-integrity applications.
Though DTS monitoring is a primary downhole measurement tool for thermal production, other
sensors may further characterize the nature of SAGD well performance when used in conjunction with
DTS. Alone, temperature and pressure measurements may not yield a complete understanding of the
inflow contribution in SAGD production wells. For instance, the effects of complex heat transfer may
mask reservoir temperatures. Additionally, high temperatures are not always indicative of inflow and
cooler liner temperatures may not signify the absence of production contribution. Distributed acoustic
sensing (DAS), which is used to measure acoustic frequency and intensity in 1-m intervals along the
length of a fiber-optic line, is another downhole measurement tool currently being evaluated for its ability
to provide additional downhole wellbore information. Although DAS has been commonly used to
characterize the acoustic environment in hydraulically fractured horizontal wells (MacPhail et al. 2012,
Holley et al. 2015), it has not been extensively applied in SAGD well pairs. This paper shares select DAS
and DTS monitoring data from a pilot well, the results of which improved the operator’s understanding
of the nature of the SAGD production.
In late 2012, Devon Canada installed DTS multi-mode fiber in several production wells at SAGD assets
in the McMurray Oil Sands. Single-mode fiber utilized for DAS were deployed in conjunction with
multi-mode fiber, allowing simultaneous logging of DTS and DAS data throughout the wellbore.
Temperature and acoustic datasets were obtained at different representative flow conditions, including
stable production, rate step-down, early time shut-in, and well startup. The combined analysis of DTS,
2 SPE-180726-MS

DAS, and surface production data shows that DAS was able to identify steam flashing and qualitatively
define production inflow contribution and gas/liquid composition. Due to the complex, bi-directional flow
in the trial well, some of these conclusions would not have established without the observations obtained
from DAS monitoring.
Performance optimization of steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) well pairs requires awareness of
unique and sometimes complex downhole processes. Reservoir monitoring tools commonly used to
characterize the downhole pressure and temperature environments include thermocouples, pressure
gauges, and discrete or distributed fiber-optic sensors. Distributed temperature sensing (DTS), the most
common fiber-optic measurement used for SAGD reservoir monitoring, has been widely adopted for
SAGD production monitoring due to its ability to accurately measure a wide variety of temperatures in
harsh environments. High-measurement density along the entire SAGD well length has proven to be
useful for both production optimization (Krawchick et al. 2006) and well-integrity applications.
Though DTS monitoring is a primary downhole measurement tool for thermal production, other
sensors may further characterize the nature of SAGD well performance when used in conjunction with
DTS. Alone, temperature and pressure measurements may not yield a complete understanding of the
inflow contribution in SAGD production wells. For instance, the effects of complex heat transfer may
mask reservoir temperatures. Additionally, high temperatures are not always indicative of inflow and
cooler liner temperatures may not signify the absence of production contribution. Distributed acoustic
sensing (DAS), which is used to measure acoustic frequency and intensity in 1-m intervals along the
length of a fiber-optic line, is another downhole measurement tool currently being evaluated for its ability
to provide additional downhole wellbore information. Although DAS has been commonly used to
characterize the acoustic environment in hydraulically fractured horizontal wells (MacPhail et al. 2012,
Holley et al. 2015), it has not been extensively applied in SAGD well pairs. This paper shares select DAS
and DTS monitoring data from a pilot well, the results of which improved the operator’s understanding
of the nature of the SAGD production.
In late 2012, Devon Canada installed DTS multi-mode fiber in several production wells at SAGD assets
in the McMurray Oil Sands. Single-mode fiber utilized for DAS were deployed in conjunction with
multi-mode fiber, allowing simultaneous logging of DTS and DAS data throughout the wellbore.
Temperature and acoustic datasets were obtained at different representative flow conditions, including
stable production, rate step-down, early time shut-in, and well startup. The combined analysis of DTS,
DAS, and surface production data shows that DAS was able to identify steam flashing and qualitatively
define production inflow contribution and gas/liquid composition. Due to the complex, bi-directional flow
in the trial well, some of these conclusions would not have established without the observations obtained
from DAS monitoring.
Background
Devon operates SAGD projects in the McMurray Oil Sands. Production operations involve the use of
various surface and in-well instruments to manage subcool and achieve well optimization. Downhole
temperature measurements are particularly valuable; data from thermocouples and DTS monitoring is
analyzed daily to manage injection and production rates. Typical SAGD production wells were instru-
mented with six thermocouples, though the operator began using DTS monitoring in 2012 in order to
achieve a higher density of temperature measurements. Both permanently installed fiber-optic cables and
temporary temperature logging (coil tubing or wireline deployed ⬙dip-in⬙ logs) were utilized. Between
2012 and 2015, permanent DTS fibers were installed in several injection and production wells for
continuous, real-time temperature monitoring. The operator then began trials with DAS as a complemen-
tary diagnostic tool deployed alongside DTS.
Distributed temperature sensing using a fiber-optic cable has been established as a reliable and tested
method for monitoring thermal wellbores in heavy oil production (Hiscock et al 2015). DTS interrogators
SPE-180726-MS 3

transform a fiber-optic line into a virtual assembly of thousands of point sensors, similar to placing
standard thermocouples every 0.5 m along the wellbore. With DTS, thermal operators are better
positioned to optimize well production by identifying the precise location of steam, understanding and
improving well pair conformance, and better controlling producing well subcool. Additionally, DTS has
been proven to pinpoint or mitigate wellbore integrity concerns by identifying fluid migration issues and
areas of steam flashing/breakthrough, better positioning operators to prevent liner and wellbore failures.
DAS can be a valuable diagnostic tool in unconventional reservoirs during completion, stimulation, and
production monitoring operations (MacPhail et al 2012, Holley et al 2015). A fiber-optic line is turned into
an array of thousands of virtual microphones using a DAS interrogator to sense acoustic signatures across
a broad range of frequencies. In SAGD production, distributed acoustic sensing has generated significant
interest throughout the industry as a potential new reservoir monitoring tool. To date, DAS has shown
promising results in the applications of active seismic surveys (Mateeva et al 2012) flow monitoring, and
fluid characterization.
This paper will share the results, observations, and conclusions of acoustic acquisitions in a flowing
SAGD production well with permanently deployed DTS fiber. Because DAS monitoring generates very
large amounts of data (typically terabytes of data per day), acoustic data was gathered during four separate
intervals over a period of 8 months.
Gas Lift Production - Impact on fiber optic monitoring
Production wells employ dual-string gas lift. Figure 1 to Figure 3 illustrates a typical SAGD production
well completion with various modes of inflow. Dual-string gas lift utilizes two potential production draw
points, which are generally named the long and short production strings; manipulation of the production
rates from both strings allows production engineers to optimize well production and conformance. There
are three different tubing inflow configurations: short only, long only, and a combination of short and long
(i.e., dual-string). Coiled tubing containing all instrumentation is run to the toe of each SAGD production
well and installed alongside the toe production string. DAS and DTS fibers are encased in separate ¼-in.
capillary tubing within the same 1-in. instrument string and provide measurements along the entire length
of the fiber-optic cable throughout the vertical, build, and lateral sections of the wellbores.

Figure 1—Short Only Production

Figure 2—Long Only Production

4 SPE-180726-MS

Figure 3—Dual String Production

There are two opposing flow paths in both long-only and dual-string production configurations: flow
into the liner from the reservoir towards the toe (or heel) of the well and internal flow through the long
string at the toe, returning to the heel of the well. The temperature of the fluid entering the liner is typically
higher than that of the fluid in the long string, which causes the tubing to act as a long, heat exchange
vessel. The instrumentation coiled tubing (ICT) deployed parallel to the long string is either offset to or
in direct contact with the long string. The temperature measured by the DTS fiber is based on the offset
distance as well as the effects of conductive and convective heat transfers through tubulars. If the
instrumentation coil does not contact the long string or there is minimal contrast between the temperatures
of the long string and liner fluids then the DTS temperature represents the true temperature of the fluid
in the liner. Conversely, if the DTS string does contact the long string, the heat exchange causes the DTS
fiber to register a temperature lower than that of the actual liner, which is closer to the internal temperature
of the long string. The effects of the heat transfer between the liner and the long string are depicted in
Figure 4.

Figure 4 —Trial Well Typical Flowing Temperature Profile, Long Only Production (Hiscock et al. 2015)

High spikes indicate hot fluid in the liner and direct heating of the coiled tubing. Low temperature
spikes represent contact between the coiled tubing and cooler materials such as the long string, the liner
in nonproductive reservoir or cold inflow (possibly bottom water). The locus of the maximal points in
temperature along the fiber are generally indicative of the liner fluid inflow temperature, and the locus of
SPE-180726-MS 5

the minimal points in temperature along the fiber generally signify the temperature of the fluid in the long
string being produced to surface.
Trial Overview
Candidate Selection
Prior to this trial, the operator had not implemented DAS monitoring in a SAGD well. The primary
objective for the field trial was to identify and investigate aspects of DAS that could potentially be
valuable for production optimization or as an indication of wellbore integrity. SAGD production wells
have large liner diameters and distributed flow throughout the liner length and therefore typically produce
lower flow per unit area than unconventional wells on which DAS has more commonly been acquired. It
was unknown if enough acoustic energy is generated in a SAGD liner to provide sufficient quality data
to form the basis of production decisions. To provide a representative acoustic environment for DAS, a
producer with an above average production rate was planned for the first trial well. The candidate well
was selected due to its production history and a continuous DTS monitoring record over a 24-mo period
before the DAS trial commenced.
Although the trial well is an example of an above average producer, some geological challenges were
encountered. A shale channel running through the middle of the pad contributes to uneven conformance,
and based on DTS logs the trial well was believed to have preferential inflow at the heel. Additionally,
a known hot spot at a depth of 917 m was observed to dominate the production. To improve conformance,
the short string gas lift was shut-in and production was directed exclusively to the toe of the well. The
direction of flow for the trial well is presented in Figure 5.

Figure 5—Long String Production Illustration on the Trial Well

Directing production only to the toe resulted in a bi-directional flow in the liner and long production
string making interpretation of the DTS data challenging. Temperature oscillations of up to 30°C
downstream from the hot spot were observed consistently and were attributed to the bidirectional flow
effects described earlier. Figure 4 shows a typical flowing DTS temperature measurement. The hottest
section in the well is at a depth of approximately 900 to 950m and has dominated the overall production
optimization strategy. The high temperature area at the heel is very close to the steam saturation
temperature. It is important to note that the locations of the maximum and minimum temperatures are
consistent in depth and generally consistent in temperature over time.
6 SPE-180726-MS

Project Plan
The multi-mode DTS fiber, which had been installed to the toe of the trial well at a depth of 1,570 m,
recorded continuously throughout the trial period. Due to operational constraints, the single-mode DAS
fiber was only deployed to 1,477 m.
Due to the large amounts of data generated during DAS logging, the trial was performed as a call-out
service with defined acquisition windows. The primary acquisition was planned to be a baseline acoustic
log during stable production. Subsequent logs were arranged around a plant shutdown and variable flow
rates were observed during a ramp down and ramp up phase. Table 1 summarizes the dates, descriptions,
and duration of each acquisition.

Table 1—DAS Logging Trial Plan

Well Condition Date Duration

Production Baseline May 15 1 Hour

Falloff and Shut In September 8, 2015 48 Hours
Ramp Up September 18, 2015 36 Hours

In addition to acquiring useable data, general goals of the DAS monitoring were to:
● Identify areas of interest based on overall acoustic energy and frequency content.
● Correlate DAS results to DTS observations and determine if any additional observations could be
made using DAS in conjunction with DTS.
● Identify areas of high and low inflow.
● Characterize fluid compositions to identify water, bitumen, and steam.

Production Baseline DAS Log

To establish an understanding of acoustic response in typical SAGD flowing conditions, the first DAS log
was planned during stable production. The most common method of viewing DAS data is the waterfall
plot, which is a 3-D plot showing acoustic intensity color coded from quiet (blue) to loud (red) for a range
of depths (Y-axis) and times (X-axis). Waterfall intensity plots are described in previous publications for
DAS monitoring projects in unconventional wells (Holley et al. 2015).
Figure 6 is a waterfall intensity plot for frequencies ranging from 100 to 4,000 Hz during 1 hr. of
acquired DAS data at stable flow conditions. Temperature and gamma ray logs are overlaid to show
correlation with other depth-based parameters. Initial review of the data indicates that the DAS intensity
varied significantly across the wellbore with the loudest and quietest sections of the well varying by
significant magnitude. The highest energy areas include the wellhead, build, and a small section in the
slotted liner. High acoustic energy can result from several factors including turbulence from inflow points,
fluid phase changes (boiling/condensing), certain flow types (transitional, turbulent), or mechanical noises
(pipe knocking).
SPE-180726-MS 7

Figure 6 —Trial Well DAS Stable Production Waterfall Plot, 100 Hz – 4000 Hz

The highest acoustic intensity for this acquisition was recorded near the surface, which was generally
expected. The combined surface noise at the wellhead and fluid turbulence was considered significant,
though the full extent that noise would propagate into well was unknown. The DAS results showed that
high-intensity surface noise dissipated within the first three joints of tubing.
Another region of high acoustic energy was observed from 300 m to 500 m where the wellbore
deviation transitions from approximately 30° to around 60°. In this region, dual production strings plus
gas lift instrumentation conduits must transition through the build section and a complex combination of
sounds resuting from flow regieme changes, condensation, condensing liquid backflow and gas override
might be expected. Additionally sounds produced by thermally induced relative tubing movements might
be amplified by the side load forces present due to bending. Frequency analysis of the build section
indicates mainly periodic, low frequency sound content.
In the horizontal section of the wellbore, a discrete interval at 917 m showed an acoustic intensity that
was an order of magnitude higher than any other place in the liner and which correlated to the hottest
region of the well. This DAS signature is referred to as the ⬙hot spot⬙ and was designated a point of
interest; the DTS results identified the spot as a suspected high inflow point close to the saturation
temperature of the steam in the injection well above it. However, the relative intensity of the sound
compared with other sections of the wellbore suggests that the acoustic amplitude is not attributable to
high inflow alone. A phase change of fluid (i.e., steam flashing) is one potential, but unconfirmed reason
for high acoustic intensity.
8 SPE-180726-MS

An important conclusion derived from comparing DAS observations with known acoustic sources in
the vertical and build sections is that acoustic energy was effectively attenuated over short distances. Low-
frequency acoustic energy generated by flow effects did not appear to transmit significantly to other areas
through the fluid or the tubulars. This implies, with reasonable confidence, that high-intensity noise in a
well will not mask other acoustic signatures and, as a result, relatively quiet areas may still produce
valuable data.
Figure 6 reveals that a change in the general acoustic-noise character occurs between the build section
and the start of the slotted liner at a depth of 746 m. The transition of this character is evident, as the DAS
signature in the blank pipe sections of the well generally appears to exhibit longer periods of acoustic
stability over time, while in contrast, the slotted liner section of the wellbore shows greater variation,
which may be indicative of flow.
Although examining the overall acoustic intensity in Figure 6 is important, the plot is based on a large
range of frequencies (i.e., pitch) of sound. The waterfall intensity plot created from 100 to 4,000 Hz
provides only a general overview of the total sound content, and can mask specific important frequency
ranges. Spectrographic analysis of key points in the wellbore isolated certain frequency bands and showed
that some were more important. Spectrograms plot the acoustic intensity, which are color coded from blue
(quiet) to red (loud), for a specific depth and at a range of frequencies (Y-axis) and timeframe (X-axis).
Figure 7 compares three key areas deemed important. The first key area is the hot spot at 917 m, and the
second is a typical section of the slotted liner, which was arbitrarily selected at 1,020 m but is
representative nonetheless. The third area is the location of the gas lift coil exit, which is important as a
known point of both fluid composition (i.e., non-condensable gas) and turbulence. It is worth noting that
the gas lift coil exit point identified in Figure 6 was not immediately recognized as a key point in the well,
though analysis has showed it to be important.

Figure 7—Spectrogram of Three Key Areas in the Trial Well

SPE-180726-MS 9

The spectrogram plots in Figure 7 display significantly different frequency trends. The typical slotted
liner spectrogram demonstrates primarily low frequency noise. The hot spot shows significant acoustic
activity within the range from 0 to 1,200 Hz, which then quiets down between 1,200 and 2,000 Hz before
again increasing to above 2,000 Hz. In contrast, the gas lift port displays very contained bands of activity
with the most prominent activity occurring in the range between 900 to 1,200 Hz. Three frequency bands
were selected for investigation—100 to 400 Hz (band 1), 600 to 800 Hz (band 2), and 900 to 1200 Hz
(band 3). The waterfall intensity plots were reprocessed for these bandwidths, and the results are provided
in Figure 8 for comparison.

Figure 8 —Trial Well Frequency Sorted DAS Intensity Plots Depth (y-axis) vs Temperature (x-axis)

Review of the frequency banded intensity plots reveals several significant contrasts. Temperature
peaks were observed from DTS monitoring between 900 m and 950 m, with the highest reading at the
917m hot spot. These high temperature areas are believed to provide high inflow contribution and overlap
with a band of acoustic intensity on the 100 to 400 Hz scale. In contrast, the range of 600 to 800 Hz and
900 to 1,200 Hz show high acoustic energy only at the descrete location of the hot spot. A region between
840 and 880 m is also significantly more active on the 100 to 400 Hz plot. Likewise, there is high acoustic
intensity between 630 and 680 m present in the 100 to 400 Hz band, but missing entirely from the
higher-frequency plots. This area is outside the liner and corresponds to a temperature dip detected by
DTS monitoring. The acsence of inflow at this part of the well supports a theory that this signature is
entirely flow induced.
The hot spot is present in all three plots and is the dominating feature in the DAS survey. The presence
of the gas lift exit port, on the other hand, changes significantly from the intensity plots of bands 1, 2, and
3. In the low-frequency band 1, the gas lift port produces significant noise with the noise reducing
10 SPE-180726-MS

gradually up hole. This effect does not appear on band 2, where only the gas lift exit point was observed,
but on band 3 the gas lift exit point is prominently displayed. At the gas lift exit port, two competing
effects would be expected to contribute most directly to acoustic energy: the addition of non- condensable
gas and the creation of flow turbulence.
Overall, the lower-frequency noise appeared to correlate most strongly with known points of fluid flow
(fluid inflow and turbulence), and the higher frequency bands correlated with the known inflow points of
gas (steam flashing and non-condensable gas). Although the gas lift port is a source of both turbulence
and changing composition, flow was steady and, as a result, the change in acoustic intensity as a function
of frequency was likely most strongly correlated to fluid composition. For long string only production, the
total flow rate in the liner is zero at the liner hanger and increases towards the toe of the well, with
maximal flow at the end of the long production string. In all three frequency bands of waterfall plots, it
also appears that the acoustic intensity increases towards the toe.
Variations in sound character and intensity above the gas lift inflow point were observed during stable
flow. Fluid movement up the long tubing produced sound that could be observed moving up the tubing.
Velocity profiling in Figure 9 was achieved in the vertical section of the well by tracking the movement
of these acoustic variations.

Figure 9 —Velocity Streaks in the Vertical Section

The first acquisition of DAS on the trial well provided several valuable insights. Good quality data was
acquired and showed it is possible to identify inflow, quantify flow rates, and characterize gas/liquid
composition. DAS also confirmed the presence of high inflow from a depth between 900 and 950 m,
which correlated well with the DTS measurements. Specifically, a single high-intensity hot spot was
characterized that was not immediately distinguishable on the DTS temperature plot alone. DAS
frequency sorting indicated probable steam influx or steam flashing into the liner at the hot spot. Variation
in sound was observed in the vertical section of the wellbore and correlated to separator rates. Analysis
SPE-180726-MS 11

of sound character with frequency sorting appear to be an invaluable tool to derive understanding from
acoustic measurements, as was illustrated at points of known fluid composition such as the gas lift exit
port at a depth of 730 m. Frequency sorted DAS combined with DTS was shown to be valuable for inflow
analysis.
Ramp-Down DAS log
A second DAS log was collected to help understand acoustic response to production rate changes. The log
was analyzed during a shutdown scheduled for production facility maintenance. DAS and DTS were
compared while reducing the production rate in the trial well. Adjacent SAGD producers and injectors
were also stopped during the trial to identify wheather this could be detected acoustically. The objectives
of the ramp-down test were to:
● Assess the impact of production rate changes on acoustic noise intensity.
● Confirm the ability of DAS to predict inflow distribution along the slotted liner (qualitative/
quantitative).
● Evaluate the impact of the injection well on the trial production well.
● Assess the impact of adjacent producing wells on the acoustic noise intensity and frequency of the
target producing well.
● Evaluate the impact of lift gas rate and flow rate on acoustics.
● Review any changes from the initial baseline acoustic acquisition.
Over an 18-hr period, the trial well flow was reduced from 18 to 8 m /hr. Throughout this ramp-down,
DTS temperature readings above 1,000 m remained essentially unchanged and, from 1,000 m to the toe
of well, the temperatures dropped by 5° to 20°C. Figure 10 shows the temperature drop as a result of
flow-rate change in absolute values and as a differential across the liner. Differential temperature is also
plotted along the X-axis to show the overall magnitude of change.

Figure 10 —Temperatures during Ramp-Down Test

12 SPE-180726-MS

Flow rate was reduced in six different steps and included 3-hr duration of each step. The DTS
temperature readings do not show a sizeable difference in absolute temperature considering the produc-
tion-rate declines and magnitude of flow reduction (67% reduction in total flow). However, the overall
difference in temperature variation (maxima versus minima) appeared to reduce significantly, which
implies that a more valuable assessment of total flow rate could be a reduction in the temperature
difference between the true liner temperature and the long-string flowing temperature. The ranges between
the locii formed by temperature maxima and minima for each of the two displayed datasets are probably
an artifact of heat exchange between tubing and annulus at each flow rate.
Figure 11 shows production variation overlaid with DAS waterfall intensity data from specific
frequency bins acquired during the ramp-down. DAS intensities responded immediately to production rate
changes; in contrast to the relatively muted response of DTS data. In addition to steady production,
frequency sorting was used to characterize fluid composition at inflow points. As expected, acoustic
energy decreased as the overall production rate was reduced. The gas lift injection rate was held constant
throughout the production step-down. Acoustic energy reduction was more significant at the toe of the
well, which was also expected because the total flow rate in the liner increases towards the toe production
point.

Figure 11—Waterfall Intensity Plots of DAS Data During Ramp-Down, 2 Frequency Bands

In general, acofflraenergy changes correlate directly with productionB8 although there is o1 noticeable
point in which there was a significant delay between the rate change and acoustic intensity. During the
first step-down from 18 to 15 m3/hr, noticeable DAS intensity response was delayed by 30 min at the hot
spot. When reducing production rate in a gas lift well, a variable choke is engaged to increase the pressure
SPE-180726-MS 13

drop at surface and subsequently reduce the rate of withdraw, which causes the liquid fluid level at the
producer to increase. The delayed drop in intensity at the hot spot was likely due to the time required for
the fluid level and back pressure to build sufficiently to stop the steam flashing. Figure 12 illustrates the
delay between the rate and acoustic change and corroborates the notion that steam flashing was the
primary source of the sound character observed at the hot spot.

Figure 12—DAS Profile during Ramp Down – 200-1000Hz

Similar to the stable flow condition noted earlier, frequency sorting appeared to give some indication
of fluid composition (bitumen/water/gas/steam). The gas lift exit at 730 m was easily identified in the
DAS frequency range of 200 to 1,000 Hz; no apparent sound was detected from 20 to 400 Hz. This
supports the conclusion that methane entry from the gas lift injection point generates a sound frequencies
above 400 Hz in the observed flow conditions. The overall acoustic intensity at the gas lift port decreased
significantly between 18 and 15 m3/hr in the 200 to 1,000 Hz plot; this reduction is likely related to the
change in flow energy at the mixing point because the gas lift injection rate was constant throughout the
ramp-down. Multiple variables may change the production rate, including pressure changes in the area
surrounding the gas lift coil exit, higher gas content, lower acceleration of mixed annular fluid lower
overall flow rate at each fall-off step oe saturation quality.
After the trial well production was reduced to 8 m3/hr, adjacent injectors and producers were shut
down. Figure 13 shows the trial well at these minimal flow rates after being taken off test mode during
the adjacent well shut down. No cross well activity could be determined based on the timing of the
observed data, and neither the adjacent producers nor the injector had any discernible impact on the
14 SPE-180726-MS

acoustics in the trial well. However, the well started slugging during this time as evidenced by the surface
pressures and significant sound was observed in the well before the rate was increased to stabilize the
flow.

Figure 13—DAS Profile during Minimal Flow Rates – 200-1000Hz

With the well in slug flow, velocity streaks can be observed in the data travelling throughout the liner.
Acoustic energy in the well only significantly decreased once the production rate was increased slightly
and the flow stabilized. When viewing the DTS and DAS results over this time period, as Figure 13
highlights, the DAS acoustic activity correlates very strongly to both the hotter temperatures and the
gamma ray log indicating cleaner pay. Unlike the high-rate and stable-flow variables, which caused DAS
intensity to increase toward the toe of the well (as total flow rate increases towards the toe), small rates
have the opposite effect; when rates are minimal, the total flow decreases toward the toe and acoustic
intensity is reduced. From this observation, it can be inferred that the laminar flow of the fluid moving
in the liner generates little noise at minimal flow rates compared to the inflow of fluid into the liner at
hotter areas of the well; as a result, the inflow points tend to dominate the acoustic signature. As the well
continues to stabilize before ultimately being shut in, the fluid can be observed moving down the liner
towards the toe.
Figure 13 also highlights the reason DTS monitoring alone has some key limitations in estimating
inflow. Within a SAGD liner, DTS can infer inflow with heating (hot inflow mixing with cooler liner
fluid) or cooling (cooler inflow mixing with hot liner fluid). Similar temperatures between inflow and liner
fluid will produce a null response on the DTS trend which will mask inflow, however DAS does not have
the same limitations. DAS recorded acoustic energy must be directly attributable to a cause, consequently
if there is little acoustic intensity there is likely to be little flow. DTS detected relatively cold temperature
SPE-180726-MS 15

spikes below the general temperature trend at 1,402 and 1,420 m; however, the DAS signature remains
consistent at this point suggesting cold inflow points into the liner. Figure 13 indicates that DAS acquired
between 200 – 1000 Hz is likely correlated with inflow, especially at laminar flow conditions that
frequently take place in SAGD liners.
Ramp-Up DAS Log
After one week of shutdown, a significant fluid level accumulated above the trial well. A third DAS log
was collected to examine the acoustic response in relation to production rate increase. Production was
ramped up from shut-in to 14 m3/hr within 48 hr; steam flashing was not expected at the hot spot due to
the buildup of the fluid level. The objectives of the ramp-up DAS log were to characterize lift efficiency
and evaluate the signature during flush production. It should be noted that due to the plant operations, the
test separator required to track production volumes was not operational at the time, but the decision was
made to continue with the DAS recording regardless. Figure 14 shows the DAS waterfall intensity plot
during ramp-up across the entire wellbore for the first 24 hr of production.

Figure 14 —DAS Profile during Ramp-Up – 100 – 4000 Hz

Similar to previous acquisitions, high acoustic intensity was observed in the vertical and build sections
of the well. During the first 17 hr of the well being back on production, there was clear evidence of
slugging in the vertical and build sections and the fluid density varied dramatically until the gas lift and
flow composition stabilized. Although the fluid direction in the well was known due to long string only
production, the varied composition provides velocity profiles that may be useful in qualifying flow
distribution when dual string lift is employed, as there is a flow split point in the well.
16 SPE-180726-MS

The absence of the hot spot was recognized in the DAS data immediately after startup. As predicted,
steam flashing appeared to have been prevented by the buildup of the fluid level. The acoustic intensity
of the hot spot was similar to other colder inflow points and was not immediately distinguishable on the
waterfall intensity plot. DAS acoustic intensity also indicated a general building of intensity from the heel
to the toe of well, as previously observed. However, a reduction in acoustic intensity throughout the
wellbore occurred during the well ramp up. This observation of decreasing acoustic activity with
increasing flow rates is in direct conflict with both intuition and the previous observations where flow was
positively correlated with DAS activity. This effect may possibly be explained, at least in part, by the
change in fluid viscosity. As the temperature of the fluid at the toe of the well was significantly cooler
than normal flowing temperatures, the viscosity of the fluid also considerably increased from typical. As
Figure 15 below indicates, returning the well to production increases total flow rate, increases temper-
ature, and reduces viscosity. The exact relationship between viscosity, rate, fluid conposition and DAS
response is a subject of further study and review.

Figure 15—DTS Temperature Recovery during Ramp Up

DAS data was only collected for the first 36 hr. of start-up, although pre-shut temperature conditions
were not achieved until 10 days after ramp-up, as shown in Figure 15. DTS and DAS logs at the hot spot
indicated that the fluid level was high enough to prevent steam inflow throughout the 36 hours startup
period. A long acquisition time during start-up would help in identifying the precise flow rate and
temperature required to start the steam flashing effect.
Stable Production - Post-Ramp-Up DAS Log
After the ramp-up DAS test was performed and the well re-entered stable production, a significant change
in the profile of DTS flowing temperature occurred. A hole appeared to develop in the long tubing near
the hot spot, and a follow up DAS acquisition was planned for troubleshooting. Table 2 details when these
events occurred.
SPE-180726-MS 17

Table 2—Post-Ramp-Up DAS Log

Well Condition Date Duration

Tubing Hole October 18, 2015 No Recording

Stable Production 2 February 9, 2016 3.5 Hours

Temperature readings taken before the suspected hole in the tubing and during the DAS acquisition in
February are provided in Figure 16. The toe of the well appeared to resemble shut-in conditions below
1,400 m between these time periods; the temperature variation that resulted from the bi-directional flow
mixing also disappeared between the suspected hole and the toe of the well. Gradual temperature gradients
suggested the significant reduction in or general absence of inflow, although the residual hot spots and the
gamma ray log from 1,480 to 1,560 m indicate that this section of the reservoir was likely productive
before the tubing hole occurred. Unfortunately, the DAS fiber was not installed to this depth, so although
the flow likely existed at that point it could not be verified during the initial baseline flow acquisition in
May 2015.

Figure 16 —DTS Temperature Profile Before and After the Suspected Tubing Hole

The results of the second stable flow DAS acquisition are shown in Figure 17 alongside the DTS
flowing temperature. For comparison, the flowing DAS and DTS from the May 2015 acquisition are also
plotted at two different frequency ranges—200 to 400 Hz and 800 to 1,000 Hz. Between the first and
second stable flowing acquisitions, the character of the DAS data changed significantly in both frequency
ranges. As the bi-directional flow condition no longer existed from the toe of the well to the tubing hole,
the DAS intensity results are likely primarily indicative of fluid inflow without the possibility of flow
effects occurring from the long string. This effect is apparent in both plots from May (200 to 400 Hz and
18 SPE-180726-MS

800 to 1,000 Hz), which show the DAS intensity increasing from the heel to the toe. Conversely, the
February plot depicts the DAS intensity increasing from toe to heel.

Figure 17—DAS Intensity Before and After Tubing the Tubing Hole
SPE-180726-MS 19

Significant flow velocity and turbulence likely occurred at the tubing hole, as evidenced by the
significant increase in acoustic intensity at a depth of 880 to 950 m in the DAS results (200 to 400 Hz
plots). Once the tubing hole was identified, the production rate of the wellbore was reduced; the flowing
DTS temperatures reflect this reduction, as the temperatures are significantly lower than those taken
during the previous stable production. These lower temperatures do not indicate the absence of steam
flashing a priori as the Feb 800 – 1000 Hz plot indicates significant higher frequency activity around the
900 – 950 m region and flow mixing may be masking the inflow temperatures.

Conclusions
Over the course of an 8 month period in a SAGD production well, the operator conducted fiber-optic
sensing trials in which temperature and acoustic datasets were obtained at different flow conditions,
including stable production, rate step-down, early time shut-in, and well startup. The general objective of
the trial was to identify potential information from DAS to complement DTS results; in particular,
information on inflow contributions and fluid composition in the wellbore.
Throughout the trial, several orders of magnitude of acoustic intensity were recorded in the wellbore.
Surface sound was detected in the vertical section of the well as well as mechanically induced sound in
the build section, though the sounds were contained to their respective areas of the well and did not
saturate other quieter areas. Likewise, the DAS results were not influenced by the adjacent wellbores or
the injection well above the producer. There are several potential causes for high intensity sound, such as
fluid inflow/outflow, turbulence, phase changes, and mechanical noise. Other factors may have also
contributed to the high sound levels. To decouple these sound sources, frequency banding (sorting) was
employed to generate unique waterfall intensity plots that highlighted specific areas of interest in the
wellbore. Two of these areas were investigated in detail—a high intensity inflow point in the liner and the
gas lift exit port.
Based on the relative intensity of the liner inflow point compared to all other areas in the liner and the
location of the point in the liner (which overlapped with a known hot section of the wellbore), it was
believed that a combination of inflow and steam flashing was occurring at this point. The existence of
steam flashing was corroborated with the ramp-down test, which indicated an intensity change occurring
along with a lag in production that appeared to be related to fluid level buildup. The steam flashing effect
was not detected again during a ramp-up test that was performed after an extended shut in, which, again,
is likely related to fluid level build-up.
The gas lift exit proved to be very valuable as an area of known fluid composition. The sound generated
at and near the gas lift exit point appeared to be related to fluid mixing, turbulence, and the injection of
non-condensable gas. This assumption was confirmed during the step-down test, which showed a low-
frequency band intensity drop during the reduction of the production rate. In general, the frequency sorted
data seemed to indicate that the low-frequency ranges (100 to 400 Hz) correlated most strongly with areas
of fluid inflow and higher frequency ranges (800 to 1,200 Hz) correlated most strongly with areas of
known or suspected gas inflow.
DAS generally correlated to flow, as higher acoustic activity was observed at known or suspected
points of inflow, based on DTS measurements, and acoustic intensity increased from heel to toe of the well
through stable flow, ramp-down, and ramp-up tests consistent with the known direction of flow in the
liner. The correlation of DAS to flow was further confirmed after a hole in the tubing developed and
changed the flow regime from toe to heel as the acoustic response changed accordingly. Reservoir inflow
was more discernable during the step-down test due to a reduction in overall noise created by flow inside
of long tubing. Additional flow profiling was achieved by tracking the movement of acoustic variations
through the wellbore. DAS complimented DTS for identification of inflow points as DTS is less sensitive
to flow changes and can also be masked by flow conditions. For bi-directional flow conditions, it was
20 SPE-180726-MS

valuable to investigate the relative difference between liner (maxima) and long-string tubing (minima)
temperatures.
Based on the breadth and quality of observations, the DAS acquisition has proved to be a success by
fulfilling the main objectives of the trial and identifying several other observations and conclusions that
were not apparent at the outset of the trial. Although the results were predominantly qualitative in nature,
the insights into the operation of SAGD production wells and the potential value of DAS as a
complementary wellbore monitoring tool were both established.

Acknowledgments
The authors thank the management of Devon Energy Corp., Halliburton, and Pinnacle for their permission
to publish this paper. They also thank Brad Hiscock, Lars Hinrichs, Salah Hamarbatan, Dermott O’Hagan,
Tom Rawson, and Jason Caravalho for input on case studies as well as continued support of fiber-optic
monitoring technology.

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