Real-Time Multi-Objective Wellbore Trajectory Optimization for Energy Extraction and Storage
Research Poster Engineering 2025 Graduate ExhibitionPresentation by Rosemary Tosanwumi
Exhibition Number 211
Abstract
Optimizing wellbore trajectory is crucial for maximizing reservoir contact, improving recovery efficiency, and minimizing operational risks across oil and gas extraction, geothermal drilling, and carbon capture and storage (CCUS). In hydrocarbon production, precise well placement enhances resource recovery while mitigating drilling hazards. For geothermal energy, optimized trajectories improve heat extraction efficiency, ensuring sustainable energy production. In CCUS, accurate well placement is critical for secure and long-term CO storage. This study leverages ensemble-based geostatistical updating as a real-time data assimilation approach to refine the geomodel dynamically, reduce subsurface uncertainty, and improve decision-making. The optimization process focuses on three key objectives—porosity (to enhance resource extraction efficiency), gamma ray measurement (to avoid low-permeability shale zones), and distance to reservoir boundaries (to minimize drilling risks). These parameters are continuously updated using sequential Gaussian simulation. Given the nonlinear nature of these objectives, advanced multi-objective optimization techniques such as Weighted Sum and Stochastic Pareto Selection Optimization are applied to balance trade-offs dynamically. The results demonstrate that integrating real-time geomodel updates with multi-objective optimization enables adaptive wellbore trajectory adjustments, ensuring optimal resource access while mitigating risks associated with boundary encroachments and undesirable formations. This approach provides a practical and robust framework for engineers to enhance real-time decision-making, streamline drilling operations, and improve subsurface resource management across diverse energy applications.
Importance
This study improves how we drill wells for oil and gas, geothermal energy, and carbon storage by using real-time data and advanced decision-making techniques. By continuously updating our understanding of underground conditions, we can adjust well paths to reach the best resources while avoiding risks. This approach helps oil and gas operations extract more efficiently, enhances geothermal energy production by targeting optimal heat zones, and ensures secure storage for carbon capture efforts. The findings provide a smarter, data-driven way to make drilling safer, more efficient, and more sustainable across different energy sectors. This research supports the transition to cleaner energy while maximizing the effectiveness of existing and emerging technologies.