Lesson 20: Horizontal Wells

Petroleum Engineering 626

Offshore Drilling

4Why Drill Horizontal Wells?

4Relative Production Rates
4Relative Costs
4Types of Horizontal Wells
4Drilling Problems and Solutions
4How Popular is Horizontal Drilling?

Lesson 20
Horizontal Wells
1

4Thursday, April 7
4Rich 101
46-8 p.m.

Quiz B

Austin
Chalk
Pearsall Field

Austin
San Antonio

Oil Rig

Presentations:
-

Austin Chalk
Not to scale

Start on April 13
3

WHY DRILL HORIZONTAL WELLS?

WHY DRILL HORIZONTAL WELLS?

4Increase Production Rates

4Produce From Thin Reservoirs

4Control Water Production

4Connect Vertical Fractures

4Control Gas Production

4Produce Methane from Coal Seams

4Control Sand Production

4Increase Injectivity (steam, water,

polymers, etc.)

4Increase Reserves
5

Production,
Horizontal Well /
Vertical Well

9
8

Horizontal Well
Drainage Area

= vertical drainage area

6
5
4

Vertical Well

= 30 acres
*Steady State

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2
1
0

Horizontal Well
1

8 9

10 11 12

Horizontal Well Length, 100 ft increments

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Horizontal Drilling Sites

Horizontal Drilling

Bryan
Austin Chalk

4Horizontal wells are often drilled

perpendicular to vertical fractures in
order to intersect and drain as many
fractures as possible.

Austin
Giddings

Austin Chalk
Fields

Houston

San Antonio

4Horizontal drilling greatly reduces

the risk of bypassing vertically
fractured reservoirs.

Pearsall
Field

10

PRODUCTION RATES:
ORYX - Austin Chalk

Horizontal Drilling

Oil-filled fractures

Vertical
Well
B/D
12

Horizontal
Well
B/D
507

Horizontal/
Vertical
Ratio
42

15

215

14

107

21

Drilled 7 wells over a period of 4 years (1986-1989)

Drilled 85 additional wells the next year (1990)
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Oil Production,
m3/D

ROSPO MARE, ITALY

500

Horizontal
Well

250

PRUDHOE BAY

Slant Well
Vertical
Well

1982

1984

1986

Water

70m

Vertical Well:
Horizontal Well:
Production Ratio:

3,000 - 4,000 B/D

10,000 - 12,000 B/D
3-4

Vertical Well:
Horizontal Well:
Cost Ratio:

235 $/ft
520 - 282 $/ft
2.2 - 1.2

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NEW DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

2-6 degrees/100 ft
Long Radius
- Conventional
- Directional

2,800-1,000 ft. radius

20-75 degrees/100 ft

Measurement While Drilling (MWD)

300-125 ft. radius

Medium Radius
Short Radius
Pay
Zone 400-700 ft

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1.5-3 degrees/ft

4Directional Surveying and Control

20-40 ft. radius

4Identification of Markers
1,000-5,000 ft

1,000-6,000 ft

4Identify zones

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Top Drive

16

Mud Motors
4Drill without rotating pipe

4Drill with 90-ft stands instead of

30-ft joints

4Change hole direction while drilling

without making a trip
to change the BHA

4Circulate while pulling drillpipe

out of hole

4Steerable systems

4Rotate drill pipe while pulling

out of hole

4High-torque motors
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POTENTIAL PROBLEMS IN
HORIZONTAL DRILLING
4Running equipment in and out of
hole: drillstring, casing, cables

Geological
Marker

MWD tools are used to locate geological markers as

a well approaches its target so that the driller can
determine the vertical distance between the bit and
target.

4Preventing/Remedying
differential sticking
4Excessive torque

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20

SUMMARY

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS IN
HORIZONTAL DRILLING (contd)

4Horizontal wells may produce at 3-5

times the rate of vertical wells in the
same area. (as much as 20 times
higher in special cases)

4Cleaning the hole and preventing

cuttings from settling along the
hole bottom

4Horizontal wells typically cost 1.5-3

times as much as vertical wells
in the same area.

4Controlling weight on bit to achieve

and maintain directional control
4Cementing casing or liner
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SUMMARY

(Continued)

22

LONG-RADIUS WELLS

4Horizontal wells are often very attractive in

formations with extensive vertical fractures.

4Used for achieving large horizontal

displacements from platforms or
drilling pads

4The use of horizontal wells is growingworldwide.

4Horizontal wells will increase our
recoverable reserves.

4Used for achieving very long

horizontal sections (4000 ft +)

4In the U.S. one rig in ten is drilling

horizontal wells. (1995)
{ ~7% today }
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METHOD

LONG-RADIUS WELLS (contd)

Build Rate:

~2-6 degrees/100 ft

4Use conventional directional drilling

technology

Build Radius:

~1,000-3,000 ft

4Use rigid bottom hole assemblies,

motors & bent subs, stabilizers

Length of Horizontal
Section:

1,000-7,000 ft

4Or, use Navigation drilling systems

with steerable drilling motors
25

MEDIUM - RADIUS WELLS

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METHOD

Build Rate:

~ 8-20 degrees/100 ft

4Use modified long-radius drilling

technology

Build Radius:

~ 300-700 ft

4Use different motors for ANGLE

BUILD and ANGLE HOLD sections

Length of
Horizontal Section:

~ 1,000-5,000 ft

4Use a TANGENT SECTION between

the two build sections
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Fig. 1: Medium
Radius Angle
Build Assembly
Dump Valve

28

SHORT - RADIUS WELLS

String Stabilizer

Bent Sub
Low-Speed,
High-Torque
Motor

Build Rate:

~ 1-3 degrees/ ft

Build Radius:

~ 20-40 ft

Length of Horizontal
Section:

400-1,000 ft

Kickoff Sub

Upper Bearing
Housing with
Stabilizer

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METHOD

METHOD

4Downhole motor designs are now

available

4After building angle to horizontal,

use a special angle-hold assembly:

4Drill vertical rathole to identify

horizon

this consists of two undergauge

stabilizers behind the bit, and flexible
drillpipe

4Build angle with special curvedrilling assembly with a non-rotating

shell that gives curvature to the tool
31

Drill Pipe
(rotating)

Clutch
Stabilizer

Clutch Sub (rotating)

(Continued)

Fig. 4: Short
Radius Curve
Drilling
Assembly

32

Multi-Lateral
Completion Systems
from Baker Oil Tools

Curved Drill Guide

(non-rotating)

Stabilizer

Bit Sub
(rotating)

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35

36

Multi-Lateral Drilling and Completions

Some Things are Designed for

Easy Re-entry.

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46

Complex well geometries boost

Orinoco heavy oil producing rates
Oil & Gas Journal, Feb. 28, 2000

4Single horizontal lateral

4Gull-wing well
4Stacked multilateral
4Fishbone well
4Gull-wing, fishbone well
4Stacked fishbone well
o

12

~9 API oil. ~1.2 * 10

bbls in place. ~250 * 10 recoverable

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End of
Lesson 20

TM

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