Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Horizontal Wells PDF

    Uploaded by

    Falokid Rabo
    12 views13 pages

    Original Title

    Horizontal_Wells.pdf

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    12 views13 pages

    Horizontal Wells PDF

    Uploaded by

    Falokid Rabo

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 13
    WELL COMPLETION The Challenge of Completing and Stimulating Horizontal Wells Exie Brown Arthur Milne Ron Thomas. Paris, France Flouston, Texas, USA Although drilling horizontal wells has become almost routine, co include securing zonal isolation, taken for granted in a conventional Vertical well technology took over half aif the borehole dis in and out ofthe target century to: progress from barefoot openhole reservoir because of insufficient geological completions to the range of cased-hole knowledge or poor directional cont Completions available today. Driven by the When horizontal boreholes ae dilled to Same need 10 selectively produce and treat tie in tothe natural fractures o a igh forma: individual zones, completion engineers are tion, such as in the Austin chalk feds of pushing horizontal wel technology along, south Texas and the Rospo Mare field of ‘he same road in less than a tenth the time.’ shore Italy, zonal isolation is being seen as ‘Avis sight, zonal isolation might not mandatory (ef). Initial presure in naturally Seem as important in 3 horizontal well as in fractured formations may vay from one frac a vertical well The horizontal well should tre to the nex as may the hydrocarbon ideally tap one formation and produce from gravity and likelihood of coning, Allowing the entire horizontal interval. Experience them to produce together permits crosslow drilling and producing horizontal wells, between fractures and a single fracture with however, shows that reservoirs are often erly water breakthrough, which jeopardizes horizontally heterogeneous. With sufficient the entre wel’s production. subsurface knovledge, oil companies can ntl, horizanal wells were completed exploit heterogeneity by'drecting horizontal with uncemented slotted liner unless the borcholes through natural facture systems; formation was stong-enough for an open © or through facies and faults tapping several hole completion. Both methods make it cif “separate producing formations. This requires ficult to determine producing zones and, il | zonal isolation, Isolation may also be needed _ problems develop, practically impossible to | ae sl Fer onubitions hi aril, thanks alot: Tar aba per eon Vera a rameraer man ienaea ts "6 “apna acne cymere niente lagi es ane aah i sa" "" awn egunttyotal "amet a ‘Acker 0, Boeiel M, Marszalek 7, Clavier C, Godde 62 Banta a sone Loa Se Wigtanee | Sieh ; amy 19th 23 | and stimulation techniques for the new environment are and understanding the role of hydraulic fracturing. in intensive development. The goal selectively teat the right zone, Today, zonal isolation is achieved using either external casing. packers (ECP!) on slotted or perfo- rated liner or by conventional cementing and perforating (see “Which Completion?” ‘page 58). In this fast-moving technological area, oil companies choose which method to use depending on their experience and the producing conditions. tn the long run, conventional cementing and perforating offer the most reliable iso fast becoming the favored technique in most fields outside the USA and is mandatory if the wel isto be hydraulically fractured ECPs are mostly used in naturally frac- tured formations such as the Austin? and Rospo Mare chalks. Atached to the outside of the liner, ECPS are reinforced, inflatable rubber diaphragms that are inflated with ~ ‘mud or cement to make a seal against the formation (right). Since ECPs inflate radially, © they, work less well in oval holes than in cir "cular holes. “2 GastoeHoszonia Dating volving mn Ato enc,” Oi & Cas ural 87 70.30 uy 24, 2 196913 © 2. ECR radomark of taker Hughes ncopnaed 5 Maas RCand StolteyCO- “Dili and Competing | 2 sFesent win acne Cats Wet (09,9. 4 Weber 19892 39-45. WELL COMPLETION Emie Brown Ron Thomas Houston, Texas, USA Vertical well technology took over half a Century to progress from barefoot openhole completions to the range of cased-hole Completions available today. Driven by the same need to selectively produce and teat individual zones, completion engineers are pushing horizontal well technology along «the same road in less than a tenth the time? AL fist sight, zonal isolation might not Seom as important ina horizontal well asin 2 vertical well. The horizontal well should ideally tp one formation and produce from the entire horizontal interval. Experience Grilling and producing horizontal well, however, shows that reservoirs are often horizontally heterogeneous, With suficient subsurface knowledge, oil companies can © exploit heterogeneity by directing horizontal ‘boreholes through natural fracture. systems) s ils tapping several The Challenge of Completing and Stimulating Horizontal Wells ‘Acthur Milne Pais, France ifthe borehole dis in aed ot ofthe target. reservoir because of insufficient geological knowledge or poor directional contol. ‘When horzonal boreholes are dled to te ino the natural facuts fail forma Aion, such asin the Austin chalk fels of south Texas and the Rospo Mare field oft shore italy, zonal isolation is beng seen as ‘mandatory (efit pees in naturally fractured formations may vary fom one ac- ture o the next as may the hydrocarbon sravily and ikellhood of coning. Allowing them to produce togsther permits cosslow betveen atures and a shale fracture with early water breakthough, which jeopardizes ‘ells produalon, ly, horizontal well with une oo Toa Although drilling horizontal wells has become almost routine, completion and stimulation techniques for the new environment are still in intensive development. The goals include securing zonal isolation, taken for granted in a conventional well, and understanding the role of hydraulic fracturing, selectively eat the right zone. Today, zonal isolation 1s achieved using elthor exernal Caring packers (ECPs!) on sted or ptf rated liner or by conventional cementing di perforating (eee “Which Completion?” page’ 5), In ths fast-moving technologtcal area, oi! companies choose which method to use depending on their experience and the producing conditions. In the long run, conventional cementing and perforating offer the most reliable isolation. I is fst becoming the favored technique in most folds outside the USA and is mandatory the well is to be hydraulically fractured, ECPs are mostly used in naturally ra: tured formations such as the Austin? and Rospo Mare challs. Altace tothe ouside of the liner, ECPs are reinforced, inflatable tuber diaphragms that are inflated with “imud or cement to make a seal agains the formation righ). ince EPs inflate rally, they work less well in oval holes than in ci "cular holes. s.0:"Hodzol Dring song rom Ato Fence," Oi & Gas ural 87,9030 hy 24 7 a schalat erasnra sf ey CO. Orgad cog 1/7 [Hgeora Wellin Foci Carbonate” Worl 0.4 October 1989) 39.45, The elements leading to a successful hori zontal cementation are similar to those required for a conventional vertical job. itis the particulars that make the difierence As th every cement jab, operators try 10 dis place as much of the mue and solids from the annulus with cement as possible. The idea is to leave no continuous channels for fluid communication behind the lines. This is ineinsically harder to achieve in the hori- zontal environment than in the vertical. In the vertical well, channels may develop but they usually lack continuity. In the hori- zontal environment, gravity Causes contin- tuous channels to develop on the top side of, the liner because of fluid separation in the ‘cement and on the bottom side because of rondisplaced cultings. Centralizing the liner is the frst step in a successful mud displacement. In horizontal ‘centralizers mounted around stop collars on liner. This SBowspring the centraiizers are pulled, not pushed, into the hole, flattening the centralizer during the descent and providing minimal drag. 4. Paces “Guides rege for Camerting Ho ntl Sys” & Gs our 85, 0.42 iGetebee 19,1987) 35-41 eign Vel: Howson, Tox, USA: Dowell Schmieg 1969. 5. 200 C, Georges C and Martin dane ‘Cento vzntl Wels paper SPETS464, {resem af Te bt SPE Aral fecha Conte {ce and Exhibit, New Ores Lean USA, Oauber 53,1986 4 wells, gravity pushes uncentralized pipe to the low side of the hole trapping undis- placeable mud there. Other causes of ‘eccentralization can be the zigzag nature of horizontal wells from the natural resonance of drilling motors, which can create a corkscrew-shaped hole, and planned changes in hole direction during drilling ‘Two types of centralizer, rigid and bow- spring, are used to counter eccentralizaion. Rigid centralizers generally offer better results for in-gauge horizontal wells; certain types with plenty of space for circulation offer the additional benefit of increasing local turbulence, aiding mud displacement, Washedout sections af hale require bow- spring centralizers. Some manufacturers fit centralizers with special bushings at each end to reduce torque when the liner is rotated to break down the mud's gel strength prior to pumping cement. To reduce drag when lowering liner into a hori- zontal hole, centralizets can be mounted ‘over slop collars so they flaten as they are pushed through constrictions in the hole (above, left), Without stop collars, the cen- tralizers would be pushed along by liner collars and expand, Eccentralization in horizontal holes may also result Irom using heavy cement. When cement is pumped downhole, the liner becomes heavier and will sit low in the ‘mud-illed hole, possibly compressing bow- spring centraizers or causing rigid central izers to sink into the formation. This creates a narrow channel on the low side of the annulus and impedes mu displacement there (top). As the cement moves along the annulus, however, casing buoyancy will increase and bowspring centralizers may recover, opening up the low side of the annulus. But then, itis generally too late to improve displacement. ‘A way to improve centealization is to use fa smaller-iameter liner. This means less ‘cement pushing the liner downward during displacement and more standoff from the borehole wall, a defined parameter that cor- relates with displacement efficiency (bottom). The completion design, however, may preclude using a smaller liner Oilfield Review (bottom. The completion design, however, Spiky ettingite may preclude using a smaller liner. ee The design of the cement slurry must bal een ance several conflicting requirements. The ‘during setting. slurry should have low yield stress to pro- mote turbulent flow, essential for maxi mizing displacement, and excellent fluid loss because itis exposed to possibly thou sands of feet of permeable reservoir. But ‘most important, the slurry must be stable, ‘with no sedimentation or development of free water, Sedimentation, the separating out ‘of the cement’s solid components, leads to low strength, highly porous cement, Free water developing on the high side of the hole may create an open continuous channel, Tests by Elf Aquitaine and Institut, Francais du Pétrole (FP) showed that a slurry with 0.2 percent free water would result in a channel up to 0.4 in {10 millime: tel high at the top of 7-inch liner/10-inch borehole annulus.* The Elf and IFP researchers report three options to enhance slurry stability, depending on downhole temperature: * Using dispersants to encourage the forma: tion of ettringite, a mineral formed during setting that binds cement grains together (right. * Viscosifying the interstitial water with latex emulsions ‘+ Mixing solid inert elements 10 to 100 times smaller than the cement gains to occupy interstitial gaps between grains and prevent water from separating 6 = Flow rate ratio % “108 =o 0 Standolt, % Flow rate ratio, the ratio of flow rate during mud displacement between the top and ‘bottom sides ofthe line, as a function of liner standolt tthe liner sits low in the hole, {low on the bottom side may drop to near zero. {the liner is perfectly centered, flow rate rralio{s unity and displacement is optimum. The parameters w, ty and r- are respective- Iy the minimum separation of liner and hole, hole radius and liner recs. Volume 2 Number 3 ie ‘Another ingredient for successful cementa- tion in horizontal wells is easily displaceable ‘mud, panicularly with low gel strength. Pipe ‘movement i the key 1 breaking down muds gel strength, and pipe rotation has proven ‘more effective than reciprocation. Recently, special hangers equipped with bearings have been developed for simultaneous rotation and reciprocation (below Reciprocation is typically with a stroke of around 10 to 20 feet [3 to 6 meters} every minute, rotation is between 10 and 20 rpm. Both are continued until the plug bumps on bottom, Rotation has the addtional benefit of forcing cement around the casing and improving displacement on the narrow side of the annulus. In horizontal wells, hole torque and drag may preclude liner move- ‘ment—theoretical drag models have been developed to predict when it may be impos- siole to move the lines. 56 ik Aisi (ANA I The cement should be displaced at a rate that preserves a stable fluid interface between the slurry and mud, preferably in turbu- lence. This requires a theologically stable slurry with low yield stress, low plastic vise Cosity and excellent fluid loss control, prop- erties that can be ensuted with latex-based additives such as used in the WELBOND! ‘and GASBLOK* services. Finally, special consideration must be given to the float equipment at the end of the liner that prevents cement flowback. Flow- back can be a problem in horizontal wells because the hydrostatic pressures of the sluery and mud at the end of the hole may be similar. For near-balanced conditions, most operators prefer the spring-loaded flapper or poppet equipment, although spe cially designed ball-type float valves have been claimed to work satisfactorily in tests with a pressute difference as small as 5 psi between the fluids (op). (simultaneous rotation and reciprocation of liner during cementing. This helps break Oil companies have been reluctant to cement and perforate the entire length of a horizontal well. With a well drilled up to 3000 feet (900 meters} through one pro- ducing sand, they see perforating as pro hibitively expensive. Recently it was shown that perforating the entire length of a hori- zontal well was unnecessary, particularly ‘when tapping a thin reservoir—the same production can be obtained by perforating a fraction of the full length.® Oil companies also recognize that most reservoirs are het ferogeneous enough horizontally to warrant selective production. The trend is therefore toward perforating shorter intervals. ‘Other trends include a high shot density for hydraulic fracturing to reduce the pres sure drop across casing; and for formation, sand control, only downward perforation ‘experience in highly deviated wells shows it is dificult to gravel pack upper perforations. down the muds gel strength, facilitating mud displacement, Special liner hangers had to be developed that permit both movements Oilfield Review ‘The challenge in perforating horizontal wells is geting the guns along the borehole to the correct location, or “depth.” Wireine- conveyed guns are limited to about a 75- degree deviation. Beyond that, perforating uns must be pushed down with tubing ttubing-conveyed perforating—TCP, tubing (CT? or dillpipe. in reviewing the poration of horizontal wells, Amoco Pro- duction Co. observed that while TCP is ‘expensive, the system is robust and provides a wide selection of guns. On the other hand, the CT systems savings in cost and time may be more important than the smaller size of C-conveyed guns lef).® Other issues in horizontal perforation are penettation depth and centralization. Gen- erally in a horizontal completion, shots fring upseard may traverse more hole anc ‘cement than downward shots. Centalizing the gun obviously helps to maximize pene- tration, but curently centralization is only possible with tubing. or dillsipe-conveyed ‘guns. For TCP, Amoco uses the largest gun that can be fished, determined from the tubular dimensions of the well, and equips * | twith the bes available centralization ena I a te ©. Depth contol, crucial for perforating ver- «Production tubing. . f tical wells, may be less critical in the hori- ce an vea dase alare Male se zontal environment. The accuracy required : 4 : depends on reservoir heterogeneity-—the more heterogeneous the producing forma tion, the more accurate the depth contol Coil 1° isla a road EO oie Sc ccan arvetea petaertcocmmset any ake Peel eta ve Ser comma eae hae sa sect Crim Matera “asc ge eee eee Be 23 Uner Perforating in horizontal hole with colled tubing-conveyed guns. Depth control, so vital in vertical wells, may be less crucial in the horizontal environment. Howover, it more difficult. Tho conventional gamma ray correlation method is compromised because most formations display only small lithology variation in the horizontal direction. The surest depth control comes from identifying a short ‘Pip joint inserted in the liner just above the producing zone with a casing collar locator (CCL) or @ radioactively tagged liner section ‘with @ gamma ray tool. Both techniques are performed with wireline equipped colled tubing. 57 ‘Open hole How mast horizontal wels were intially com- pleted, but now used only inthe homogeneous ‘eservolr with enough geomechanical strength {o support itself, No zonal isolations possible with this typeof completion. 58 Open hole, cemented off-bottom Similar to an openhote completion except that ‘the top zone is filled with cement, to isolate a ‘988 cap perhaps, and then drilled out, The tech- ‘qe requires the isolation ofthe lower hor ‘zontal potion ofthe wellbore from the section being cemented using a highly viscous, ‘rosliked polymer pug upto 200 fet (60 meters} long.) ‘Slotted liner in open hole ‘The easiest completion after open hole. Slote ‘ner can support weaker formations, but shoul ‘not be used where sand production occurs, The ‘sand will plug the slots or be produced through ‘them. No zonal isolation, Propacked liner in open hole The easiest solution for sand control Aresin- Impregnated sand is trapped between two con: centric sereens. Prepacked liners prevent col lapsed sand trom entering the well but do not discourage the sand from collapsing. The sand ‘may form a zone of reduced permeability ‘around the outer sereen and impede producto Gravel packing ‘The Ideal completion for weak formations, but hard to achieve in a horizontal wel. The easiest ‘method isto leave the well openhole and pack ‘gravel around a slatted liner or, fr insurance, ‘around a prepacked liner. For details, se "Sand Control” on this pa Slotted liner with external casing packers Extornal casing packers (ECPs), basicaly inflat- abje rubber diaphragms fixed to the outside of slatted or normal liner, permit isolation of a piven section ofthe wel. Isolation depends on the integrity of the packer seal, more assured in 4 perfectly circular ole than in an oval hole. ‘Cemented and perforated liner ‘The most assured way to achieve zonal isolation 1d mandatory If hydraulic frastuing Is anticl- pate Volume 2 Number 3 required—and on what is planned later for the well. Cleanup of natural fractures using, matrix acidization, for example, would ‘tequire good depth contral because the acid ‘must exit the well precisely at the fracture. On the other hand, general cleanup requires, less control In a horizontal completion, depth control ‘cannot rely on the usual garnma ray correla- lion—there is generally insufficient char- acter on the gamma ray log, Instead control relies on an accurate tubing tally in the case of TCP or the recognition af a short pup joint or radioactively tagged joint inserted in the casing string just before the producing, zone in the case of CT perforation, The pup. joint is recognized using a casing collar locator (CCL), the radioactively tagged joint (of a gamma ray (GR) too. ‘Sand Control The most widespread technique for sand control in horizontal wells utilizes prepacked liners, comprising two concen: tric screens packed with resin-coated part: cles. They are usually set in open hole, though Elf recommends installing a slotted liner frst to facilitate workover Prepacked liners prevent sand from entering the wel bore, but they do not halt formation col: lapse. Thus, produced sand accumulates around the liner and may block production, A conventional gravel pack, in which sravel completely fills the annulus, prevents sand collapse, but is hard to achieve in highly deviated wells.!° Chevron reports considerable success in the Gulf of Mexico for 70- to 80- degree wells, Most gravel packing in horizontal oles is done open hole and, for insurance, around prepacked liners. Best results are to be expected by pumping the gravel and cartier fluid down the annulus and up the liner. This allows the sravel fo accumulate starting from the end of the well minimizing the chances of bridging. The carrier fluid should have excellent suspension properties to carry the sravel, and high leakort to encourage gravel placement. The gravel should preferably be light and as close in density to the fluid as possible, again to increase suspension. Dowell Schlumberger’s nondamaging, PERMPACS carrier fluid and low-density ISOPAC* gravel substitute were designed to satisfy these requirements and are expected to eliminate the need to perforate only downward for gravel packs in horizontal ‘cased hole. Upward perforations in deviated cased wells are considered risky, too likely 10 g0 unpacked and later produce sand, Matrix Stimulation Intersection of the wellbore with natural fractures is often a goal of horizontal drilling. But just as these channels are potential conduits for oil o gas production, they are also possible thief zones during drilling, causing deeply penetrating damage to the formation. Oil companies suspect that matrix damage may be exacerbated in hor zontal wells because the drilling tends to produce finer cuttings that plug formation more easily." A cleanup program reconch tions these fractures, as well as secondary fractures connected with them, and/or restores the original matrix permeability through injection of acid or other solvents at below fracturing pressure, Because horizontal wells intersect long intervals of producing formations, cleanup lreatments can require huge volumes of cchemicals—in excess of 100 gallons per foot for thousands of feet! Chemical costs become prohibitively expensive if the stimu- lation fluids disappear down a few perme- able channels and open communication to unwanted gas or water zones. This is avoided by using diverting agents such as, benzoic acid, wax beads, foam or micro: 9 Spreus A Geeges Cand tex: °Mowt Pablo aricorial Wel Completions Ae Resaves OU 8 Gaxfoumal 0. 2 une 14 888) 452 Aiton Lp. Lemons Rad Sumer ‘Gravel Packing Horseman hy Deiat ‘Openicle Completions Using 3 Sige Sccen Fepicked Line in Ofer Clin Feh” paper SPE I9718,pesered at th 6a SPE Ans Te ical Conde and Exh, San Amn, Tes SSA, October #1, 198, LUnerdown DR, Das Kai Nguyen H: “Grovel Packing Highly Deviled Welsh 3 Cross inked Pole System, oura often Taco 571198572197-2200 For cet on horizontal sidation ee ‘MeLemn D, Roel HC and Ecos Mt “Tater Reach int zonal Wellin Reservir Staton, 2 Economies Mae Nae (eh Enlod Clits New heey, USA. Pee all 1389, Ecenonies Mi, McLennan 0, Bown fad Races HC Peromance nd tenant Hoieona il” eK O208, no al 98D 60-7 ” Pum unit Pe 60 scopic oil-soluble fibers. These block per- meability during the treatment but dissolve ‘once production begins. Nondestructible divesting agents such as ball sealers are not recommended because they may remain in the horizontal section after the treatment and even after the well is put on production, compromising future workover In cased and perforated completions, acid can be injected at precise depths through coiled tubing with the Formation Selective ‘Teeatment (FSTS') System, which comprises an Injection port between two inflatable packers (lef). In openhole or slotted liner ‘completions offering no zonal isolation, the recommended procedure is to pump acid through coiled tubing that i initially pushed to the end of the hole. During pumping, the coiled tubing is slowly withdrawn and diverting agents are released every 50 10 100 feet to seal off the already cleaned sec- tion of the hole. The rate of coiled-tubing ‘withdrawal depends on pumping rate, reser voir pecmeability and skin damage, and the required cleanup radius.1? Successful matrix cleanup has been performed this way at rates less than 25 gallons per foot, (Matric acidizing with the Formation ‘Selective Treatment (FSTS) system an ‘colled tubing. The FSTS tool comprises an Injection prt bobrgen onsale ‘valve just above the ‘Bol brates ne ood to push lage vol umes of well uid info the formation before ‘the acid, For loss efficient spotting of acid, Ccolled tubing can be pushed to the end of the hole and slowly withdrawn while acid cand diverting agents are pumped. Oilfield Review Hydraulic Fracturing Hydraulic fracturing, using either acid or sand, improves production by creating frac tures through high-pressure pumping, How successfully induced fractures drain a reser voir depends on their orientation, reach and fluid conductiviy, Near the well, fracture orientation is dic tated by the complex near-wellbore stresses, AAs the fracture develops away from the wellbore, however, it will align itself per pendicular to the earth's minimum stress (righ. At depths more than about 2000 fet, this isin a horizontal direction, so the frac ture plane will be vertical ‘A key factor in determining the produc tivity gain from induced fractures is thei ret ative orientation to the wellbore, Ifthe well runs perpendicular to the minimum stress direction, fractures will develop along the well. The eniry point into any fracture will be through an extended length of perfor tion tbelow. On the other hand, if the minimum stress parallels the well, the fractures will develop, transversely, potentially increasing the

    You might also like