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Many Middle East operators see multilateral Asset teams are now turning their attention to the
drilling as a logical next step from horizontal application of multilaterals in more hostile
drilling, which has become commonplace in the environments, where economic returns are
Middle East. Multilaterals are particularly greatest, and to the potential for 'intelligent'
effective in complex carbonate reservoirs, but systems for remote monitoring and adjustment of
they have not been widely adopted as a result of reservoir conditions to achieve optimum
general skepticism over risks, and more practical completions.
deterrents, such as the engineering of reliable,
safe junctions in production strings. In this article, Bernard Montaron, Tim ORourke,
and John Algeroy introduce these rapidly
All that is changing. One ingenious solution is a advancing technologies.
prefabricated, subsurface wellhead assembly
that can be unwrapped and installed downhole,
splitting the main bore into two smaller, equal-
sized, lateral bores and providing a high-pressure
seal at the junction.
or many years, field engineers and All-Union Scientific Research Institute In the Bashkiria complex, late
F operating companies in the Middle
East have battled with the challenges of
for drilling technology (VNIIBT). He
went on to develop a new, borehole-
Carboniferous reefs had trapped vast oil
reserves. However, most of the wells
obtaining maximum exploitation of sidetrack, kickoff technique, and a had been producing since before 1930
reservoirs as safely and economically as device for stabilizing and controlling and were producing low volumes when
possible. During the 1980s, curvature without deflectors. Grigoryan drilled the first multilateral.
improvements in horizontal technology However, his main contribution to In 1953, Grigoryan selected
were adopted quickly in the region to drilling technology was still to come. Bashkirias Ishimbainefti field to drill
bring about significant improvements in This involved expanding on the theory, Well 66/45 (Figure 3.1). This field
productivity. The logical next step, previously proposed by American contained an interval of Artinskian
keeping abreast of drilling technology, scientist L. Yuren, that production could carbonate rocks with good reservoir
was to drill multilateral wells that be improved by increasing the diameter properties over a wide area. The target
allowed all the benefits of horizontal of the borehole. He stated that was the Akavassy horizon, which was an
wells to be carried forward to branching the borehole in the interval with thicknesses varying from
multilayered or stacked reservoirs as productive zone just as a trees roots 10 to 60 m (33 to 197 ft). Nine branches
branches from a single main borehole. extend its exposure to the soil would were drilled from the borehole below
Seen by some as risky and not increase production. 375 m (1230 ft). This was done without
sufficiently proven, multilateral drilling The theory was put to the test in the whipstocks or cement bridges, drilling
made its somewhat shaky debut in the Bashkiria field complex (in what is by touch, with each branch extending
Middle East in the mid-1990s. Much today Bashkortostan, Russia) where from 80 to 300 m in different directions
work has been done since, particularly Grigoryan drilled Well 66/45, the first into the producing zone. The drill bit
to improve the construction and multilateral well, using turbodrills was allowed to follow the pay zone into
integrity of multilateral junctions, and without rotating drillstrings. the most productive areas and curved
todays confidence is evidenced by the
hundreds of multilateral wells now
Figure 3.1:
in existence.
Well 66/45 Well 66/45, drilled at
Bashkiria, now
No revolutions in Russia Bashkortostan,
Russia, was the first
Multilateral drilling has its origins in
multilateral well. It
Russia during the 1940s. At that time oil
had nine lateral
was a strategic commodity in the Soviet 25
branches that tapped
Union and served as a currency that
50 the Ishimbainefti
could be exchanged for grain or other
75 field reservoir
consumer goods. High quotas were
imposed on drillers to bore as many holes 100
as possible, in the belief that the more 125
holes drilled, the greater the chance of 150
tapping a reservoir and the greater the
175
likelihood of an increase in production.
This supposition was contested by a 200
223
Soviet innovator and inventor, turned 225 Artinski limestone
Measured depth, m
Shallow or
depleted reservoirs
Layered reservoirs
Fractured reservoirs
Figure 3.2: In shallow or depleted reservoirs, branched horizontal wellbores are often
Number 2, 2001
most efficient, whereas in layered reservoirs, vertically stacked drainholes are usually
best. In fractured reservoirs, dual-opposing laterals may provide maximum reservoir
exposure, particularly when fracture orientation is known
casing subs are sometimes employed to anchored to the main bore by liner
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Gelled
Slim 1 fluid
MWD
SLT
ICC
8 9 10 11 12 13
RDT
SLT
8. The process is changed for a cemented liner by replacing the full-size whipstock with a smaller diameter reentry deflection tool (RDT) that is run and
latched into an ICC. 9. The bottomhole assembly (BHA) is run and a lateral branch is drilled. 10. A liner is run into the lateral and may be cemented back into
the main casing. 11. The liner running tool is released, the hole cleaned up by reverse circulating and the liner running tool is pulled out of the hole. 12.
After the lateral is completed the RDT is retrieved by releasing the SLT. RDT and SLT are pulled from the well. 13. The lower wellbore section is cleaned out,
the isolating bridge plug retrieved and the main bore is ready for completion
Number 2, 2001
An exciting new development for Level 6 junction integrity that comes from countless staff hours of research and analysis is
the RapidSeal* multilateral completion system providing selective drainhole access and connectivity with pressure-sealed
connection. This junction is made at surface, deformed to fit inside 13 3/8-in. casing, then reformed when it reaches its position
in the well.
The RapidSeal junction is run as 9 5/8-in. casing and is formed by integrating two sections of 7-in. casing below the 9 5/8-in.
casing. This design features strong but highly ductile components. If the outlet sections were installed side-by-side, the
diameter of the whole assembly would be too large for the 13 3/8-in. casing. In the RapidSeal design, the two outlet sections
are plastically deformed so that the effective diameter is just 12-in. and runs easily in 13 3/8-in. casing.
When the junction is in place in the wellbore, the RapidSeal outlets are slowly and uniformly reformed using wireline tools
with surface control and monitoring that allow minimization of stresses.
1 2 3 4
Drill 121/4-in. borehole Run 9 5/8-in. casing with Run in hole junction- Expand legs of junction
Underream 171/2-in. hole RapidSeal attached expansion tool on electric Real-time monitoring of
line and verify orientation leg geometry
POOH expansion tool
5 6 7
17-in. ID
121/4-in. ID
Compressed
junction
Reformed
junction
8 9
Number 2, 2001
The best drilling and completion Further cost savings are achieved by The first step in a reentry operation is
strategy is to construct laterals from the drilling short-radius wells with build to recognize the reentry point. The next
deepest branch up. In this way, the angles up to 1.8/ft, a method that can step is to enter the lateral. This can be
wellbore above the branch point remains change a wells orientation from vertical achieved by running a tool on coiled
trouble-free whatever happens below. to horizontal in just 50 ft. There is less tubing that rotates to reentry depth. The
formation damage in these wells, and tool is designed with a bend on the end
they are faster and therefore more that registers a weight change when it
Drilling multilaterals economical to drill for many reasons, enters a lateral window. The VIPER*
The earliest multilateral wells, like those including smaller drilling fluid volumes slimhole CTD MWD and motor system
drilled by Grigoryan in 1953, were, in and reduced rig time. employs a bottom orientation sub that
terms of the present-day classification, Among the most challenging aspects of locates and accesses laterals. Another
levels 1 and 2 openhole completions in multilateral drilling today, is the method is to run a whipstock diverter,
hard rock. Since then, directional drilling development of suitable reentry that orients in a predefined tubing or
technology has become more complex. techniques. These must go far beyond casing profile nipple to accurately locate
This reflects the demands for higher traditional sidetracking methods in order the diverter at the lateral opening. This
levels of multilaterals as asset managers to keep pace with advances in operations technique is used where completion
gain more comprehensive and such as stimulation, acidizing and equipment is specifically designed for
sophisticated information about reservoir perforating. The increasing complexity of through-tubing reentry into laterals.
properties and geological conditions. multilateral configurations mean that
The tendency is for small-diameter reentry to a single branch or reentry to
boreholes to be drilled to reduce cost, one of several branches at a common
Wellbore management
and multiple, slimhole horizontal level presents one of the greatest In production engineering and the
reentries to be drilled from small- difficulties. Further factors to consider operation of multilateral wells, the key
diameter wells to further increase when selecting a reentry technique considerations are whether a well needs
reservoir exposure. Coiled tubing is also include the type of completion (whether artificial lift, and the degree to which
employed to drill multiple radials from openhole or cased), hole size, vertical-to- imposed formation pressure drawdown
the main bore. Coiled tubing drilling is lateral build rate and the need to is affected by frictional pressure drop
frequently used to remove near-wellbore hydraulically isolate the lateral. inside the well. For example, short,
formation damage in order to increase
Number 2, 2001
Abu
Dhabi Figure 3.9: A typical 30-in. casing
United Arab Zakum field 133/8-in. casing
Emirates
multilateral well
IA
95/8-in. casing
II (dense)
Saudi Arabia IIA
IIB
IIC
IID
IIE
I1, I2
I3 less than less than
I4 West East Figure 3.10: Stepped
5md 5 md
I5 30-in. casing
I6 drilling profile 133/8-in. casing
IIA
I7
IIB IA
IIC 95/8-in. casing
IIIA
IID II (dense)
IIIB IIA
IIE
IIIC IIF IIB
Number 2, 2001
IIC
IIIDH
IID
IIIJ 8 1/2 in. hole
IIE
Injector
Producer Autoinjector
Number 2, 2001
Figure 3.18:
Simulating a
deviated well with
three valves
controlling flow from
the producing zones.
The reservoir is
initially saturated
with fresh water
from below,
simulating an
underlying aquifer
Number 2, 2001
75 % 92%
The Schlumberger RapidTieback* nonmilling multilateral The system incorporates a patented premilled window
drilling and completion system can be used at a Level 3 system that eliminates the need to mill casing material to exit
multilateral junction or upgraded to Level 4 and 5. The 95/8-in. the upper lateral. This removes the inherent risks with milling,
Level 4 system is designed to provide drilling and drift and reduces the time required to exit the casing. The exiting
workover access for 7 in. through the upper lateral, while system utilizes Schlumbergers unique whipstock, and
maintaining normal drift through the mother casing to the running/setting equipment, which are designed for ease of
lower lateral. The upper lateral is mechanically connected installation and removal.
and cemented to the mother casing, and the junction provides
a debris barrier, but is not intended to act as a hydraulic seal,
due to the permeability of the cement.
1. Drill to total depth (TD), run the 2. Orient the casing window section 3. Drill out the urethane-filled inner
appropriate logging package, attach using gyro/MWD. Cement casing using sleeve from the window section. The
window section to casing, and locate standard techniques and a dual-tubing plug lower drain can be drilled, completed
the appropriate depth and isolated with a retrievable
bridge plug (RBP)
4. Run the whipstock and 5. Drill the lateral to TD (no milling 6. Retrieve whipstock and
mono-positioning tool assembly. Set it in is necessary). Retrieve drilling assembly mono-positioning tool to allow
lower internal orient (IO) profile below clean-up run
premilled window. Retrieve running tool
Number 2, 2001
7. Run cement deflector and deflect into 8. Liner tie-back set by snapping into 9. Release running tool from liner and lift
lateral, continue in hole to bottom premilled window, locking casing in place. inner string to bushing-in liner. Pump
Liner can now be cemented if needed cement through inner string into the liner
Number 2, 2001