Horizontal and Multilateral Wells: Analysis and Design - HML1

The course is designed as a companion course to Horizontal and Multilateral Wells: Completions and Stimulation. Advanced well concepts including horizontal and multilateral wells have become a dominant feature of new field development and redevelopment opportunities. They can, when used appropriately, dramatically improve the economic profitability of field development operations. However, their successful deployment largely depends on the effectiveness of the initial screening of candidate fields/wells and an assessment of the longer term production dynamics essential to ensuring 'life of well' design criteria and effective reservoir management. The complex, interdisciplinary decisions in advanced well projects are emphasized. This course stresses the effective identification of objectives and planning goals in the design evaluation process, the technical and economic assessment of risks and uncertainties, and the provision of flexible solutions. The application and benefits of horizontal and multilateral wells are analyzed. The process of candidate screening and selection, involving geological, reservoir, and production characteristics are considered, as well as constraints on drilling and completion options. Learn to select appropriate well geometries or trajectories, with respect to a range of reservoir environments, to optimize well capacity and fluid recovery. Methods to predict well performance and recovery from horizontal and multilateral wells are presented. The integration of inflow and wellbore flow performance for individual and multilateral wells is discussed. Well completion options for horizontal and multilateral wells are summarized. Reservoir simulation approach is presented during the course. Economic and risk analysis and well performance prediction for advanced well applications are summarized with a number of case histories, serving to highlight the performance and benefits of horizontal wells and the elements of risk and uncertainty at the initial design stage. One personal computer is provided, at additional cost, for each two participants. The instructor will like to use the examples from participants' field cases for analysis in the class as demonstration exercises. Field problems will be analyzed and suggestions will be provided through the course.

Geologists, reservoir engineers, production and completion engineers, and development, asset, and project managers.

You will Learn:

Participants will learn how to:

• Identify the applications of horizontal, multilateral, and intelligent wells from geological and reservoir aspects
• Determine optimum well locations and their placement in reservoir structures
• Assess multidisciplinary inputs for successful screening of advanced well projects
• Select the most appropriate well geometries to enhance production rates and hydrocarbon recovery from a variety of reservoir types and lithologies
• Predict horizontal and multilateral well productivity with integrated reservoir flow and well flow models
• Evaluate formation damage and well completion effects on advanced well performances
• Diagnosis problems in advanced wells and conduct the necessary sensitivity analyses
• Assess reservoir management requirements and how to achieve these through developing well design criteria to achieve 'life of a well' success
• Minimize technical and economic risk in advanced well projects