Assignment

Multilateral Well Completion Technology

Submitted to: Professor Eric

Submitted by: Mohsin Zia

(Lxs1204000205)

Xi’an Shiyou University

12/22/2015
Multilateral Well

A multilateral well is defined as “a well which has more than one vertical, in
clined or horizontal hole drilled from a single site and connected back to a sin
gle or ‘mother’ well bore”..
The main reason for drilling a multilateral well is to increase the return on inve
stment through improved reservoir drainage even though the initial well cost
is higher. For example reported that the reserves per multilateral in the Austin
Chalk (Texas, USA) have been reported to be 1.8 times the reserves per sing
le lateral while the cost was 1.4 times that of a single lateral.
Since the late 1980’s there has been a rapid increase in the use of multilaterals,
similar to that experienced with horizontal wells about ten years earlier.This
increase has been driven by a significant number of applications and the wel
ls have had various levels of sophistication in their design, from simple ope
n hole sidetracks to wells where the branches could be re-entered or isolated
selectively. These requirements have encouraged the service companies to
invest in new methods of drilling and completing multilaterals.
The first multi-laterals were drilled in Russia in the 1950’s and 1960’s, an ex
ample is shown in Figure.The technology was adopted and refined and the
current examples are in the USA, Canada, Middle East and North Sea. A surve
y done recently of USA multi-laterals indicated typically two or three laterals
per well and that 97% of applications were in reservoirs for which primary
recovery was the dominant production mechanism. The application was usu
ally in the case where horizontal wells were successful and further cost savings
could be made by having fewer wellbore to surface. Combining a number of
laterals into one multi-lateral thus made sense.
 Bashkiria multi-lateral well

 Factors Influencing the Potential Application of Multilaterals

There are many constraints in multi-lateral well esign related to the operatio
n of sidetracking out of the primary wellbore and the shape of the reservoir(s)
targeted by the laterals. For example the primary wellbore may be 8 1/2 “ hole
with a gentle build angle while the sidetrack may be 6” hole with quite a seve
re build angle due to the small vertical distance between the junction and the r
eservoir. The laterals may have different lengths and different completions as
a result of such geometric constraints. If the primary wellbore is highly devia
ted then the azimuthal separation between the laterals will be restricted. The
process of multi-lateral well design often involves a few iterations between d
irectional drillers, geologists and reservoir engineers before a satisfactory sol
ution is found.
Many factors influence the decision of whether to deploy a multi-lateral. Th
ey can be used in new or existing fields; but it is helpful to already have some
experience of horizontal wells in the area. In some cases, a lateral can be drill
ed in a new direction to acquire exploration/appraisal data and depending on it
s success, either be retained for production/injection or abandoned. Interferen
ce may take place between laterals either in the reservoir or in the wellbore.
If the laterals are being drilled in the same reservoir or in communicating reser
voirs, the drainage areas will eventually overlap at later time. If this is so, the
n the resulting drainage area will be less than would be the sum of the drainag
e areas for the laterals individually, as indicated in Figure. However, for low p
ermeability reservoirs the transient period may last for a long time and signifi
cant acceleration of production will be achieved before interference effects re
duce production.

Bouow

Figure Multilateral interference

 Initiation Methods for Laterals

Laterals can be initiated by a number of different methods:
• Openhole sidetracks drilled with or without whipstock
• Milling sidetracks from existing cased wellbores with full bore whipstock

• Miling sidetracks with small diameter whipstock passed through tubing

The first method is usual for carbonate reservoirs, particularly onshore where o
penhole completions are acceptable for horizontal wells. The second metho
d is the method of choice for high rate wells where a large diameter lateral o
f significant length is required. Method three is good for coiled tubing drille
d sidetracks.
 Principal Multilateral Geometries
The three basic geometrical configurations are planar, stacked and opposi
ng.

 The planar configuration is useful in naturally fractured reservoirs where

there is some uncertainty about fracture orientation. Having three lateral
s with 45º angles between them is almost certain to intersect fractures
at a reasonable angle to theoriginal well, unless the spatial distribution
of fractures is very clustered.
 The stacked configuration is designed for non-communicating layers.Th
e stacked configuration may be also useful in low permeability reservoirs
where there is a long period of transient production and flow interferenc
e does not become significant for some time.
 The opposed configuration has the advantage of giving the largest drain
age area for a given length of wellbore – it minimises interference at the h
eel of the well.

Multilateral well completion

Multilateral completion systems allow the drilling and completion of
multiple wells within a single wellbore. In addition to the main wellbore,
there are one or more lateral wells extending from the main wellbore.
This allows for alternative well-construction strategies for vertical, inclined,
horizontal, and extended-reach wells. Multilaterals can be constructed in
both new and existing oil and gas wells.
A typical installation includes two laterals; the number of laterals would be
determined by:

 The number of targets

 Depths/pressures
 Risk analysis
 Well-construction parameters.
Advantages of multilateral completion systems
Multilateral systems combine the advantages of horizontal-drilling
techniques with the ability to achieve multiple target zones. The advantages
of horizontal drilling include:
 Higher production indices
 The possibility of draining relatively thin formation layers
 Decreased water and gas coning
 Increased exposure to natural fracture systems in the formation
 Better sweep efficiencies.

Depending on the type of multilateral design used, the target zones can be
isolated and produced independently—or produced simultaneously, if
commingled production is allowed or if a parallel string completion is used.

Multilateral systems categories

The various degrees of multilateral systems have been categorized by the
Technology Advancement of MultiLaterals (TAML), a group of operators
and suppliers with experience in developing multilateral technology. The
TAML system for multilateral-well classification is based on the amount and
type (or absence) of support provided at the lateral junction. There are six
industry levels defined by TAML. This categorization system makes it easier
for operators to recognize and compare the functionality and risk-to-reward
evaluations of one multilateral completion design to another. As the TAML
level increases, so does the complexity and cost of the system.

 TAML level 1
The most fundamental multilateral system consists of an openhole main bore
with multiple drainage legs (or laterals) exiting from it (Fig ). The junction
in this design is left with no mechanical support or hydraulic isolation. The
integrity of the junction is dependent on natural borehole stability, but it is
possible to land a slotted liner in the lateral or the main bore to help keep the
hole open during production. The production from a Level 1 system must be
commingled, and zonal isolation or selective control of production is not
possible. Re-entry into either the main bore or the lateral may be difficult or
impossible should well intervention be required in the future.

 TAML level 2
This system is similar to Level 1, with the exception that the laterals are
drilled off of a cased and cemented main bore (Fig ). The cased main bore
minimizes the chances of borehole collapse and provides a means of
hydraulic isolation between zones. As with Level 1, there is no actual
mechanical support of the lateral junction, but it is possible to run a slotted
liner into the lateral to maintain borehole stability.

 TAML level 3
The Level 3 system also uses a cased and cemented main bore with an
openhole lateral (Fig ). However, in this design, a slotted liner or screen is
set in the lateral and anchored back into the main bore. This system offers
mechanical support of the lateral junction, but the advantage of hydraulic
isolation is lost, and the zones must be commingled to be produced. The
production from the zone below the junction must flow through the
whipstock assembly and past the slotted liner to reach the main bore. This
system provides easy access into the lateral for coiled-tubing assemblies, but
re-entry into the main bore below the junction is not possible.

 TAML level 4
This system offers both a cased and a cemented main bore and lateral (Fig ).
This gives the lateral excellent mechanical support, but the cement itself
does not offer pressure integrity at the junction. While the cement does
protect the junction from sand infiltration and potential collapse, it is not
capable of withstanding more than a few hundred psi of differential. There is
a potential for failure if the junction is subjected to a pressure drawdown, as
might be experienced in an electrical submersible pump (ESP) application.
Zonal isolation and selectivity is possible by installing packers above and
below the junction in the main bore. Systems are available that also offer
coiled-tubing intervention, both into the lateral and into the main bore below
the junction.

 TAML level 5
The Level 5 multilateral is similar in construction to the Level 4 in that it has
both a cased and a cemented main bore and lateral, which offers the same
level of mechanical integrity (Fig ). The difference is that pressure integrity
has now been achieved by using tubing strings and packers to isolate the
junction. Single-string packers are placed in both the main bore and lateral
below the junction and connected by tubing strings to a dual-string isolation
packer located above the junction in the main bore. This system offers full
access to both the main bore and the lateral. The zones can be produced
independent of one another, or the completion can be designed to allow them
to be commingled.

 TAML level 6
In the Level 6 multilateral system, both mechanical and pressure integrity
are achieved by using the casing to seal the junction (Fig ). Cementing the
junction, as was done in the Level 4 system, is not acceptable. The Level 6
system uses a premanufactured junction. In one type of system, the junction
is reformed downhole. In another, two separate wells are drilled out of a
single main bore, and the premanufactured junction is assembled downhole.
Figure- TAML