PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF TRILATERAL WELLS - FIELD EXAMPLES

Authors
Citation
Dt. Vo et Mv. Madden, PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF TRILATERAL WELLS - FIELD EXAMPLES, SPE reservoir engineering, 10(1), 1995, pp. 22-28
Citations number
NO
Categorie Soggetti
Energy & Fuels","Engineering, Petroleum
Journal title
ISSN journal
08859248
Volume
10
Issue
1
Year of publication
1995
Pages
22 - 28
Database
ISI
SICI code
0885-9248(1995)10:1<22:PEOTW->2.0.ZU;2-G
Abstract
Recent advances in horizontal drilling and completion technology have led to the successful completion of multilateral horizontal wells (wel ls with two or more laterals penetrating separate zones that produce t hrough a single wellbore to the surface). Evaluating performance of th ese commingled horizontal wells poses unique problems that have led to development of a practical procedure for that purpose. This paper dem onstrates a practical procedure used in evaluating the performance of three lateral (trilateral) horizontal wells. The procedure, coupling t he analysis of pressure-buildup and rate/time data, involves use of a consistent mathematical model to generate pressure and rate responses for pressure-test interpretation and performance prediction. The proce dure is demonstrated for several new trilateral wells drilled in the D os Cuadras field, offshore California. Results from field tests indica te that the procedure is efficient in evaluating the performance of th ese wells. Reservoir and well parameters are obtained and the contribu tion of all laterals is confirmed from pressure-test interpretation. T he computed model parameters are then used in a rate history match and accurate longterm performance predictions are made. Deconvolution is shown to improve the history-match process. In addition, the performan ce evaluation of these trilateral wells is compared with previously dr illed single-lateral horizontal wells in the same field. The compariso n confirms that the new trilateral horizontal well technology is econo mically viable, allowing reserves to be developed for approximately tw o-thirds the cost of three single-lateral horizontal wells.