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THROUGH-TUBING INFILL DRILLING INCREASES OIL RECOVERY

The Gullfaks field, offshore Norway, has an estimated original oil in place of 588106 m3 and expected recoverable reserves of 316106 m3. The field produces from three Jurassic reservoirs, the Brent group and the Cook and Statfjord formations. Production began in 1986, and the field has produced 216106 m3 of oil. The field was developed with 84 producers, and pressure is maintained with 24 injector wells. The primary drilling program on Platforms A and B is completed, and infill drilling has started. Three main reservoir-development challenges exist in the Gullfaks field: complex structural geology, permeability contrasts, and unconsolidated reservoir rock. Because of limited reservoir communication, many drainage points are needed. To reduce the number of wells, several long, near-horizontal multitarget wells have been drilled. The severe permeability contrast and need for sand control have resulted in many well interventions by use of coiled tubing (CT) and snubbing, mainly to shut off water production, clean out sand, and install sand-control equipment. Also, an extensive data-collection program has tracked the water and gas fronts.
LHWF PROJECT

was combined with the reservoir engineers understanding of the flooding patterns, which is based on production history as well as production and saturation logs. It was important to focus on locating the remaining oil and not on how to produce it. Classification. Undrained areas can be classified on the basis of geological and structural settings, flooding pattern, well locations, and communication between different fault blocks. The different groups include the following. Attic oil in the Tarbert formation. Undrained sand bodies within the Ness formation. Water override in the Cook formation caused by permeability contrasts. The LHWF project defined 34 areas of possible undrained oil. Some of the oil pockets could be flushed efficiently by injecting gas. Most of the targets were evaluated as possible candidates for sidetracks or laterals from existing wells. The identified targets contain approximately 8.5106 m3 of additional recoverable oil. Technical Solutions. After identifying the accumulations, the process of qualifying technical solutions started. Most accumulations were not economical to develop with conventional drilling techniques. Well Trajectories. The Gullfaks field has been developed with a dense well pattern because of its complex structure. Short sidetracks could be drilled from existing wells to most of the 34 targets, and 60% of the trajectories could be drilled with the window below the existing production packer. Therefore, low-cost through-tubing drilling was an alternative. Completion Options. Completion options for through-tubing sidetracks are limited for the following reasons. Bit size is generally small. The small inside diameter of a slim hole restricts the use of internal gravel packing. In many cases, the window must be in the reservoir. The reason for sidetracking is usually water or gas breakthrough in the reservoir zones in the mother well.

An external zone isolation along the wellbore and sealing of the window inside the mother-well casing were required. The only solution available was a liner terminating inside the mother well and cemented from the bottom into the mother well. Because production from the mother well was lost, the timing of the sidetracks would be controlled by the production decline of the candidate wells.
RESULTS

The Let 100 Wells Flow (LHWF) project was begun with a small team of drilling, completion, and reservoir engineers to identify and map small oil pockets and propose economical drainage solutions. Search for Remaining Oil Reserves. After 10 years of production and water or gas breakthrough in most wells in the field, oil remains in various traps. To detect remaining oil accumulations, structural depth was mapped and detailed geological modeling This article is a synopsis of paper SPE 39358, Through-Tubing Infill Drilling as a Method for Increased Oil Recovery on the Gullfaks Field, by E. Vikane, B. Samsonsen, and K.E. Lorentzen, Statoil A/S, originally presented at the 1998 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Dallas, 36 March.
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The first LHWF well, A-10A, a CT sidetrack in a watered-out lower Brent production well was successful, and CT drilling is now regarded as a qualified drilling method in the field. The well produces oil updip from the mother well at approximately 250 m3/d even though the area was more waterflooded than expected. The next target was attic oil in the Tarbert formation. This well was drilled conventionally because of the limited reach with CT. It is producing more than expected, approximately 600 m3/d, even though a large section of the well was waterflooded. At the time this paper was written, a third well was being drilled with the CT-drilling technique. The target was attic oil and undrained sands within the Ness formation. Three more CT sidetracks were planned for 1998, with one planned as a multilateral well.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

Slim-hole formation evaluation while drilling is needed; currently, only gamma ray logs are available. Because of reservoir uncertainties, resistivity measurements are needed while drilling to steer the wellbore away from the flooded areas. Further development of drilling fluids and underbalanced-drilling techniques could lead to increased reach of CT sidetracks. In addition, sand control and external zone isolation in a slim hole are desirable. Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.
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ROTARY LINER DRILLING FOR DEPLETED RESERVOIRS

Rotary liner drilling can help overcome wellbore-stability problems through sections that are depleted, contain unconsolidated or sheared debris, or experience flow problems. Since 1990, Amoco Norway Oil Co. (ANOC) has been drilling into depleted portions of the Tor chalk reservoir in the Valhall field where a 5- to 7-lbm/gal equivalent reduction in pore pressure occurs instantaneously at the interface between the shale overburden (Lista) and the Tor formation. Drilling operations require the shale overburden to be penetrated and the hole cased as close as possible to the depleted chalk reservoir to prevent wellbore-stability problems. A typical approach has been to drill to within 16 to 23 ft above the prognosed top of the depleted formation, then run and cement the casing to bottom. Another approach has been to drill until the bottom of the hole falls out, then seal off the hole with a gunk pill that must be dressed off to within 10 to 16 ft above the bottom of the hole without washing away the pill before running casing. Problems experienced with these methods include hole enlargement, poor cuttings transport in the open hole, stuck pipe, and well-control problems caused by gas influx. These methods do not completely isolate the Lista formation. Longer-term concerns are the potential for lost production resulting from influxes of weighted mud, gunk squeezes, and cement into the productive zone.
BACKGROUND

ANOC first penetrated the chalk in the Valhall area in 1969. Exploration wells defined approximately 2.0 billion bbl of oil

This article is a synopsis of paper IADC/SPE 39399, Rotary Liner Drilling for Depleted Reservoirs, by L.A. Sinor, SPE, Hughes Christensen Co.; P. Tybero, SPE, and O. Eide, Amoco Norway Oil Co.; and B.C Wenande, SPE, Consultant, originally presented at the 1998 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Dallas, 36 March.
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in place before the field was deemed commercially attractive in 1978. The Valhall field averaged 84,500 BFPD during the first half of 1997 from 33 wells. A total of 90 wells were drilled, of which 37 were completed; 10 of these are horizontal producers. The remaining 53 wells are abandoned sidetracks. Continuous surveys of platform subsidence performed at Valhall indicate a subsidence rate of approximately 9.8 in./yr. Total platform subsidence is estimated at 9.02 ft. The porosity of the unconsolidated chalk in the Valhall field is often in excess of 45% and results in a relatively weak matrix that provides reservoir energy through pore compressibility. Solids production, compaction of the reservoir, and subsidence effects are challenges to production. Reservoir compaction and depletion are the primary features that affect drilling operations. Successful development of the field depends on controlling solids production without inhibiting oil production. Well 2/8A-1 had been the most stable and prolific producer in Valhall since it was put on production in 1982. Production history showed that the well averaged 12,000 to 16,000 BOPD from 1989 to 1993. The well is in the central crestal area of the field and failed because of casing collapse inside the overburden. The drilling objective of Well 2/8A-1A was to sidetrack out of the 95/8-in. casing at approximately 6,000 ft and drill a vertical twin approximately 250 ft to the northwest. The location was selected to minimize risks related to fault proximity and possible waterflood effects. The required mud weight through the Lista shale on Well 2/8A-1 was 14.7 lbm/gal at 8,040 ft; however, pressure inside the Tor formation was predicted to be 6.4 to 7.8 lbm/gal. The drilling challenge was to set a 7-in. liner close to the Tor formation to prevent wellbore-stability problems, yet minimize well-control risks associated with mud losses into the depleted pay section. While drilling the overburden, the Tor formation was penetrated 55 ft higher than expected, resulting in an immediate loss of mud to the reservoir. Mud losses totaled more than 1,000 bbl of weighted oil-based

mud (OBM) before the wellbore was stabilized. The chalk eventually was drilled and cased off with a 5-in. liner. The problems were related primarily to poor wellbore stability caused by leaving a portion of the overburden exposed. The use of a liner drilling system to penetrate and isolate the Lista/Tor formation interface might have reduced the problems experienced on this well. Implementation of this concept would entail use of a properly designed liner-shoe bit that could be drilled out easily, a method for isolating the Lista from the Tor (isolation packers, cement), and a rotating liner hanger. The system would be run just above the depleted pay with approximately 25 to 30 ft of higher-pressure overburden left to drill.
L ABORATORY TESTING

Typically, wells on the Valhall platform that cease to produce are sidetracked inside the 95/8-in. casing to minimize the cost of slot reclamation and redrilling of the well. An 81/2-in. hole is drilled through the window that allows a 7-in. liner to be run into the top of the production zone. Several 81/2-in. fixed-cutter bits, each attached directly to a section of 7-in. casing, were laboratory tested under pressure to evaluate the drilling challenges. A successful bit had to drill at relatively low flow rates through shale and limestone stringers without balling and had to be designed for trouble-free drillout. Figs. 1 through 3 show the progression of liner-shoe bit designs that were based on key information from laboratory and field drilling results. The results of laboratory testing in shale with five liner-shoe bit designs showed blade standoff and proper pressure drop through the nozzles were important to minimize balling. After laboratory testing the bits for balling tendencies, the bit in Fig. 1 was drilled out with a junk mill. The main limitation observed on the mill was the lack of clearance in the junk slots for drilled debris to pass and the lack of cutter standoff at the center. The lack of standoff at the center does not present a limitation for normal casing-milling operations but could act as a
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bearing when materials with solid bodies are being milled.

FIELD RESULTS

The full-length paper details the results from several wells drilled with a rotaryliner-drilling system. Well 2/8-A-2A. This well was planned as a vertical replacement for a well suffering severe stability problems because of chalk production. The well had ceased flowing shortly after a shutdown on Valhall. The drilling plan called for use of an 81/2in. steerable assembly to the top of the Tor chalk, which then was pulled to run the 7in. rotary-liner-drilling system. The liner would help isolate the high differential pressure between the shale overburden and chalk. Estimated formation pressure at entry of the Tor formation was 8.3-lbm/gal equivalent, and a complete loss of returns was expected while drilling into the formation with 14.7-lbm/gal weighted OBM. It was essential not to risk penetrating the top of the zone with the directional assembly while minimizing the length to be drilled with the 7-in. liner. The liner drilling assembly used the design shown in Fig. 1 with two inflatable external casing packers for formation and pressure isolation. The liner system was used to drill the last few feet of Lista shale and 10 ft into the Tor. The two packers then were inflated with cement to seal off the differential pressure between the formations at the liner shoe. The top liner packer then was set to seal the liner lap inside the 95/8-in. casing. After curing lost-circulation problems, the 3,346-ft liner drilling assembly was picked up. The pipe ran to bottom smoothly except for the 95/8-in. window at a measured depth of approximately 7,220 ft. Slow rotation of the pipe eventually was required to pass by the window. Slight losses were recorded while circulating at 140 gal/min. The equivalent mud weight was 15.4 lbm/gal. No additional

losses were recorded while tripping into the hole and breaking circulation until 10,269 ft. Attempts to circulate and work the pipe resulted in only 10% returns. After setting the liner, drilling began with mud circulation of 225 gal/min. The rotary stalled after drilling 2.6 ft, requiring that the pipe be worked up and down to free it. There was concern that any tight-hole problems could damage the sealing elements on the liner packers; therefore, extra care was taken to limit harmful drilling conditions. Drilling was continued at a lower flow rate of 140 gal/min at 700 psi. A total of 51 ft of formation was drilled in 3.2 hours at an average rate of 16 ft/hr, which included 24.9 ft of depleted Tor formation. While drilling with no returns, the annulus was kept full with 6.8-lbm/gal base oil, requiring 69 bbl at total depth. Total losses of 14.6-lbm/gal drilling mud were 1,350 bbl. Drilling a section of the hole with the liner cut the time from spud of the 81/2-in. section to completing the cleanout of the 5in. liner, excluding logging, from 33.8 days (on Well A-1A) to 15.6 days. Unscheduled events for the liner section accounted for 55.6% of the time. Savings were estimated at U.S. $1.82 million. Well 2/8-A-8A(T2). Improving on the lessons learned in Well 2/8-A-2A, a modified 7-in. liner was run on Well 2/8-A8A(T2) in 1996. Estimated Tor pressure at entry point was 3,300 psi, 7.8 lbm/gal equivalent, and a complete loss of returns was expected while drilling into the formation with 14.7-lbm/gal OBM. The drilling plan called for squeeze cementing the window after sidetracking. The liner drilling assembly used a redesigned liner shoe (Fig. 2) with one inflatable external casing packer for formation and pressure isolation. Major changes included antiwhirl features for bit stability, bicenter design for improved annular clearance and hole cleaning, polycrystalline-dia-

mond-compact (PDC) vs. carbide cutters for impact and wear resistance through the carbonate stringers, and larger nozzles for lost-circulation material. The liner hanger was run with a 15-ft polished-bore receptacle and a redesigned top liner packer. The new packer was more flush with the steel body, allowing better protection against wear generated while drilling. The running tool was also a new design with a floating junk bonnet and an undercut stinger (with no emergency release sleeve). The drillpipe dart was standard, but the liner wiper plug was modified with extra fins to ensure a good seal and latch in the landing collar. Total liner length was 1,640 ft. A total of 28 ft was control drilled in 1.5 hours at an average rate of 18.7 ft/hr. After reaching total depth, the hanger was set and released from the running tool. Cementing lines were connected, and 30 bbl of 15.8-lbm/gal slurry was pumped and displaced with 10-lbm/gal mud by use of the rig pumps. The wiper plug sheared, and the landing collar was tagged. Total losses while drilling and cementing were 700 bbl. Pipe-conveyed perforating guns were run to bottom on 31/2-in. drillpipe, and the liner shoe was squeezed with cement in one trip. Two 6-in. mills were used to mill out the liner-shoe bit and drill 361 ft of chalk to total depth. The liner drilling approach cut the time from spud of the 81/2-in section to completing the cleanout of the 5-in. liner, excluding logging time, from 33.8 days (on Well A-1A) to 12.1 days. Unscheduled events for the liner section accounted for 43.6% of the time. Savings were estimated at U.S. $2.17 million. The reduction included 2 days required to sidetrack around junk remaining because of an unsuccessful liner run that left parts of the liner bit and packer rubber in the wellbore. Well 2/8-A-3B. Improving on the lessons learned on Well 2/8-A-8A(T2), another 7-

Fig. 1Two-bladed 81/2-in. liner shoe with 3/4-in. carbide cutters.

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Fig. 2Two-bladed 81/2-in. liner shoe with 3/4-in. PDC cutters.

Fig. 3Four-bladed 121/4-in. liner shoe with 3/4-in. PDC cutters.

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in. liner was run on Well 2/8-A-3B in 1996. The liner drilling assembly used the linershoe design shown in Fig. 3 without the use of a packer. Total length of the liner was 3,960 ft. Bit-design improvements included the following. Four vs. two blades to decrease the load to the individual blades while drilling. Six 14/32-in. jets (two each on the primary blades, one each on the secondary blades) vs. four jets. Cutter backrake angle of 30 vs. 10 to increase the cutter robustness and to make the bit less sensitive to the weight on bit. Inner-cone angle of 15 vs. 20 for easier milling. Rounded outside-diameter taper to minimize the potential for hangup while running into the hole. Conventional PDC vs. bicenter design. Thinner (0.25-in.) cutters inside the cone to allow faster milling; thicker (0.52-in.) cutters placed at the drift diameter of the 7-in. casing out to gauge. Thicker steel plate of 0.75 vs. 0.50 in. with rounded edges to minimize stresses and improve strength. The liner drilling was a success, drilling 31.2 ft in 2 hours. Unscheduled events for

this section accounted for 14.8% of the time. The average rate of penetration was generally good except for the limestone stringers, where the rate was slower than normal because of the increased cutter backrake angle. The overall rate of penetration was controlled to limit bit balling in the shale because the flow rate averaged 160 to 210 gal/min in the 81/2-in. hole. A total of 796 bbl of 14.7-lbm/gal OBM was lost while drilling and setting the 7-in. liner, including 21 bbl lost while running the liner to bottom, 465 bbl lost while drilling with the liner, 220 bbl lost while pumping the liner-hanger ball and plug, and 90 bbl lost behind the 7-in. liner. Well 2/8 F-6. This new well was drilled from Platform WP on Valhall in 1997. The drilling plan called for use of a 121/4-in. steerable system to the top of the Tor chalk, which then was pulled to run a 95/8-in. rotary-liner-drilling system. Total liner length was 4,469 ft. The drilling plan was to place the bottom of the hole 10 to 15 ft true vertical depth above the prognosed top of the Tor formation. However, the Lista formation was 33 ft thinner than estimated. The fact that the actual depth above the Tor

was 1.5 ft was not known at the time, and resulted in total mud loss. After regaining circulation, the liner drilling system was used successfully. A total of 4,469 ft of 95/8-in. casing was rotated at inclinations up to 55, with average doglegs of 2.3/100 ft. The system allowed 23 ft of gunk to be reamed and 3 ft of hole to be drilled into the depleted Tor formation. Unscheduled events for this section accounted for 13.5% of the time.
SUMMARY

The ANOC drilling team has made significant progress in overcoming challenges presented by drilling into depleted zones. The teamwork between the drilling-operations engineers and the technology providers made it possible to reach another milestone in the effort to cut costs through the application of innovative technology.

Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.

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REDEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF THE MAGNUS FIELD

Magnus is the most northerly field in the U.K. North Sea, with 14 platforms, two subsea producers, and 13 injectors, of which eight are subsea. After 12 years of plateau production at 140,000 BOPD, the field went on a precipitous 60%/yr decline in 1995. Although preparation and investment for decline had been significant, the severity of the well-related problems had not been anticipated. Wells producing more than 20,000 BOPD ceased production in a matter of hours as a result of severe barium sulfate scaling, among other factors.
BACKGROUND

The field was developed with a single platform, with subsea wells on the flanks of the field to access areas that the drilling technology of the day could not reach. Because of limited permeability in the water leg, the development plan was to complete wells in the oil leg, and convert them later to injection to sweep oil in a line drive toward the main producers. The first line of producers would, in turn, be converted to injection as the flood front advanced updip. Pressure support from the aquifer was inadequate owing to its limited extent and poor permeability. Original oil in place is estimated to be 1.65 billion STB, with recoverable reserves of 797 million STB of sweet 39API oil and a gas/oil ratio of 750 scf/STB. Production from the field began in August 1983, with water-injection startup following in August 1984. The field was produced below capacity throughout most of the 12 years of plateau production. In an attempt to keep a straight-line drive, two of the highest injectors were choked back, which also contributed to the underproduction. As a

This article is a synopsis of paper SPE 49130 Redevelopment and Management of the Magnus Field for Post-Plateau Production, by Simon Day, SPE, Tim Griffin, SPE, and Paul Martins, BP Exploration, prepared for presentation at the 1998 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, 2730 September.
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result, the average reservoir pressure dropped steadily until, in the early 1990s, the crestal pressure was close to the oil bubblepoint. In 1993, all the injectors were opened to maximize injection and increase the reservoir pressure, regardless of whether the flood front was skewed. Despite the pressure drop in the crest, the high productivity of the wells meant plateau production could be maintained easily. Plans were considered for dedicated crestal injectors but not carried out because of the difficulty in justifying the benefit with the existing reservoir description. Also, the field production was limited by the capacity of the production facilities. Production and injection wells generally were perforated in all reservoir intervals encountered. These large multizone wells were production-log tested throughout their lives to track zonal pressure differences. Some wells were perforated in stages to monitor the productivity of different zones. Although pressure differences were found in wells, these were never extensive and it appeared that most reservoir zones were in communication. Compartmentalization was found in two places. The northern area had some pressures that differed from those in the northcentral area although compartmentalization was not total, and the Brent high held back significant pressure support from the crestal area. Water analysis and the tendency of the first wells to water out under waterflood showed that Magnus was very susceptible to barium sulfate scale formation. This scale forms when barium from the formation water mixes with sulfate from the injected seawater. The resultant compound is very insoluble and precipitates out in the well liner, limiting production and well access. Calcium carbonate scale formation is not a significant problem.
POST-PL ATEAU PERFORMANCE

Water breakthrough had occurred in several flank producers during the plateau period, but none of the crestal producers had significant water breakthrough until late 1994. Evidence of reservoir decline became

increasingly visible, and the field came off plateau production in early 1995. Production losses caused by scale formation continued to be a major problem during 199597. Although scale-squeeze inhibition chemicals were available, these were effective for only a limited time because of the strong scaling environment and the difficulties in placing the chemicals into the correct zone. Frequent squeezes were necessary, and even these occasionally were ineffective at stopping scale formation. As the different layers in the multizone wells watered out, large pressure differences developed (up to 1,500 psi). With the high productivity indexes of individual zones, it often was not possible to pump an inhibitor rapidly enough to achieve injection into the higher-pressure zones. Unfortunately, these high-pressure zones usually had the higher water cut and greater scaling potential, limiting the effectiveness of the chemical injected. The pressure differences between layers led to severe crossflow problems and instabilities. Some wells became unstable and would not return to normal production after a shutdown. While wells were shut in, the higher-pressured wet zones would crossflow with rates up to 10,000 BWPD into the lower-pressured dry zones, partially flooding them. When the well was returned to production, the water cut would be much higher because the lowpressured zone would now backflow water. On occasion, the water cut would be high enough to raise the bottomhole flowing pressure above the reservoir pressure of the lower-pressured zone. In this case, crossflow would continue even while the well was producing to the surface. If a well did not have artificial lift, the only solution was to perform a long nitrogen lift through coiled tubing to lift the lower-pressure zone back onto production. Some wells would require this after each scale squeeze. In addition, acquiring data or performing maintenance was extremely difficult because of the high risk of losing the well. As zones and wells watered out and the pressure differences developed, evidence of the field complexity became much more
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pronounced. In the crestal area, wells only a short distance from each other and ostensibly completed in the same zones behaved differently. Liner sidetracks only 160 ft from the original well showed zones that were not in communication between the two wells. This degree of complexity was not expected in a turbidite sand that had behaved much like a big sandpile for most of the plateau period. Repeated production-log tests (PLTs) and openhole logs during plateau production provided very limited evidence of the true complexity of the reservoir.
REDUCING THE DECLINE

Gas-Lift Completions. In the absence of substantially increased reservoir pressures, the only way to maintain the high flow rates was to install gas-lift completions. All new producers (except one) have been completed with gas lift. Water-Handling Upgrade. The original water-handling facilities processed water from the low-pressure separators and theoretically were capable of processing 60,000 BWPD. In practice, the maximum that could be processed and still remain within the assets tight limits on produced oil in water was only 40,000 to 45,000 BWPD. Water-handling upgrades were installed in October 1995 to process water directly from the high-pressure separators through two hydrocyclones; these also incorporated desanding facilities to cope with the expected increase in sand production. These modifications increased the field water-processing capability to 250,000 BWPD. Subsea Water-Injection Manifold. The Magnus platform was designed with only 20 platform well slots (14 producers and six injectors). It was expected that, as the field came off plateau production, more wells would be required to maintain production. The goal was to move all injection subsea, freeing up slots for conversion to producing wells. A subsea-injection manifold with slots for seven injection wells was installed and tied back with a single subsea pipeline. Additional Actions. Several actions to slow the decline were pursued vigorously. These actions primarily involved the wells because well performance was driving the production decline. Production Wells. The most significant change in the field-development strategy was a move from large multizone producers to dedicated single-zone producers. Singlezone completions improved the lift perfor FEBRUARY 1999

mance of the wells by reducing water cuts and stopping crossflow. Production could be optimized and interventions performed with confidence that the well would not die because of crossflow. Single-zone completions also enabled more effective scale squeezes. Combined with more effective inhibition chemicals, scale-squeeze life was approximately tripled. Liner sidetracks offered many advantages, including guaranteed shutoff of water intervals behind new liner and cement; openhole logs, including accurate pressure measurement for reservoir monitoring and perforation decisions; clean wellbore without residual-scale problems; minimal increase in the time required over a simple workover; and a much quicker and more reliable workover if a water shutoff was planned as part of it. Three wells did have a successful zonal shutoff to change them to single-zone production. Two other wells were converted to gas lift rather than sidetracked. Many wells could not be converted to single-zone production immediately, and interventions were required to maintain flow. The other solution was to reduce the injectivity of the lower-pressure zone to divert chemicals to the higher-pressure wet zones. The chosen method was to inject the inhibition chemicals in a series of stages, separated by wax diverters to block the low-pressure injectivity progressively. The reservoir interval first was cooled with seawater, then the first stage of chemicals was pumped, followed by a wax diverter. The wax was designed to solidify on the cooled rock, reducing the injectivity. Successive stages injected inhibitor and blocked the injectivity until all open intervals had been inhibited. During the soak period, the well would heat up and the wax would melt and subsequently be backproduced and processed normally with the oil stream. This method has been used successfully on several Magnus wells and has helped to extend squeeze lives. Wax-diverted squeezes have been combined with PLTs to confirm that the diversion was successful. Injection. Because Magnus has a limited aquifer, injection is critical in maintaining production. Undervoidage had been a concern during the plateau period, and efforts were made to improve injection volumes during the last 4 years of plateau. However, this focus has increased sharply during the post-plateau period, when the benefits of increasing individual-well production rates through injection are more clear if the field production is limited by the well-potential rates. Three routes were pursued to

improve injection support in the field: dedicated zonal water injectors, water-injection upgrades, and water-injection optimization.
POST-PL ATEAU PRODUCTION

Magnus production base decline rate reached 60%/yr for the first post-plateau year. Only a rapid succession of new wells and liner sidetracks sustained production; in January 1996, 58% of production was from wells drilled in the previous year. The focus on base well management, waterinjection optimization, and the move to single-zone completions gradually stabilized the annual decline rates. The decline rate actually has become negative as the field production rate has steadily risen because of improved injection support for two key zones in the crestal area of the field. This production is a combination of new oil and acceleration. Base decline rates are expected to grow again during the latter half of 1998. However, manageability has been restored to the field and the high decline rates of 1995 are not expected to return. Wells are now more predictable and, in general, can be choked back or turned off if required for field management reasons without the fear that the well will die. Scale-squeeze life has approximately tripled with the combination of new chemicals and single-zone completions. Essentially, the change in strategy to recomplete wells as single-zone producers has been completed within 3 years. The field now has several oil-bearing zones behind pipe awaiting perforation when the well performance allows it. The next stage of development, where the present zones are shut off and other zones opened up, is beginning. It is likely that the field gradually will move back to multizone completions if pressure differences are not great and the scale can be controlled. This will be required in late life to cycle water and improve recovery. Water-injection optimization is estimated to have increased production by 1,000 to 2,000 STB/D. However, drilling of new injectors (and conversion of one producer to injection) has produced more significant levels of new production. Of the 19 platform and subsea wells drilled on Magnus since coming off plateau production, six were injectors that were targeted at particular zones and compartments. Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.
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NEW SYSTEM TO ENHANCE MATURE-WELL PRODUCTION

An ejector is a static machine in which a high-pressure stream (HPS) is mixed with a low-pressure stream (LPS) at an intermediate, common outlet pressure. The HPS transfers part of its energy to the LPS, boosting the low-pressure well and extending field life. In 1994, an R&D project in collaboration with the U. of Ancona analyzed the possible use of surface ejectors to boost low-pressure oil wells. The preliminary design-code definition, based on a literature review, was fine tuned with tests performed in the university laboratory (air and water at low pressure). The code eventually was optimized on the basis of test results from an experimental loop at Trecate, in northern Italy, with live oil and gas at high pressures. The model is now a user-friendly software package to design multiphase ejectors with an error of less than 10%. A multiphase ejector was installed in December 1996 in the Villafortuna-Trecate oil field in northern Italy. The wellhead pressure (WHP) of Well VF4 was declining rapidly and was approaching the 783-psi flowline pressure. The high-pressure well, Trecate 18, approximately 4.4 mi from Well VF4 and connected through a 10-in. pipeline, was used as the drive stream in the ejector to boost production of Well VF4. The operation started in December 1996 and continued until May 1997, recovering 600 BOPD from Well VF4 by reducing the WHP by 72 to 87 psi. Cumulative production was increased by approximately 100,000 bbl. The installation demonstrated the following. The ejector is a low-cost and smallfootprint boosting system that has minimum impact on existing facilities. In spite of the low ejector efficiency (approximately 30%), the ejector application uses the high-pressure drive-stream energy that is otherwise wasted through the wellhead choke of the high-pressure well. Because of the low velocity of the fluid through the ejector nozzle (subsonic flow) the noise is low. The lower the level of free gas in the drive stream, the higher the ejector performance. If free gas exceeds 10%, a gas/liquid separator should be installed in front of the ejector.
PUMP/EJECTOR SYSTEM

mance of the pump/ejector system continued to be excellent. While the ejector-alone installation demonstrated the viability of the machine as a low-cost and small-sized boosting system, the pump/ejector application proved its good performance, flexibility, and potential applicability to many situations in lowpressure mature wells. In fact, unlike the ejector alone, the new system does not need a nearby high-pressure well to boost a lowpressure well because the pump provides the necessary energy.
FUTURE APPLIC ATIONS

This article is a synopsis of paper SPE 49170, A New System To Enhance Production of Mature Wells, by G. DeGhetto, F. Paone, K.L. Nielsen, and M. Villa, ENI SpA, prepared for presentation at the 1998 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, 2730 September.
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As a consequence of the rapid depletion of Well VF4, the ejector was no longer capable of boosting it after 6 months. Further analysis on the wells performance indicated a possibility of increasing the oil rate further by an additional decrease in WHP . Expected oil recovery was approximately 30,000 bbl. It was decided to install a liquid centrifugal pump to increase the ejector boosting capacity. The net increase in production rate was 1,000 BOPD. Technical actions to optimize the system included the following. Installation of two vibration sensors to shut down the pump motor in case of cavitation because of excess gas (more than 5%) in the liquid pumped (i.e., inefficient separation upstream of the pump). Installation of a temperature sensor to shut down the pump motor for any abnormal increase of temperature (e.g., an accidental closure of the valve downstream of the pump). Installation of a manual gate valve downstream of the pump for better regulation of the flow rate needed in the ejector drive stream, thus avoiding having the pump empty the separator (even if the ejector nozzle normally self regulates the flow rate needed in the drive stream). The new system worked continuously until April 1998, recovering the expected 30,000 bbl of oil, and eventually was shut down. Project payout took 1 month. It should be emphasized that production stopped in April 1998 because of the strong depletion of Well VF4, even though perfor-

The full-length paper presents details of five application feasibility studies. The predicted production increases range from 120 BOPD for a single well to 4,500 BOPD for a five-well project. Payout times range from 1 week to 6 months. In the feasibility studies, the authors considered the use of the ejector alone. Enhancement with a pump is under study. However, preliminary analyses indicate pump enhancement could increase production by 30% from each field.
CONCLUSIONS

This technology is very effective for boosting production from low-pressure oil wells. The initial limitation (availability of nearby high-pressure wells to activate the ejector) has been overcome by use of a centrifugal pump. Field application and feasibility studies show that the system can reactivate shut-in wells or increase production from mature low-pressure wells dramatically. The pump/ejector system, despite its low efficiency, provides a short payout. The best production boosting occurs when the system is connected to manifolds in existing central oil-gathering systems.The system is a valid alternative to traditional boosting systems, such as multiphase pumps or artificial lift.

Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.
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MONOBORES IMPROVE LIFE-CYCLE COST

The southern Australian Cooper and Eromanga basins contain more than 350 gas wells producing in excess of 600 MMscf/D of raw gas from relatively deep (8,000 to 10,000 ft) multilayered reservoirs of predominantly low-permeability (<10 md) low-porosity (8 to 14%) sandstone. Approximately 40 exploration and development wells are drilled each year, with single or multiple fracture-stimulation treatments (FSTs) programmed for most of the development wells. Each FST includes approximately 150,000 lbm of proppant. The mature area has produced more than 50% of the ultimate recovery. In such an environment, it is paramount to keep down initial-development and full-life-cycle costs. Monobores can offer potential cost savings and increased utility over conventional wells. Conventional wells contain three strings of pipe (surface and production casing and production tubing). In monobores, the production-casing and -tubing strings are replaced with a single string of production tubing that is slightly larger than that used in a conventional well. It was in this environment that a multidisciplinary team was established to identify issues that could promote wider use of monobores as a costsaving approach for gas development and, if appropriate, for design and implementation of the ideal monobore as the standard development well. After 4 months of research, evaluation, and review, the teams work produced a standard monobore design that resulted in initial-development-cost savings in excess of 10% of the equivalent cost of drilling, casing, fracture-stimulation treating, and completing a conventional well.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM

tives from reservoir-engineering, drilling, completions, and geology groups. Each team member had perceptions, prejudices, and agendas that had to be resolved by the team. The following key points were identified by the team. Completion and fracture stimulation is possible without the additional cost of a workover rig on site. Monobores offer significant savings in well-construction costs. Remedial work can be performed in a monobore without a workover rig or killing the well. Targeting water-shutoff opportunities to individual sand members can increase recovery factors. All critical evaluation services can be run in the smaller wellbores. All wells can be designed to support FSTs.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Inflatable-packer drillstem tests in 63/4in. holes had not proved to be a significant problem; however, analysis did reveal an increased risk of packer damage and of leaving packer elements in the hole. Only one attempt had been made to run the test in 43/4-in. hole; it was unsuccessful. The cement-logging practices needed review. Only 25% of the monobore wells had been logged, and most results did not indicate the top of cement conclusively. Cementing. Cementing was one of the major problems associated with the preJune 1997 monobore population. In five wells, returns had been lost during the surface-pipe cementing programs, requiring an additional top-up cement job. In two of the five wells logged, the top of the cement behind the production casing was below the surface-casing shoe. Fracture Treatments. When the team reported preliminary results in July 1997, no monobores had been fracture treated. However, only two wells met the criteria for FST. With a revised monobore design, problems could be managed. It was recognized that with FST through 31/2-in. tubing, stimulation pump rates would be limited to approximately 30 bbl/min, which was not considered a significant issue. Completion Types. The most common completion type of the existing monobore population was wells with a 31/2-in. liner and tieback to surface. However, many different liner-hanger systems had been run, none of which had been trouble-free, two of which led to permanent mechanical damage, and none of which were deemed to be a reliable liner-hanger/packer system through which FSTs could be executed. Perforating. While recognizing that a small casing size results in less powerful perforating systems, several systems have been used successfully to produce excellent postperforation flow rates.
POST-COMPLETION ISSUES

A review of the basin monobore population identified issues that could promote wider use of monobores as a cost-saving approach for gas development. Sample Size. Before June 1997, more than 750 wells had been drilled, of which only 27 were monobores. Of these, six had been plugged and abandoned and none had been fracture stimulated. Cost Savings. The review of the case-andsuspend costs for the downsized holes (63/4- and 43/4-in. diameter) revealed that, while they had been cased and suspended at as much as 8% lower cost than comparable conventional wells, the greatest cost-saving potential is the virtual elimination of completion equipment (tubing, packers, and jewelry) and the ability to complete the well without a workover rig on site. Drilling Problems. No drilling problems were identified that would prevent the successful use of monobores in this basin. Well Evaluation. All openhole-logging requirements could be met. Typically, the smaller bit sizes produced better hole quality, which improved log quality.

Key to the success of this project was a multidisciplinary team with representaThis article is a synopsis of paper SPE 50046, MonoboresMaking a Difference to the Life-Cycle Cost of a Development, by M.S. Macfarlane, SPE, and P .A. Mackey, SPE, Santos Ltd., originally presented at the 1998 SPE Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition, Perth, Australia, 1214 October.
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Water Shutoff/Artificial Lift. Owing to the nature of the reservoirs in the basin, most wells target multiple formations. These for69

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mations can have up to 1,000 ft of gross pay with net/gross ratios of less than 50%. Also, depending on the field, either the shallower or deeper target produces water first. Running a tandem completion is not possible in a monobore. The following watershutoff technologies were identified that could be used to isolate unwanted water production. Plugs. Mechanical barriers/casing patches. Water conformance treatments. Tubing hydraulics. Late-Life Remedial Work. One of the key requirements of the monobore is to provide the most cost-effective full-life-cycle cost without compromising productivity. The key to this is the ability to undertake latelife remedial action to stimulate the well, to isolate water production, or to execute mechanical repairs. The primary post-completion activities include the following. Perforating. Fracture stimulation. Acidizing. Corrosion control. Formation-damage remediation.
IDEAL MONOBORE DESIGN

DESIGN APPLIC ATION

Since implemention of the ideal monobore design in September 1997, an additional 23 monobores have been drilled, cased, suspended, and completed (compared with seven conventional wells) in the Cooper basin, with total full-cycle cost savings in excess of 10%/well (drilling, FST, completion, and connection costs). Eighteen successful FSTs have been performed with two screenouts encountered without integrity problems.
CURRENT ISSUES

Risk Management. Potentially, a stuck toolstring is more serious in a monobore because the production string cannot be recovered. All wireline entries must be carefully considered and limited to essential entries. The approach taken has been to limit wireline operations in monobores. Use of coiled tubing is preferred.
FURTHER WORK

Surface-Casing Size. Potential exists to capture further cost savings by reducing the surface casing from 95/8 to 75/8 in. Water Shutoff. Success with use of casing patches to isolate water production has paved the way for all development wells to be completed as monobores. Siphon Strings. No siphon string has been deployed in a monobore. Preliminary engineering work shows that the technique should be effective. Coiled-tubing-deployed jet pumps also are being evaluated as a means of handling water production. Exploration Wells as Monobores. With the success of monobores, the base assumption is that all future development wells will be monobores unless the necessity of a conventional well can be justified. For exploration wells, the reverse is true. However, the monobore technology is being pursued actively to determine whether, from 1999 onward, the standard exploration well also should be configured so that an exploration success is completed as a monobore.
CONCLUSIONS

Even after 9 months of experience with monobore technology and implementation of the review teams recommendations, several issues still need to be addressed to increase the monobore cost savings further. Cement Cleanout. The major remaining problem being pursued relates to the cement stringers that remain inside the production tubing after cementing has been completed. The presence of these stringers requires a coiled-tubing unit to clean out the wellbore before perforating or fracture stimulating, increasing development costs. Perforating. High-powered through-tubing perforators have caused significant operational problems by tools being blown up the hole and by the volume of debris they produce. To date, these operational problems have not been solved. Two systems are in use, carrier guns for zones to be fracture stimulated and platform-supported guns for underbalanced perforating. Post-FST Cleanout. Monobore FSTs have proved extremely successful at providing significant cost savings over rig-assisted FSTs and have experienced less trouble time. However, in many monobore FSTs, a coiled-tubing unit with nitrogen assist is required to clean out excess proppant. This cost needs to be included when evaluating the life-cycle benefits of monobores compared with conventional wells. Cement Placement. The inability to place cement approximately 1,000 ft inside the surface-casing/production-tubing annulus continues to be a problem. While the possibility of unsupported tubing is not necessarily critical to the producibility of the wells, the use of higher-strength tubing to solve the burst issues during fracture stimulation adds to the cost. Furthermore, inconsistent cementing results may lead to problems in other areas.

The ideal monobore design was defined as follows. Provide the lowest drill, complete, and FST cost. Provide the optimal full-life cost. Support an FST. Achieve the minimum wellboreintegrity requirements. The team determined that all monobores should be a two-string design and must satisfy the following minimum wellboreintegrity requirements. Surface (i.e., outermost) casing must be cemented to surface. Best efforts must be made to place cement approximately 1,000 ft into the surface-casing/production-tubing annulus. The production string must eliminate corrosion effectively. All wells must be considered as FST candidates. The production-string pressure integrity must support an FST screenout. Access to approximately the top 1,500 ft of production tubing must be possible (to permit surface-casing and production-tubing repairs in case of corrosion). Depth-correlation markers should be placed in the production tubing above each formation top to allow simple correlation of wireline or coiled-tubingunit operations.
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Monobores have delivered significant fulllife-cycle cost savings over conventional development gas wells in southern Australian operations. It was necessary to take a multidisplinary approach to develop the ideal monobore. Elimination of many conventional operations by use of monobores has eliminated many associated risks, such as workover-rig-related operational delays, cost overruns, or safety incidents. Because fewer operations are required between spudding and producing the well, the time necessary to complete them can be compressed, thereby accelerating production.

Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.
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IMPLEMENTATION OF TWIN-WELL TECHNOLOGY OFFSHORE SARAWAK

Many of the mature fields operated by Petronas Carigali Sdn. Bhd. (PCSB) still contain substantial recoverable reserves. However, a limited number of spare well slots or re-entry possibilities are available on existing platform structures from which new wells can be drilled. Installing new structures is costly and would render new drilling projects uneconomical in many cases. To develop its mature fields, PCSB has identified twin-well technology as a viable, relatively low-risk means of further developing such fields offshore Sarawak. The Baram Delta area consists of nine fields. Most contain mature producers developed between 1971 and 1982. The Tukau field is 18.6 miles offshore Sarawak at a water depth of 160 ft. Faults divide the field into seven blocks. The major hydrocarbon accumulations are between 2,400 and 7,500 ft in the E, F , H, I, J, and N sand sequences. The field is being developed by nine structures with a total of 52 wells. Peak production from the field was 31,000 STB/D; current oil production is approximately 15,000 STB/D. The field contained 410 million STB of oil initially in place, and the expected ultimate recovery is 167 million STB. The remaining reserves are 25 million STB, with an additional 12 million STB of undeveloped reserves identified. The undeveloped reserves are reasonably large but scattered throughout the 150 reservoir units and six fault blocks. The limited number of available well conductors constrains development of these reserves.
PL ANNING

oil. A flank and a crestal well are required to develop these reserves. At the surface, three wellhead jackets were available. However, none of the jackets could accommodate two additional conductors. Without implementing a new type of technology that allows drilling of two wells from one jacket, two jackets would be necessary, considerably increasing project cost. Because PCSBs shallow-gas procedures for infill drilling specify use of diverter equipment, any innovative wellhead design must incorporate this requirement. The planned well needed to incorporate the following features. Two wells in one conductor. Adherence to PCSBs shallow-gas procedures. Enable a shallow kickoff. Installation of three tubing strings to allow selective production. Sand-exclusion measures.
TWIN-WELL TECHNOLOGY

Well Orientation. Once well targets are known and well trajectories prepared, optimum wellhead orientation can be decided. Although jacket constraints should be taken into account, positioning each surface casing in the correct azimuth is a more critical factor. From this point onward, it must be understood that the single well and the dual well, with its long and short strings, are committed. Any change would impact the surface design. Collision. Standard anticollision checks and optimizations were made in the design stage. When drilling two wells very close together, the second well might trail the first well deeper than planned. Proactive contingency planning is required. Casing Scheme. The following casing scheme was selected. One 30-in.-diameter x 1-in.-wall-thickness conductor. Two 133/8-in. conduit strings. Two 95/8-in. intermediate casings. Two 7-in. production casings. One 5-in. contingency liner. To run both conduit strings inside the conductor (28-in. inside diameter), flush casing was selected to prevent casing collars from hanging up.

Field reviews of the southern area of the Tukau field (Block 2) identified additional recoverable reserves of 3.6 million STB of This article is a synopsis of paper SPE 50082, Implementation of Twin-Well Technology Offshore Sarawak, by S. Hashim, T. Runggai, M.Z. Khalid, W. Kruit, D. Short, B. Duncan, N. Pauzi, J. Haron, and F.N. Low, Petronas Carigali Sdn. Bhd., originally presented at the 1998 SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Perth, Australia, 1214 October.
FEBRUARY 1999

As Fig. 1 shows, twin-well technology allows two wells to be drilled, cased, and completed through a single conductor. The small jackets used by PCSB often can accommodate one additional conductor that would allow two new wells. Well separation can be obtained in two ways; downhole or at the surface. In the feasibility study, the two methods were evaluated. Primarily because of its simplicity, the surface-separation system was chosen. Drilling and completion procedures for this system are essentially the same as those for conventional wellhead equipment. The system is flexible, allowing batch drilling and completing. On completion, each well can be produced, tested, and worked over independently.
WELL-DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Conductor System. A 30-in. conductor allows installation of two 133/8-in. conduit strings to the conductor shoe, enabling a shallow kickoff. Drivable conductor connections were used for further optimization. No on-site welding or inspection was required, thus reducing the risk of hotwork exposure and reducing rig time.

133/8-in. 95/8-in. 7-in. 3 2 /8-in.

30-in. 133/8-in. 95/8-in. 7-in. 31/2-in.

Fig. 1Casing schematic for drilling two wells through a single conductor.

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Cementation. The only adjustment was in the cementing procedures. The two conduit strings were to be run without float shoes and to hang free in the conductor initially. The first 95/8-in. casing was cemented with the top of cement approximately 300 ft below the conductor. The second 95/8-in. casing would be cemented to surface, filling up all annuli. A top fill would be used if total losses occurred or if the cement settled out too low.
CONTINGENCY PL ANNING

installed at the bottom joint to ensure that the first joint remained at the desired side of the conductor. The string was directed into the hole with conventional directionaldrilling methods. After the first string was landed on the 30-in. landing plate, the second string was stabbed into the downhole guide and subsequently landed. Drilling Operations. The rig diverter system was installed by use of a 30-in. overshot system. With the 121/4-in. hole drilled and the absence of shallow gas confirmed, the diverter was removed. The first 95/8-in. casing was run and cemented with the top of cement 300 ft below the conductor, then landed in the second landing ring. The second hole was drilled without the diverter, and the steerable mud-motor assembly did indeed follow the first hole. An additional trip was made to increase the angle setting of the mud motor, but distance from the first hole was achieved only when the top of cement was reached. Wellhead Operations. With both 95/8-in. strings extending above the conductor, they could receive the Camforge compact housings. This type of connection requires no rotation of the housing, allowing housings to be placed close together and eliminating the risk of misalignment. Because welding also is eliminated, production from other wells on the jacket can continue. With the housings installed, the blowout preventer (BOP) can be placed on either side. Conventional methods are used to test the BOP and to install the wear sleeve. The wear sleeve is locked in place through one of the side outlets. The 7-in. casing is suspended from a mandrel casing hanger that is landed on a 45 load shoulder. An 11-in. elastomeric casing-hanger seal assembly is installed over the mandrel casing hanger to isolate the 117-in. annulus from wellbore. This retrievable seal assembly is retained in the wellhead with a lock ring. If the 7-in. casing becomes stuck, an emergency slip and seal casing-hanger assembly may be used. The 31/2-in. tubing is suspended in the compact housing by a metal-sealing tubing hanger. This mandrel tubing hanger lands on a 7-in. packoff seal assembly and is retained in the wellhead with a lock ring. The dual 23/8-in. tubings are suspended from separate mandrels that land and seal in the tubing-hanger bowl. This tubing-hanger assembly lands on the 7-in. packoff seal assembly and is retained in the wellhead with a lock ring. Both the single 31/2-in. and dual 23/8-in. tubing hangers share the same

Wellhead Equipment. A conscious decision was made not to have full redundancy of all wellhead equipment. Because the wellheads were to be put on with a Camforge system, no additional wellheads were required. If the casings become stuck, the same casinghead housings could be installed, thus eliminating the need to have weld-on housings on standby. Well Path. In case the second hole followed the first hole and created a collision problem, a kickoff plug could be set just below the conductor/conduit string and the well kicked off from that point. Because the 121/4-in. bit could be tracking the outside of the first 95/8-in. casing, no centralizers were installed on the top openhole section of the casing. Shallow Gas. In the unlikely event that shallow gas is encountered because of migration from deeper horizons in adjacent wells, the setting depth of the 95/8-in. casings can be adjusted and the contingency liner used. No change of the wellhead components is required.
PROJECT EXECUTION

external profiles, providing greater interchangeability between components. To isolate the 1131/2-in. single and the 1123/8-in. dual annuli, a metal-encapsulated seal and an elastomeric-body seal were run with a provision for testing between the two seals. The primary bore seal is a premium metal-to-metal seal that seals in the plain bore of the tubinghead adapter and the single-tubing-hanger neck. It also seals the dual Christmas-tree bottom and the dual-tubing-hanger necks. The control line is run through the tubing mandrel continuously and terminates in the housing with a swagelock connector. An integral needle valve is placed over this connector to provide easy exit of the control line. This design ensures that the control line is not damaged when removing the Christmas tree. Pressure is maintained on the downhole safety valve while running the tubing and landing the hanger, which keeps the valve open and monitors any problems with the control line. Completion Phase. The cement-bond log in the first well indicated a very good bond, and two gravel packs were installed. A single 31/2-in. completion was run, and the tubing hanger was landed in the housing and tested. The single Christmas tree was installed successfully. The cement-bond log in the second well indicated good bond, and four gravel packs were installed. A dual 23/8-in. completion was run successfully. While running the completion string, balanced neutral loading was applied to prevent any potential buckling of the tubing, which would make future wireline operations difficult. Because suitable surface equipment for handling dual tubing (elevator and slip) was not available, improvised makeup procedures were required during installation of the dual-tubing hanger. Center-to-center measurement of the handling equipment is 71/2 in., whereas the dual-tubing-hanger mandrel measures only 31/2 in. center-tocenter. Special features were included to facilitate installation of the two-way check valves. Installation of the dual Christmas tree was accomplished successfully on the first attempt. No wireline difficulties were encountered in opening/closing sliding side doors in the 23/8-in. tubing strings.

Conductor Installation. The 30-in. conductor with drivable connectors was driven successfully. No special conductor shoe was used. The conductor joints were delivered with dedicated lifting plugs, which also were used as thread protectors while driving. Special checks were made to verify that the connections did not unscrew owing to hammer impact forces. No loosening of connections was observed. The job was completed in 18 hours, compared with an average duration of 72 hours for a weldand-drive conductor. Conduit-String Installation. Two lowprofile 133/8-in. strings were used. The outside diameter of the couplings was 137/8 in., and the top of the collar was beveled to prevent hanging up of the second string. The first conduit string had a guide
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Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.
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SLIMHOLE SIDETRACK CUTS COSTS

The Brent field in the East Shetland basin has been developed since the 1970s with traditional drilling techniques. In the early 1990s, the remaining reservoir targets were becoming scarce and much smaller, leading to the need to cut well costs significantly to extend the field life. The long-term fielddevelopment strategy to maximize oil and gas production required finding alternative methods to exploit the remaining small pockets of oil. A target was identified from the Brent Bravo platform, and economics confirmed that the well cost would have to be less than that of a conventional sidetrack. In December 1996, the decision was made to drill a slimhole well from the Brent Bravo platform with a slimhole drillstring. This well would test the technology and provide a direct comparison with two slimhole coiled-tubing (CT) sidetracks successfully completed on the Brent Delta platform.
PL ANNING PHA SE

Thruster. Differential sticking. Openhole logs. Liner installation. Liner cementation. Liner cleanup. Perforations. Final Design. Schedule changes postponed the sidetrack for 8 months. During that time the reservoir-fluid contacts were reevaluated and the well trajectory changed from a horizontal well to a 50-tangent well (Fig. 1). The revised well path targeted a more updip location. The expected recoverable oil reserves were estimated at 1.5 million STB. Program Preparation. In the fourth quarter of 1997, preparations were made for the abandonment of the existing hole section and the slimhole drilling, 27/8-in.-liner installation, and cleanup phases. The plan was presented and critically reviewed by an audience of engineers, and the feedback was incorporated into the final programs. Prespud Meeting. To raise awareness of the four drilling crews, two onshore prespud meetings were held. Each meeting focused on well control, hole cleaning, drillstring failure, and stuck-pipe prevention. After presentations on each topic, attendees were encouraged to list possible problem areas, warning signs, and ideas to help prevent failures. This information then was incorporated into large posters that were placed in strategic positions around the platform.
OPERATIONS

the wellbore and because the tool diameter was too close to that of the inside diameter of the wellbore. An underreamer assembly was used to clean the 7-in. liner between 9,100 and 9,400 ft (the intended area for setting the whipstock anchor). First Window. The first whipstock anchor was run on electric line and was unsuccessful. The backup anchor was run on drillpipe and set at 9,214 ft. The whipstock was run on drillpipe and set on top of the anchor. The starter-mill assembly was run in the hole and a cut made before the mud motor failed. The first window-mill assembly was run with a standard mud motor, and the window was milled from 9,194.5 to 9,199 ft. A second window mill was run with an extended-power-section motor, and milling continued to 9,203 ft, where the mill broke through into the formation. A rathole was drilled to 9,209 ft, where the mud motor failed again. Attempts to recover the motor parts from the wellbore were unsuccessful. Second Window. A new whipstock anchor was set on electric line at 9,161 ft, and the orientation was confirmed. The new whipstock was run and set on drillpipe at 9,145 ft. A new starter mill and motor were run and the starter cut made. The windowmilling assembly was run but stalled whenever the pressure drop across the motor was greater than 50 psi. Inspection showed that the motor had stator wear. A second motor

A team was formed to prepare well-design and work programs. The initial geological targets produced a horizontal well trajectory, and the proposal was prepared. A meeting was set up to drill the well on paper. Each phase of the well was discussed and potential problem areas identified, which helped focus attention on the following critical issues. Platform safety-case requirements. Kick detection. Completion-string wear. Christmas-tree and wellhead integrity. Isolation from production facilities. Abandonment. Whipstock. Subsea-safety-valve (SSSV) nipple protection. Mud weights and borehole stability. Torque and drag. Directional assembly.

This article is a synopsis of paper SPE 50578, Slimhole Sidetrack Cuts Costs by 50%, by I.J. Scott, SPE, and F..J. Black, SPE, Deutag Overseas (Curaao) N.V., originally presented at the 1998 SPE European Petroleum Conference, The Hague, The Netherlands, 2022 October.
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Abandonment. Bottomhole-temperature and -pressure information was recorded after bullheading the well with seawater. The blowout preventers were rigged up and the well bullheaded with kill-weight oilbased mud. An abandonment cement plug was set across the existing perforations from 10,160 to 9,965 ft. Cleanup. An ultrasonic log was run to provide a baseline to monitor casing wear and to identify collar and centralizer placement. This log was unsuccessful inside the 7-in. liner because of contaminated seawater in

Fig. 1Planned well trajectory.

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was run with similar results. The drillstring was rotated to aid the motor. The torque limit was set at a minimum value because of concern about drillpipe twistoff. This approach proved successful, and the window was milled from 9,146 to 9,153 ft, where no further progress was made. Liner Hole Section. The first drilling bottomhole assembly (BHA) consisted of a 37/8-in. polycrystalline-diamond-compact (PDC) bit and mud motor with a 1.15 bend. Drilling started in sliding mode. Progress was slow with only 100 psi differential pressure possible on the motor before it stalled. After a slight flow-rate increase (from 116 to 124 gal/min) at 9,195 ft, the rate of penetration (ROP) increased from 5 to10 ft/hr to 30 ft/hr. The first directional survey indicated less than the planned maximum dogleg capability (17.0/100 ft). As drilling continued, the average dogleg capability leveled out at 9.0/100 ft. At 9,790 ft, the well was lined up for the tangent section and rotary drilling began. With the top-drive torque limit set at just greater than free rotating torque, it was possible to drill with a maximum of only 100 psi differential pressure before the added bit torque caused the top drive to stall out. This gave ROPs of approximately 30 ft/hr. At 10,016 ft, the measurement-whiledrilling (MWD) tool failed (the pulser assembly washed out severely). A second BHA was made up with the same PDC bit and a new motor. Drilling started, but again sliding was a problem, with frequent motor stalls and hanging-up problems in the sands. After drilling one stand in rotary mode, it was no longer possible to drill in sliding mode because of the frequent motor stalls and signs of differential sticking. Drilling continued to total depth (TD) at 10,515 ft in rotary mode, allowing the inclination to drop and without stopping to take surveys. The well position was 35 ft lower than the well plan but within target tolerance. No significant overpulls or hole problems were detected on the way out or during the wiper trip. Openhole Logs. The first tool string contained gamma ray and resistivity tools. The tool string stopped at four depths while running in hole before TD was tagged. When picking up off-bottom the tool string became stuck. Attempts to recover the tools were unsuccessful, and the tools were left in the hole to run the liner. Liner. The 27/8-in. liner was run in hole to the top of the fish at 10,485 ft, with the
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liner top at 9,015 ft. The liner was cemented as planned, but returns were lost when pumping the cement into the string. No further returns were observed during displacement of the cement. Static losses of approximately 6 bbl/hr were recorded after the plugs were bumped. The production tieback packer was set in the liner, then the packer and liner were pressure tested. The well above the liner then was circulated with seawater, and a successful inflow test was achieved. Two unsuccessful attempts were made to run a slickline drift to the liner landing collar. The deepest depth achieved was 9,770 ft. The SSSV nipple-protection sleeve was pulled without difficulty, and no significant wear was noted. A bailer run retrieved a sample of 1.0-psi/ft equivalent mud slurry, indicating that the mud in the liner and the seawater above had flipped, resulting in a viscous medium in the liner. This viscous medium, with the high dogleg in the build section, is thought to have held up the slickline drift. Operations were suspended to mobilize CT and clean out the liner. CT Cleanup. The ultrasonic log indicated that no wear had occurred during the sidetrack. The liner was cleaned out by use of CT. Reverse circulation was found to be the best cleanup method. Logs indicated a top of cement at 10,076 ft despite the circulation losses during the liner cement job. This information confirmed that the required zonal isolation had been achieved. The well was perforated in five runs with CT-deployed guns.
OPERATIONS PERFORMANCE

two technologies. Each sidetrack was performed through an existing completion string by use of a whipstock to provide the window. The holes were of similar diameter and length, and a 27/8-in. liner was used in each sidetrack. For this comparison, actual net times (NPT removed) were used. The drillstring method required more actual days than the CT method and also had more NPT. The resulting net days of the two methods were similar. The drillstring method required only two bit runs, while the CT method required 9 to 14 bit runs. Average ROP was 23.5 ft/hr for the slimhole drillstring and 9.19 to 11.03 ft/hr for the CT method.
CONCLUSIONS

The full-length paper details a comparison of the actual time taken to complete each phase with planned times. Nonproductive Time (NPT). The downhole motor failures (15 days), stuck logging tool (4 days), and whipstock problems (4 days) contributed to 86% of the total lost time. Surface-equipment events (14) were of a minor nature, with an average of 2.4 hours lost time each. Seven other downhole-equipment failures lasted an average of 6 hours each. The downtime (15 days) was split evenly between waiting on weather and other platform constraints.
COMPARISON WITH CT TECHNIQUES

Slimhole drilling with conventional drillpipe offers a cost-effective, reliable, and efficient alternative to CT-drilling techniques. Prespud meetings during the planning phase are essential for any team considering slimhole drilling. Quality control should encompass sound procedures, and the equipment proposed should be critically reviewed to ensure its suitability for the application. The knowledge gained with this operation should reduce completion time from 47 to 35 days. Use of a two-trip window-milling system should be considered in conjunction with a high-integrity mud motor. The combination of 27/8-in. drillpipe with a wedgethread connection performed above expectation. Openhole logs were essential to determine the perforation intervals. To reduce the inherent risk, a simple tool string was used to gather information when running in hole. This strategy saved the well. Running and cementing the 27/8-in. liner was successful; however, wireline access to the liner without use of CT remains unresolved. With CT, reverse circulation is the only reliable method of cleaning out a small liner with a larger casing string above. The lessons learned from Well BB-08 show that 86% of the NPT could be avoided.

Two slimhole CT sidetracks were completed successfully on the Brent Delta platform in 199697. One of the objectives of the Well BB-08 sidetrack was to compare the

Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.
FEBRUARY 1999

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SCREENING CRITERIA TO EVALUATE MATURE-FIELD POTENTIAL

Many oil fields that have been producing for many years are being reviewed to evaluate options for increasing ultimate recovery. The task involves determining the volume and location of the remaining mobile oil and, subsequently, the technical and economic assessment of methods to recover this oil. Screening criteria specify minimum conditions that may lead to economical redevelopment with horizontal sidetracks from existing wells. The first part of this task is often difficult because of the poor-quality data associated with old fields. Certain basic data are usually available, and first-round screening criteria based on these data can be used to select those reservoirs for which redevelopment schemes might be economical. For the selected reservoirs, further study and additional data acquisition are warranted. Expected data include well logs, limited core measurements, basic facies descriptions, original-oil-in-place and cumulativeproduction figures, contour maps, and well positions. Also essential is access to wellcompletion data. Individual well-performance data are often difficult to obtain. The proposed screening scheme classifies types of remaining-oil configurations. Once a potential oil pocket has been recognized, its economic value is assessed by estimating needed, but missing, parameters to a limited degree of accuracy. Dip, original accumulation conditions, bedding thickness, reservoir profile, porosity distribution, and original oil saturation often can be determined satisfactorily. More detailed reservoir architecture, particularly permeability distribution, is more difficult to obtain. The classification scheme for remaining mobile-oil pockets consists of a split into reservoirs with high or low vertical permeability and connectivity and further subdivision into types with high or low horizontal connectivity. This classification usually can be carried out. The full-length paper details four major types of remaining mobile-oil configurations, representing the four combinations of high or low vertical and horizontal conductivity. The screening criteria presented are based on redevelopment with pairs of horizontal sidetracks from existing wells. Economic analysis shows the possibility for redevelopment of reservoirs with oil rims, attic-oil cases in faulted reservoirs, and layer-cake reservoirs with beds of contrasting permeability. Fluviatile-labyrinthtype reservoirs are much more difficult to redevelop, but descriptions for reservoirs with more favorable configurations are being determined.
CL A SSIFIC ATION

is limited by faults or pinchouts of sand bodies. Oil-Rim Reservoirs. Producing oil-rim reservoirs with vertical wells always leaves behind considerable volumes of movable oil as a result of cusping and coning. Away from the drainage points, the oil column may be large enough to be produced economically with horizontal sidetracks. If conveniently positioned shale breaks are present and the dip is low, individual vertical wells sometimes can produce oil-rim reservoirs quite effectively. Small well spacing results in a higher ultimate recovery factor than large well spacing. Data from 29 oil-rim reservoirs, most with high vertical permeability and well spacing of 600 to 800 m, were collected for comparison with the theoretical models. For homogeneous reservoirs, sidetracking is almost certainly a viable project. Apart from poor production practices, low recovery may be caused by particular types of heterogeneity, such as combinations of thin high-permeability streaks coupled with dips greater than 5. For such cases, horizontal-sidetrack trajectories can be specially designed. For the more homogeneous reservoirs, the screening activities should be concentrated on the permeability profile to ensure that the remaining-oil distribution resembles the modeled configuration. Attic Oil. The next configuration for which screening criteria were derived is the attic-oil type. Numerous oil fields either are bounded by faults or are intersected by crestal normal faults. If oil occurs adjacent to the faults, a certain volume of oil remains trapped between the fault and the nearest wells. This volume is a function of the throw of the fault, dip and thickness of the reservoir, the permeability profile, the relative positions of the wells, and the production policy. Thus, the relative influence of several parameters must be studied to obtain a realistic idea of the remaining mobile-oil volumes. The results of simulating the verticalwell performances and the remaining-oil volumes before drilling the horizontal side75

This article is a synopsis of paper SPE 50669, Screening Criteria for Evaluating the Development Potential of Remaining Oil in Mature Fields, by K.J. Weber, SPE, and H. Dronkert, Delft U. of Technology, originally presented at the 1998 SPE European Petroleum Conference, The Hague, The Netherlands, 2022 October.
FEBRUARY 1999

Retention of mobile oil in sufficiently large volumes to allow economical redevelopment is controlled largely by the presence of a heterogeneous pressure distribution and fluid-density and -viscosity contrasts. This study evaluated only sandstone reservoirs that contain light oil and that have been developed with vertical wells and produced under reasonable drawdown conditions. In view of the potential for recompletion and infill drilling, the most important heterogeneities are faults; boundaries of genetic units; large permeability contrasts; and baffles to flow, such as shale stringers. Following subdivision of clastic reservoirs into layer-cake, jigsaw-puzzle, and labyrinth types, several typical oil-displacement patterns can be predicted. Considering the major, large-scale heterogeneities, reservoirs can be subdivided into those with high vertical conductivity and those where stratification and low-permeability layers result in low vertical conductivity. Next, a distinction is made between layer-cake reservoirs with a high degree of lateral continuity in the layers and reservoirs where the lateral continuity

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tracks show a large discrepancy from the volumetric estimates made with planimeter data. When dips are low, the assumption of a horizontal oil/water contact results in significant underestimation of the remaining oil. The error can be as large as a factor of 100 for low dips and small distances to the fault. To obtain an estimate of recoverable oil for the pair of sidetracks, the volume between the well and fault must be determined with a horizontal contact. Next, a correction factor (different for each reservoir type) must be applied. Finally, the relationship between distance to fault, dip, and recovery factor for the reservoir type must be used. The actual screening procedure should include a critical review of the fault-position accuracy. If the fault has not been penetrated near the attic trap, this accuracy may be quite low. Seismic positioning of faults for land data is occasionally as accurate as approximately 25 m, but values of 50 to 100 m are more common. For older marine data, the accuracy may be much less. The type of fault is also important. In this study, single, well-defined fault planes have been assumed. However, tilted blocks frequently are bounded by complex fault zones. Wrench faults can be complex. Diagenesis around fault zones is another complicating factor. A wise precaution that prevents unfavorable surprises is to drill a pilot hole that penetrates the fault plane. This procedure also allows design of optimally placed trajectories for the two sidetracks. Layer-Cake Reservoirs. The study of layer-cake reservoirs was started with a survey of sedimentological configurations leading to a combination of thick high-permeability beds and thinner layers with considerably lower permeability. This combination is very common. Of particular interest are cases with no crossflow between the high- and low-permeability beds, often the case in deltaic and marine sediments that have continuous, thin shale layers. However, lower coastal-plain crevasse splays and lagoonal mouth bars can be separated from very permeable fluviatile sand bodies by clayey soils and coals. Even if a reservoir has been perforated over its entire height, low-permeability zones may be left poorly drained because of preferential flow through highly permeable thief zones. Sidetracking into thin beds of moderate to low permeability in mature fields is planned. In Venezuela, log analysis of an infill well clearly showed high oil saturation in several lower coastal-plain bars while an
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underlying highly permeable fluviatile sandstone was watered out. Horizontal wells are planned for these undrained beds, where the expected recovery is in the range of 50 000 to 200 000 m3/well, from beds 7 to 10 m thick with permeability ratios ranging from 0.01 to 0.1. Fluviatile-Labyrinth Reservoirs. This type of reservoir is commonly associated with low recovery factors, even for light undersaturated crude and high horizontal permeability. These low recovery factors are attributed to several causes. First, the discontinuous nature of the composing sand bodies, especially when net/gross thickness ratios are less than 0.5. Second, a strong stratification within the sand bodies is common, with the lower part of the channels filled with high-permeability crossbedded sandstone and the upper part filled with low-energy flaser-bedded sandstone with low vertical permeability. Third, the phenomenon of capillary trapping in the coarse laminae of the crossbed sets may account for 10 to 15% of the remaining oil. Predicting actual distributions of remaining mobile oil in these reservoirs is difficult. To study the effects of the macroscopic parameters, a study was made of reservoir architecture and sand-body size for socalled nonmigrating-distributary-channeltype reservoirs. A number of deterministic prototype models were available from fields in Venezuela, Borneo, and the U.S. gulf coast. In addition, much outcrop data have been collected by the Applied Geoscience Dept. at the Delft U. of Technology. Statistical analysis was carried out on the size and shape of distributary channels. A graph relating the expectation of the width/thickness ratio as a function of thickness was constructed. In addition, a study was carried out on the radius-of-curvature distribution in such reservoirs where recent examples of coastal plains were also used. This study provided a graph that showed the average cumulative frequency distribution of the radius of curvature, normalized by dividing by the channel width. These two graphs can be used to construct reservoir models that fit the natural distribution of this geometrical parameter. It is likely that much of the remaining mobile oil is situated in the upper parts of the channel fills. Whether there is scope for retrieval of this oil is difficult to assess. From the study of the layer-cake reservoirs for the case without impermeable barriers between the beds, the conclusion could be drawn that producing significant volumes of oil through horizontal wells might be

possible in the poorly swept zones, even where these are only a few meters thick. The authors recommend continued study of possible production from horizontal sidetracks into the upper part of channel fills. From simulation data, a thickness of 3 m or more may be enough for an economical project. Other processes for improving recovery from these fluviatile reservoirs may be more attractive but are beyond the scope of this paper.
CONCLUSIONS

This scouting study of screening criteria showed considerable scope for horizontal sidetracking for many remaining-oil configurations. If these projects can be carried out for costs of approximately U.S. $1 million for a pair of 300-m-long horizontal holes, the economics look robust for a wide range of oil-rim-, attic-oil- and layer-cake-type reservoirs. For fluviatile reservoirs, the situation is more complex and additional work is required to obtain a reliable system of predicting potential oil production from horizontal sidetracks. Horizontal sidetracking already appears to be becoming common practice, and much more actual performance data can be expected to be available soon. Also, indications exist of lowering cost and improving technical feasibility and performance. The screening procedure recommended is to use graphs detailed in the full-length paper as optimistic base-case predictions. With these graphs and limited field data, a first-round selection of likely redevelopment prospects can be made. This procedure significantly reduces the initial work and leads to a much more rational selection of cases for detailed evaluation. The ideal approach may be to construct a computerized expertise system that allows quick screening in a data room and provides a range of economic results for rather basic input that can be estimated readily by the specialist examining the maps and files. Developing screening criteria for redevelopment projects is considered a very useful research project that may be suitable for a university in combination with an oil company that provides realistic cost data and field examples.

Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.
FEBRUARY 1999