Horizontal and Multilateral Wells: Drilling, Completions and Stimulation

Introduction

Are your horizontal and multilateral wells yielding the expected results? Why are some of these types of wells great successes, while others are embarrassing failures? Are you hesitant to recommend these types of wells for fear they will yield poor results? Too many operators are finding themselves asking these same questions. Successful multilateral and horizontal wells require new considerations, interdisciplinary planning, and special techniques.  This intense course addresses the critical need for a proper understanding of all aspects of horizontal and multilateral well drilling and completion processes that make these wells unique. It is Participants those planning or working with horizontal and multilateral wells, and interested in effective use of the latest technology. Basic understanding of important reservoir characteristics, hole stability, formation damage, and crucial zone isolation are just some of the issues critical to successful horizontal and multilateral wells addressed by this course. A combined practical and technical theme is employed, with emphasis on economy and efficiency in drilling and completing horizontal and multilateral wells. Participants develop an appreciation for the complexity of these wells and become equipped to design programs for horizontal and multilateral wells from drilling through completion and production.

Objectives

By the end of this course participants will learn how to:

• Successfully design and optimize horizontal and multilateral wells
• Engineer wells, taking into account limitations imposed by well bore stability and borehole friction
• Determine the appropriate zonal isolation methods for horizontal and multilateral wells
• Design damage removal, stimulation, and workover operations

Target Audience

• Drilling engineers
• Completion engineers
• Production engineers
• Reservoir engineers
• Research engineers
• Geologists
• Drilling Managers
• Completion Managers
• Exploration Managers; others involved in various phases of horizontal and multilateral wells or interested in gaining an interdisciplinary up-to-date understanding of this continually evolving technology

Drilling & Well Construction Outline

The course covers the following topics:

• Introduction to horizontal and multilateral drilling and completions
• Rock behavior in highly deviated wells
• Reservoir characteristics influencing drilling and completion design
• Effects of reservoir heterogeneity
• Formation damage
• Completion types and methods: adaptability to reservoir types and management
• Zone isolation
• Stimulation and workovers
• Borehole trajectories and friction in multilateral and horizontal wells
• Special techniques and problems: Drillstrings and work strings, cuttings removal, coiled tubing, short radius and geosteering, underbalanced drilling, specific multilateral issues
• Casing and liners: design, running, and cementing procedure