Overview

Horizontal-technology development is evolving from a leading-edge high-risk exercise to a normal operating day-to-day practice that recovers additional reserves. This years selected papers are examples of innovative approaches that exploit and fine-tune the technology. It is clear that we are quickly evolving the use of horizontal technology to improve economic parameters associated with the production from our fields. The number of related technologies developed as a result of the industrys ability to complete horizontal and multilateral wells successfully is amazing. Selection of the most appropriate development strategy is a complicated process requiring not only the economic consideration of the technical parameters of the reservoir and the production process, but many other considerations as well. Today, industry professionals who develop these plans are in the enviable position of having an almost unlimited wellbore-architecture capability. As an industry, it is important that we continue to understand, improve, and enhance the use of this technology to improve recovery. Aspects of our business, such as technology development, require ongoing commitment. High-quality research and development is ongoing within several organizations. One of our industrys biggest challenges is accessing technological developments to create even better horizontal drilling processes. Industry associations, such as SPE, play a valuable role in collecting and sharing this information. Organizations that embody this focus of technology development are bound to be JPT more successful in the long term.

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Lew A. Hayes is Vice President of Operations at Petrovera Resources Ltd. He has been involved with more than 400 horizontal wells, including several vertical and horizontal multilateral completions; copatented a multilateral system; and is coauthor of several papers related to new technology developments. Hayes holds a BS degree in petroleum engineering from Montana Tech. He has worked extensively in Canada with east coast offshore experience; a full range of heavy-oil developments including steamassisted gravity drainage; and the deep sour drilling and completions in the foothills. A member of SPE for 20 years, Hayes serves on the JPT Editorial Committee.

NOVEMBER 2002

Modeling Near-Wellbore Damage and Natural Cleanup of Water-Based Mud

Predicting formation damage in horizontal wells, often openhole completions, is critical to optimize field development. The economic effect of near-wellbore induced drilling-damage and cleanup efficiency has fostered both experimental and numerical studies to assess wellbore flow properties during oil production. A numerical approach was developed to model formation damage from waterbased mud (WBM) and predict well performance for natural cleanup when the well is subject to a pressure drawdown. Introduction It is recognized that near-wellbore flow properties are altered by mud and mud-filtrate invasion during overbalanced-drilling operations. The degree of formation damage depends on parameters such as nature and characteristic of the drilling mud, formation properties, and operating conditions (e.g., shear rate applied on the mud, overbalance pressure, and temperature). Formation damage caused by drillingfluid invasion may reduce oil and gas productivity substantially in many reservoirs. Productivity losses are especially critical for long horizontal wells, which are often completed openhole. In such a case, the near-wellbore damage is not bypassed by perforations and may lead to very large skin values. Therefore, prevention of formation damage generated by drilling mud may not always be possible. Modeling In previous work, a simplified numerical approach for modeling natural cleanup was developed for horizontal wells drilled with oil-based mud (OBM). This modeling is now extended to wells drilled with WBM and includes the simulation of filtrate invasion. For WBM, the two main damaging mechanisms are particulate invasion during the initial spurt-loss period and filtrate invasion through the filter cake. Even without physical or chemical interactions between filtrate and formation fluids (i.e., compatible rock/fluids systems), a fundamental difference exists between OBM and WBM displacement processes. Permeability Damage. In an oil-bearing formation, displacement of oil-inplace with a WBM filtrate is an imbibition process, which generates a high wetting-phase saturation in the invaded zone, while the OBM filtrate is a nearly miscible displacement process. In addition, WBM filtrate comprises mainly polymer molecules that can invade deep into the reservoir. Depending on the molecular weight and filtration conditions, polymer chains can be stretched by the flow, go through the filter cake, then adsorb on the porous media or even plug rock pores. Polymer chains associated with water increase the capillary retention of water, leading to residual wetting-phase saturation after oil flowback that is higher than the initial saturation. The result is an additional damaging effect (water blocking) because of the drastic reduction of oil relative permeability. Generally, for rating the performance of various drill-in fluid formulations, the permeability damage is quantified through oil-return permeability measurements and flow-initiation pressure tests performed at relevant flow rates on core samples damaged during dynamic mud filtration tests. In this work, the full process of near-wellbore damage followed by natural cleanup is modeled. The WBM filtrate invasion is simulated with standard waterflooding concepts, which indicated a cone-type invasion depth along the horizontal well. Filtrate/oil relative permeability curves (imbibition curves for invasion and drainage curves for flowback) are used as input parameters. In addition, filter-cake properties (thickness and permeability) and final oil permeabilities obtained from specific laboratory measurements are used to model the cleanup process.
This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 73733, Modeling of Both Near-Wellbore Damage and Natural Cleanup of Horizontal Wells Drilled With a Water-Based Mud, by Y. Ding, SPE, D. Longeron, SPE, G. Renard, SPE, and A. Audibert, SPE, Inst. Franais du Ptrole, originally presented at the 2002 SPE International Symposium and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisiana, 2021 February. For a limited time, the full-length paper is available free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

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Fluid Invasion Drilling-fluid invasion occurs when the drill bit contacts the reservoir rock and a rapid mud invasion (spurt loss) occurs because no filter cake exists to prevent entry of solid particles from the mud into the pay zone. During this period, progressive deposition of these particles creates an internal filter cake. When this internal filter cake is well established, most of the solid particles are retained outside the formation, generally creating a thin external filter cake that controls the rate of filtrate invasion. As shown in Fig. 1, a steady-state flow regime, characterized by a constant filtrate-invasion rate and a constant filter-cake thickness, is generally observed. This dynamic equilibrium results from the prevention of particle deposition because of the shearing effect of the drilling fluid. The start of the dynamic equilibrium corresponds to the end of the spurt period and the beginning of dynamic invasion. The fluid losses during the spurt and filtration periods can be obtained from laboratory tests. In this study, a transition period is not specified, and the spurt loss measured in the laboratory takes into account the filtrate invasion during the transition period. At the end of the spurt period, an internal filter cake is com-

NOVEMBER 2002

pletely built. During The mathematical model dynamic invasion, it was and numerical methods assumed that neither are detailed in the fullabsolute permeability in length paper. the formation nor external filter-cake properties, if Conclusions any, changed. Damaged A numerical model was permeability in the zone developed that simulates occupied by the internal both near-well formation cake as well as properties damage and natural in external cake (cake cleanup during the drilling thickness and its permeand flowback production of ability) can be measured in a horizontal well drilled laboratory tests. With with WBM. The model these data, filtrate invasion requires knowledge of percan be simulated with a meability reduction in the two-phase flow simulator particle-invaded zone and restricted by bottomhole the final return permeabiliflowing pressure. ty after flowback. It also Fig. 1Drilling-fluid invasion and filter-cake formation. After drilling is completrequires knowledge of the ed and before the well is reservoir oil-/mud-filtrate put on production, filtrate relative permeability curves invasion may continue under static ous water-based formulations of for- for both the drilling phase and the conditions if an overbalanced pressure mation-damage and filter-cake flowback production. The model can be used to investiis maintained. During this static inva- removal procedures by use of different sion, the thickness of the external cake drawdown pressures applied to a hor- gate the influence of many parameters increases because of the absence of izontal well drilled in a heterogeneous on the flow efficiency of a horizontal shear stress, thus reducing the filtrate formation. Cylindrical gridblocks are well after drilling and cleanup. invasion compared with other periods. used for the simulation with small Together with laboratory data necesgridblock sizes near the well. Filter sary to provide the main input data for Oil Flowback cakes are discretized along their thick- specific applications, this model can Various techniques are used to ness to obtain a better description of be used as a predictive tool to evaluate remove filter cake, including breakers the initial damage and the removal and limit the risks of formation damsuch as acid or an oxidizing solution. phenomena. Sensitivity to various age and maintain the maximum proIn this study, only natural cleanup parameters, such as fluid and filter- ductivity of a well. (pressure difference applied between cake properties or drilling conditions, In examples run with laboratory the reservoir and the wellbore) is con- on the damage and removal processes data, formation damage and consecusidered for removing the filter cake. was studied. tive productivity reduction are much When this pressure difference is large Numerical modeling involves two greater with WBM than with OBM. enough, external cake can be lifted off steps. First, filtrate invasion during Serious loss of production can occur and flow initialized to remove parti- drilling is modeled. Second, the natur- with the use of damaging and nonopcles in the zone occupied by the inter- al cleanup of the filtrate cake during timized drilling fluid. Investigated nal cake. Two regions can be distin- the flowback period is modeled. parameters include the most influenguished regarding the oil-return-perA two-phase-flow reservoir-simula- tial for a well drilled with WBM: the meability variations. The first region tion model was used to evaluate fil- value of the endpoint of oil relative is close to the wellbore wall, where the trate invasion during the drilling permeability during drainage. regained permeability is the combined stage as well as filter-cake removal The model remains simple, aleffect of partial removal of solids par- during production. A two-phase-flow though it incorporates most of the ticles and reduction of filtrate satura- model had already been used to sim- knowledge acquired on formation tion. The second region is far from the ulate filtrate invasion to improve log damage from up-to-date laboratory wall, where only the filtrate saturation interpretation; however, well perfor- data. However, it must be improved reduction is considered because parti- mance was not studied. In the past, by taking into account laboratory cle deposits are assumed negligible. productivity change was related to work (such as the effect of local Therefore, for the cleanup process, it formation damage by use of nonuni- velocity), which may affect the can be assumed that potential damage form skin along the well. However, amount of filter-cake removal and from polymers contained in the fil- no laboratory data were integrated to water blocking on cleanup efficiency. trate is globally represented by a hys- evaluate filtrate invasion. The objec- This model also must be improved by teresis of filtrate/oil relative perme- tive of this approach was to evaluate integrating more general reservoirability curves. well performance by including labo- boundary capabilities, effect of ratory data. Therefore, permeability anisotropy, and, if possible, coupling Numerical Model in the zone occupied by filter cake with a geomechanical model to invesThe full-length paper details the was assumed known from laboratory tigate sand production in poorly conJPT model and presents examples of vari- testing for each geological facies. solidated reservoirs.

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NOVEMBER 2002

Influence of the HorizontalWell Length on Production Rate and Water Cut

Numerical analysis is the main method for analyzing productivity and water-cut performance of horizontal wells in various field-development patterns. In sheet deposits of Western Siberia, which have nearly unit mobility ratios of oil and injected water, a nearly frontal drive is observed. A precise analytical solution of steady-state fluid filtration was applied to six development patterns having horizontal wells. Introduction Development systems and horizontalwell patterns can have a significant effect on productivity and oil recovery. Analytical estimations help optimize horizontal-well parameters and development systems on the basis of particular geological conditions, thus reducing unjustified expenses by installing the appropriate development system. Target Fig. 1 shows well patterns with horizontal and vertical wells used to study this vertically anisotropic, heterogeneous reservoir. Analytical transformations detailed in the full-length paper are discussed on the basis of well spacing, specifically an areal fivespot system with vertical injectors and horizontal four-bore producers. Similar analytical transformations were developed for the other cases. Expressions were obtained for rate, velocity field, filtration velocity potential, flooding factor for water-free period, and water-cut performance, as well as positions of oil/water front at sequential moments of time for various values of the distance between wells and between rows. Modeling Results Filtration processes of fluids with close relative mobilities in a massive, homogenous, vertically anisotropic reservoir were analyzed. In a layered reservoir with a weak hydrodynamic connection between layers, system development becomes nonuniform
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(i.e., each layer has its own characteristics and short horizontal bores). Decreased sweep efficiency in a layered reservoir is the result of both a decrease in the length of the horizontal section and the asymmetry of the horizontal section in filtration elements. Such a process was observed in all systems having horizontal and vertical wells. The one exception was a line-drive system having only horizontal wells. In this case, deformation of the well pattern does not take place. Conclusions As reservoir vertical permeability anisotropy increases, the productivity of a given development system can decrease in multiples. However, if the reservoir is thin, as in most sheet oil pools, the difference between the horizontal-well rate and perfect surrounding-well rate does not exceed 5%. Increasing the horizontal-well length by more than 50 to 60% of the distance between wells in verticalinjector patterns, or by more than 90% in horizontal-injector patterns, does not significantly influence the

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 77827, Influence of the Horizontal-Well Length on Production Rate and Water Cut Performance in Regular FieldDevelopment Systems With Horizontal Wells, by I.R. Mukminov, Yukos Oil Co., originally presented at the 2002 SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Melbourne, Australia, 810 October. For a limited time, the full-length paper is available free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

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Fig. 1Well patterns considered in the study.

productivity of the development systems. Under equal conditions, systems with a staggered well pattern exhibit water-free oil recovery up to 40% greater than systems with a direct well pattern. For well patterns with frontal placement of horizontal and vertical wells, the increase in horizontal-bore length leads to the increase in water-free oil recovery; however, in staggered-well-pattern systems, the growth of the horizontal-well length is accompanied by a reduction in water-free oil recovery. In a five-spot system with four-bore horizontal producers (Case 6), the relationship between horizontal-well length and water-free oil recovery is nonlinear. Horizontal-well length of 30 to 50% of the crosswell distance provides the greatest water-free oil recovery. Longer or shorter horizontal sections reduce water-free production. Systems with frontal location wells have a much longer water-production period, compared with the staggeredwell pattern, because the dynamics of water-cut are less favorable. In systems with a staggered-well pattern, changing the horizontal-well length does not significantly influence the well operation in the water-production period because the water-cut and floodingfactor curves vary in a much smaller range than in frontal systems. JPT

Advanced Openhole Multilaterals

An aggressive re-entry program is resulting in significant production increases from Sonatrachs Hassi Messaoud oil field. Kicking off laterals in an extremely hard and abrasive sandstone and quartzite formation has required development of new tools. Lateral isolation and tieback to the original cased hole as well as providing through-tubing reentry have posed additional challenges. A combination of liner hanger and inflatable packer technology, together with large-bore completions, has led to several successful installations. Introduction Openhole multilaterals can be complex yet well engineered to provide low-risk system installations with full isolation betwen laterals and positive re-entry capabilities. When openhole multilaterals are lined or tied back to a cased or openhole main bore, they provide a Technology Advancement of Multilevels Level 3 type multilateral with mechanical integrity at the junction. An engineered re-entry system with sealable housing hardware was developed for openhole use and was accurately placed across each of the two laterals to provide positive repeatable re-entry into either lateral. The large-bore completion systems enable positive through-tubing selective lateral re-entry without removing the completion string. Background The Hassi Messaoud field in central Algeria has 1,056 vertical wells, approximately 450 of which are producers. The nonproducers are candidates for a re-entry and horizontal rework program. Some nonproducing wells were drilled in the wrong part of the field, and others experienced drilling problems. Sonatrach has begun a program to re-enter these wells that have been shut in since being drilled and rework them. The ability to place multiple drain holes into reservoirs with challenging geology and other constraints can make multilaterals more viable than horizontal or multiple single wells. A single, horizontal trajectory may not be able to intersect all the desired targets and marginal reserves. These nonproducing wells have 7-in. 32-lbm/ft production casing set at approximately 3350 m and a 41/2-in. slotted liner through the producing formation. In the re-entry program, the 41/2-in. liner is removed by milling. Then, two intermediateradius 57/8- or 6-in. closely spaced openhole laterals are drilled to reach narrow targets in the Cambrian formation. High build rates are required to reach the horizontal pay from the existing 7-in shoe. The target formation is the 75- to 80-m thick Cambrian, a three-layer sandstone and quartzite formation with lenticular sandbars in an eroded anticline. The Upper Cambrian layer is the target layer, while the two lower layers are plagued with water/oil contact or water/gas contact problems. The upper zone is broken down further into sublayers or reservoir beds, and the target zone is in one of these 6- to 8-m-thick sections. Water and gas encroachment from the lower zones can shut off production and are to be avoided. The relatively thin reservoir beds require 1- to 6-m spacing between laterals. Proximity of the 7-in. shoe to the reservoir and area geology determine lateral spacing and final completion systems. Installation Scenarios Depending on the thickness and geology of the beds, three installation scenarios were considered for the through-tubing completion of these openhole systems. If laterals are too close together to isolate with an inflatable packer, both laterals will be drilled and both multilateral re-entry (MLR) nipple systems will be installed in tandem, oriented accordingly with a conventional through-tubing completion tied back to the casing string.
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 77199, Advanced Openhole Multilaterals, by D.G. Hurst, SPE, S.P . Hart, SPE, and W.H. Brown, SPE, Weatherford Intl., originally presented at the 2002 IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology, Jakarta, 911 September. For a limited time, the full-length paper is available free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

If there is more than 2.5 m between laterals, the lower lateral will be drilled followed by installation of one MLR nipple, an inflatable packer for isolation, and a second orientation riser. The second or uppermost lateral will then be drilled. The second MLR nipple will be oriented to the second upper lateral and run with a conventional through-tubing completion tied back to the casing string. If existing geology permits the lower-lateral build rates not to exceed 40/30 m, a 41/2-in. slotted liner will be run and tied back to the vertical wellbore with an inflatable packer and orientation riser. The upper lateral will be drilled and one MLR nipple installed for the upper lateral and run with a conventional through-tubing completion tied back to the casing string. Later Installations. In later installations, the lower lateral was drilled succesfully off a cement plug, reducing overall costs of the complete system. A 41/2-in. liner was tied back to the openhole main bore with an inflatable packer to provide the drilling and completion anchor for the upper lateral. The tieback liner provides formation support in the lower lateral. The upper lateral is drilled and completed in the same manner as before, with an MLR window placed acrosss the upper exit and a liner dropped off in the lateral just outside the window. Either a polished bore recepticle (PBR) or an inflatable

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packer and PBR are on the end of the liner just outside the window to enable easier re-entry and isolation, if needed. A more advanced solution is to allow the upper leg also to have a liner tied back to the main bore to provide formation support on the upper junction. This tieback liner has a premilled window in the liner that is oriented and aligned to allow tool or production access to the main bore below the top junction. This is typical of a Level 3 system that is applied to a hard-formation open hole. Both legs provide risk-free re-entry, mechanical stability in the junction, and, with appropriate nipple profiles installed, provide the means to shut off or choke back either of the production legs. Operational Issues and Solutions Milling/Drilling. Starting a pathway is difficult in hard formations, and rate of penetration (ROP) is slow. A series of special tungsten insert mills, that cut a short pilot hole quickly and effectively to provide direction and pathway for the diamond bit to begin drilling past the top of whipstock for the initial sidetrack, were developed and tested. In the past, it was not uncommon to make two to three mill or bit runs to create a short kickoff hole past the whipstock tip. In addition, the milling/drilling action usually damaged the whipstock tip so that it had to be retrieved and replaced to complete the build and lateral. Different mill designs were evaluated to determine an optimum design that would cut in a radial fashion. After some field testing, the final mill design would enable a 50-cm cutout with no damage to the whipstock top. Experimentation showed that ROP could be improved with a bit design that used a crushing action. For the Upper Cambrian, the most successful bits for ROP were an Intl. Assn. of Drilling Contractors 837, a tricone insert bit with heavy gauge protection. Average ROP in the horizontal section was 2.9 m/hr with a 250-RPM motor; average bit life was approximately 30 hr. Sidetracks off the whipstock used a diamond bit at 1- to 1.5-m/hr ROP . A natural diamond bit was used to complete the sidetrack and rat hole, and a tricone bit was used to drill the lateral. Isolation/Anchors. Issues had to be addressed to obtain a suitable anchor
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to ensure low-risk milling/drilling operations and to prevent misalignment or realignment of tools relative to the lateral in later operations. Use of a combination of cased- and openhole-completion products provided a basis for drilling the lateral and tying the production string back to the original cased hole. Initially, a mechanical shear-release latch system was used to run the lower anchor system consisting of a centralized tailpipe, shoe, collar, and inflatable packer with orientation riser. Improvements led to the use of a hybrid hydraulic-release linerhanger setting tool and setting-sleeve orientation riser that provided a lower-risk cementing operation and ensured quick and positive runningtool release before cement setting. Milling/drilling of inflatable packers in openhole hard formations has not caused any problems. The hydraulicrelease tool has required some refinements to provide more clearance during running and retrieving and to isolate internal components from cement contamination. Other modifications have been made to improve procedural processes to enable high-load latching and unlatching during space out of the tubing string. Initial installations used inflatable packers for isolation and anchors for both lateral legs. Lower inflatable packers usually were cement inflated, and upper inflatable packers were liquid inflated. Later and current installations use a liquid inflatable packer for the top lateral, but the lower lateral now is drilled off a cement plug. Drilling off a cement plug is effective for the short-radius build and is more cost effective. Re-entry. Through-tubing selective re-entry into lateral bores associated with Level 4 cased multilateral wells is proven technology. The challenge was to adapt this technology for use with Level 1 openhole multilaterals and ensure that the equipment and techniques used provided a cost-effective and low-risk solution. The thin reservoir sections dictated closely spaced laterals, requiring varied completion schemes and more complexity in aligning re-entry components. For future re-entry of openhole completions, large tubing completions with large-bore MLR nipples provide greater producing capabilities with additional flexibility for workover

operations in the laterals. Just like conventional completion engineering and design, re-entry wellbore completion tubulars should be no smaller than the completion tubing for workover flexibility. The MLR system used in these wells uses selective profiles to provide optimum completion inside diameter. MLR System. The MLR nipple system is a sleeve that is installed in the well as part of the completion and is positioned adjacent to the drilled lateral exit from the main bore. The MLR nipples provide selective access for intervention tools to monitor and manage the lateral bores without the need to pull the completion string to work over the well. To accommodate the close tolerances required to position the MLR nipple, careful and accurate measurments were taken during drilling the lateral bores. The collet orientation latch used for drilling provides depth and orientation data for both lateral wellbores. A quick and simple alignment method was devised to enable rigsite lower completion assembly makeup. A simple acme-type thread connection that could be adjusted on site and locked in position was used that also could provide close coupling of the MLR nipples, if required. By careful equipment selection, it is possible to identify and selectively exit MLR nipples as little as 1.5 m apart. The MLR nipple assembly, designed with a 53/4-in. maximum diameter with reduced relief diameters to accommodate debris, was easily deployed in the 57/8- or 6-in. diameter openhole main bore. A 41/2-in. upper completion with 33/4-in. selective nipple profiles was chosen to accommodate the intervention tools. MLR nipple systems have been used succesfully in dozens of installations. Conclusions Proper planning and implementation of dual openhole laterals in the ultra-abrasive Cambrian formation in Algeria has led to improved project timetables and lower project costs. Milling and drilling off cemented inflatable packers in openhole applications into extremely hard formations, accurate repeatable alignment of lateral re-entry completion components, and completion tieback to the original wellbore have become routine processes. JPT

NOVEMBER 2002

Single-Operation Stimulation of 14,000-Ft-Long Reservoir Sections

Horizontal wells with continuous reservoir sections between 10,000 and 20,000 ft are being used for the development of the laterally extensive low-permeability chalk in the Dan/Halfdan oil accumulation, offshore Denmark. The patent-pending Controlled Acid Jet (CAJ) concept was developed to stimulate very long horizontal well sections in a single operation. The method uses an uncemented liner with a limited number of unevenly spaced holes (perforations) to ensure efficient acid stimulation of the complete reservoir section, provided the acid is pumped at sufficiently high rates. Well Concepts Used. Initially, the Dan field was developed with deviated wells stimulated with acid or sandpropped fractures. In 1987, the first horizontal wells were drilled in the field. Encouraged by the production performance of the horizontal wells, all subsequent wells have been drilled as horizontal completions. The perforate, stimulate, and isolate system was developed to facilitate efficient multiple fracture treatment of horizontal wells. This system is used extensively for completion and stimulation of horizontal producers and injectors. Packers, run on an inner tubing, isolate the individual zones, and sliding sleeves provide access to each perforation interval in the cemented liner for selective stimulation of each zone. The sliding sleeves are manipulated by coiled-tubing-deployed shifting tools. However, this limits the length of the horizontal section to the reach of the coiled tubing within the production string (typically, approximately 8,000 ft of reservoir section). However, the matrix-acid-stimulated zone length is typically limited to approximately 500 to 700 ft, to ensure good acid coverage along the entire zone. Effective stimulation of the distant part of each zone in the cemented and perforated liner may be difficult to obtain, and acid diversion has traditionally been improved by the use of high pump rates, foamed acid, viscosity-controlled acid, benzoic acid flakes, etc. Proposed Technique The new completion and stimulation method jets acid onto the formation along the entire uncemented liner and is controlled by a limited number of predrilled holes. The acid is pumped at high rates and exits the holes at high velocities, resulting in jetting of the formation. By limiting the number and size of holes, a choke effect is obtained, and a significant pressure drop occurs between the inside and the outside of the liner during stimulation. A nonuniform geometric distribution of the holes is used to compensate for the fricThis article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 78318, Controlled Acid Jet Technique for Effective Single Operation Stimulation of 14,000+ ft Long Reservoir Sections, by J.H. Hansen and N. Nederveen, SPE, Mrsk Olie og Gas AS, originally presented at the 2002 SPE European Petroleum Conference, Aberdeen, 2931 October. For a limited time, the full-length paper is available free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

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Introduction and Background The Dan/Halfdan oil field is approximately 149 miles off the west coast of Denmark in the North Sea. Oil production from the Dan field began in 1972. The 29,600-ft-long Well MFF19C, with a horizontal reservoir section of 20,749 ft, followed the oil accumulation more than 700 ft downdip from the main field and below the structural saddle point. This action led to the discovery of a 1.5-billion-STB, nonstructurally trapped oil accumulation, the Halfdan field. Reservoir Description The Dan/Halfdan field comprises chalk reservoirs of Danian and Maastrichtian age. Development focuses on the Maastrichtian reservoir, which is characterized by relatively high porosity (25 to 35%) and low liquid permeability (0.1 to 2 md). The bottom part of the Danian, the D2 unit, exhibits relatively low porosities and very low permeabilities. A zone having extremely poor permeability separates the Danian and Maastrichtian formations. Properties of the chalk vary on a 3- to 7-ft scale, reflecting depositional cycles, which can be recognized over long distances in the lateral sense. Each cycle consists of a high and low porosity interval, causing the significant vertical porosity variations.

tion pressure drop along the liner section (i.e., the average hole spacing decreases toward the bottom of the liner). The open annulus outside the liner, in combination with the overpressure on the inside of the liner (caused by the choking over the holes), ensures that acid eventually reaches the bottom of the very long liner, and the well is thus stimulated along its full length. The initial flow distribution along the uncemented liner is shown in Fig. 1. Initially, both the liner and liner/wellbore annulus are filled with mud. Also, a high resistance to flow exists at the wellbore face (mud cake). When the acid first contacts the formation on top of the liner, the mud cake and formation break down and considerable volumes start leaking off to the formation. Hence, as soon as an effective connection to the reservoir has been established, the stimulation pressure will fall, assuming constant stimulation rates. At this stage of the stimulation job, the fluid leakoff into the top of the reservoir section is a mixture of acid jetting out of the predrilled liner holes in the top section and fluids flowing from the more distant part of the liner annulus in the direction of the heel. As the acid front moves along the liner, a breakdown zone is created in which acid mixes with the mud and breaks down the mud and the mudcake.

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Fig. 1Conceptual outline of fluid flow during stimulation through a CAJ liner. AInitial large leakoff at the heel of the well. BThe mud is displaced, and the breakdown zone moves toward the toe of the well. CThe mud and mudcake have been removed completely, and stimulation of the entire liner is ongoing.

Eventually, when all the mud is broken down and residuals displaced into the formation, the annulus will be fully filled with acid. A net flow toward the sections with the lowest skin in the well will continue, and the acid flowing toward these sections will wash the wellbore face. Fresh acid will continue to be jetted at the predetermined distribution points along the uncemented liner, ensuring effective stimulation along the full liner length by acid flow in the annulus. Single zones as long as 14,400 ft have been treated effectively with the technique. For comparison, experience with a traditional cemented and perforated liner has shown a maximum zone length of 500 to 700 ft if the sliding sleeve is placed at the middle of the perforation interval and if the reservoir properties are nearly constant. Conclusions The CAJ completion and stimulation technique was developed and implemented for the development of the flank areas of the Dan/Halfdan low-permeability chalk field offshore Denmark.

The uncemented-liner completion and stimulation technique is efficient and simple to install. In addition, substantial cost and time reductions have been achieved. The technique enables single-operation stimulation of reservoir intervals longer than 14,000 ft. Full acid coverage is obtained throughout the entire liner section. The production performance per unit length of well is superior to the conventional acid fracture and/or matrixacid-stimulated cemented liners. The stimulation effect is confined to the near-wellbore area. No additional water production from the deeper water-saturated reservoir units has been observed. No significant additional skin is introduced by the completion, despite the very limited number of predrilled holes in the liner and the bull heading of the drilling mud into the formation. No significant solids production or indications of collapse of the open hole have been observed in sections completed with the CAJ liner. JPT

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