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Overview - Multilateral Drilling

Welcome Thomas P. Easterly

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IN-DEPTH CONTENT
In order to efficiently exploit remote
reservoirs and to minimize surface
disturbances, many operators employ
multilateral technologies. Multilateral
wells allow the reservoir to be produced
from a minimum number of wellbores
improving productivity and reservoir
drainage and optimizing reservoir
management. In multilateral wells the
main wellbore is drilled to above the
reservoir and then one or more
wellbores, branching off of the main
wellbore, are drilled into the target zone.

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Use of multilateral technology can

provide key benefits to operators:
z Accelerated production that

increases the net present value

of a project.
z Access to additional reserves

from productive wells to increase production and extend the well's productive life.
z A reduction in the number of offshore platform slots required and the number of wells to be drilled from

surface.
z Ability to make development of a marginal field viable by connecting multiple targets from what would

otherwise be marginal wells.

z Reduction in uphole drilling and equipment costs by reducing the number of wells to be drilled from

surface.
z Reservoir boundaries may be delineated by drilling probe wells, lease-line wells and performing

reservoir characterization logging from a minimum number of surface locations.

Multilateral wells offer great economic potential for operators but they need to be designed appropriately for the
specific reservoir to achieve the greatest results. Successful implementation of multilateral systems is contingent
on proper communication and coordination between reservoir, completion, and drilling groups. Planning for
multilateral wells must always start with an understanding of the reservoir and a clear set of objectives for the
multilateral well must be developed. Drilling and completion of the wellbore should be planned on the basis of
the reservoir requirements. The added complexity of multilateral systems requires an increased awareness of
the need to manage the various processes and risk analysis and contingency planning have become important
components in the planning and development of multilateral wells.
Some of the primary technical factors that must be considered when planning multilateral wells include the
following:
z Completion design options can include barefoot open hole completions through to cased holes that are

mechanically supported and hydraulically isolated.

z The creation and integrity of the junction is a vital concern for multilaterals. Considerations include

hydraulic integrity and junction longevity.

z Critical drilling issues can include dog leg severity, hole and casing sizes, build rates, formation stability,

geo-steering requirements, and the number of laterals to be drilled.

z Accessibility of the main and lateral bores, whether via through-tubing or rig-less intervention.
z The requirement for sand control through screens, slotted or perforated pipe is a consideration.
z The type of production, commingled or segregated, the types of flow control devices, and isolation

requirements are of concern.

z Cement and its placement are dependent on the type of completion and must be considered.

Multilateral drilling has progressed considerably since its inception. The technical difficulty of drilling and
completing multilateral wells, and the complexity of equipment employed has also evolved accordingly. A
classification system, proposed by a group of operating companies, called TAML (Technology Advancement for
MultiLateral), has been developed to assist in describing the technical complexity and equipment requirements
of multilateral wells. The objectives of the classification system are to aid in determining the functional
requirements of a proposed multilateral well, assist the selection of the most appropriate system for the
determined functional requirements, and facilitate the transfer of project information and experience.
The TAML classification system is made up of two tiers; a complexity ranking and a functionality classification.
The complexity ranking gives an initial indication of the well complexity and is based on the complexity of the
junction. The ranking goes from 1 to 6 with increasing numeric value indicating a more complex application. The
functionality classification is comprised of two sections; the well description, and the junction description, and
provides more technical detail about the well. Alpha and numeric characters are used to describe the critical
functionality characteristics of a multilateral well.
Completely different approaches are required for each multilateral level and the classification illustrates the
degree to which multilateral technology is driven by the type of completion that is required. Level 1 and level 5
wells may have similar drilling requirements but the completion requirements may have very little in common.
The first of the two figures below summarizes the TAML complexity ranking and the second shows an example
of a TAML level 5 multilateral well.

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Multilateral drilling and technology has progressed, with ever increasing system capabilities, and greater
experience and understanding of their applications. As a result multilateral wells have become increasingly
accepted in the industry. As use of multilateral wells is intrinsically driven by economics, advancements that
provide increased flexibility and profit potential for operators will continue to expand the future utilization of
multilateral technology.

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