Augmentation of Well Productivity With Slant and Horizontal Wells ‘S.D. Joshl, SPE, Phillips Petroleum Co. ‘Summary. This paper presents an equation to calculate the productiviy of horizontal wells and a derivation of that equation using potenial-fuid theory. This equation may also be used to account for reservoir anisotropy and well eccentricity (L¢., horizontal well location other than midheight ofa reservoir). The theoretical predictions were used to calculate the effective well- ‘bore radius and the effective skin factors of horizontal wells. Laboratory experiments with an electrical analog were also ‘conducted. These laboratory experimental data and also the laboratory data available in the literature show good agreement with the theoretical equation, indicating its accuracy. . "The paper also compares vertical, slant-, and horizontal-well productivity indices, assuming an equal drainage area. In addition, the comparison also assumes an equal reservoir contact area for slant and horizontal wells. The results show that in a 100-f [30.48-m -thick reservoir, horizonta-well productvities are two to five times greater than unstimlated vertical- or slant-well productiviies, depending on reservoir anisotropy. Conversely, in a 400-t {122-m] -thick reservoir, slant wells perform better than horizontal wells if vertical permeability is less than horizontal permeability, Horizontal wells perform significantly better than vertical wells in reservoirs with gas cap and/or bottomwater. This study reports an equation to compare horizontal- and vertical-well gas-coning tendencies. ‘The results indicate that horizontal wells are sutable for reservoirs that are thin, show high vertical permeability, or exhibit gas- and water-coning problems. The equations reported should be useful in initial evaluation of a horizontal-well drilling proposal. Introduction Currently, about 30 horizontal wells are producing oil successful- ly worldwide.1 The wells have been drilled in Prudhoe Bay in Alaska,? Empire Abo Unit in New Mexico,? France, and offshore Italy. + Because of a large reservoir contact area, horizontal-well oil-production rats are two to five times greater than unstimulat- ed vertcal-well rates. In addition, horizontal wells may intersect Several fractures and help drain them effectively. Horizontal wells have also been known to reduce water and gas-coning tendencies, The disadvantages of horizoatal wels are that (1) they are ineffec- tive in thick (~500 to 600 ft [~150 to 180 m)), low-vertical- permeability reservoir; (2) reservoirs with several oil zones, sepa rated by impermeable shale barriers, may require drilling of @ horizontal hoe in each reservoir layer to be drained; 3) some limi tations currently exist in well-completion and stimulation technol- cy; and (4 drilling costs are 1.4 to 2 times more than those for vertical wells Objectives ‘The main goal ofthis work isto develop necestary mathematical equations for an intial evaluation of horizontal-well drilling pros- pects. This included the following objectives. 1, To develop a mathematical equation to calculate steady-state oil production with horizontal wells. 2. To determine the influence of reservoir anisotropy, height, well drainage area, and eccentricity (well location other than the reservoir midheight) on horizontal-well productivity, 3. To devise laboratory electrical analog experiments to meas- ‘ure horizontal-well prodvctivities and to compare them with the theoretical equation, “4. To compare vertical lant, and horizontl-well productivities. 55, To determine gas- and water-coning tendencies of horizontal ‘wells and to compare them with those of vertical wels. Literature Review Borisov? reported a theoretical equation to calculate steady-state oil production from a horizontal well; however, the report does ‘ot include the derivation ofthe equation. Later, using Borisov's ‘equation, Giger etal.89 and Giger!"? reported reservoir engi neering aspects of horizontal drilling, Giger’®- developed a con- cept of replacement ratio, Fp, which indicates the number of Cony 8 Sse Paroum Engneer Journal of Petoleum Technology, June 1988 vertical wells required to produce atthe same rate as that ofa single horizontal well. The replacement -rato calculation assumes an equal drasidown forthe horizontal and vertical wells. In addition, Giger ‘died fracturing ofa horizontal well® and provided a graphical Solution to calculate reduction of water coning using horizontal wells.132 Giger etal? reported that horizontal wells are suita- ble for thin reservoirs, fractured reservoirs, and reservoirs with ‘s- and water-coning problems. Recently, Reiss® reported a productvity-index equation for orion wel, but his equation sit ifferen fom that reported bby Borisov? and others.#.!1 To clarity these differences, it was, decided to derive the basic steady-state equation from fundamental fluid-flow theory. Such a derivation is reported here. avian eral! and others¥13 recently reported time-dependent thcoretical analyses for horizontal wells. Their results, as well as, ‘our time-dependent horizontal-well theoretical results! (not in- ‘cluded here), indicate that ifthe length ofa horizontal well i sig nificantly larger than the eservoir height (L/h> 1), then in the long time, horizontal-well production i the same as that obtained from fully penetrating, infinite-conductvity vertical fracture. This is, ‘also shown by the steady-state equation derived in this paper. It is important to note that implications ofthese results are restricted 10 a single-phase flow. Horlzontal-Well Oll-Production Equation Fig. 1 shows that a horizontal well of length Z drains an ellipsoid, while a conventional vertical well drains a right circular cylindri cal volume, Both of these wells drain a reservoir of height, but their drainage volumes are different. To calculate oil production from a horizontal well mathematically, the three-dimensional (3D) equation (V2p=0) needs to be solved first If constant pressure at the drainage boundary and atthe wellbore is assumed, the solution ‘would give a pressure distribution within a reservoir. Once the res- sure distribution is known, oil production rates can be calculated by Darcy's law. "To simplify the mathematical solution, the 3D problem is sub- Aivided into two two-dimensional (2D) problems. Fig. 2 shows the following subdivision ofthe ellipsoid drainage problem: (1) oil flow {nto a horizontal well in @ horizontal plane and @2) oll low into ‘a horizontal well ina vertical plane. Appendices A and B describe ‘mathematical solutions to these two problems with potential uid flow theory. The solutions are aided to calculate oil production ns| aso | Fig. 1—schematics of vertical and horizontal-well drainage volume, from « horizontal well. Bq, 1, derived in Appendix A, gives oil flow to @ horizontal well ina horizontal plane a “Multiplying Bq, 1 by reservoir height, h gives oil production from ‘numberof horizontal wells stacked fromthe reservoir botiom 9 the top af=aih. ® Using aneletrica analog concep, flow resistance in horizontal diretion is given as he tany TT Y ml In addition to the above horizontal-drection resistance, Ryy, @ horizontal well of height 2r, experiences a vertical-low resistane. Eq. 4, derived in Appendix B, gives the flow into a horizontal well of unit length located atthe reservoir midheight 2rk, APB, Pe Taller | « The oil flow to a horizontal well of length L, qf, and the ome- sponting low rstance na vertical inecton, Hy are cacao ak © Ry-=(Aplaf) pl ahhh ra) © “he vercaexsance ter in Bg, 6 represents resistance in ver tial plane in. cireulr are of rads 2 around the wellbore. Part of this resistances already sccouted fr inthe brzoaal resistance term. Ae shown ater, this upton dt ot severely ‘fect he sceracy ofthe ston Several ferent methods of combining Ry and Ry were con sidered to calcite effective flow resstance te adition of fn Ry not only gave mathematically simple reals bat aso Showed ood agrement wth te laboratory experimental at ‘Therefor, horizontal and versa resiances were added (ca else horizons-wll production (7a) (my for L>h and (L/2)<0.9reqy, ‘where a, half the major axis ofa drainage ellipse in a horizontal plane in which the well is located (Fig. 2), is obtained by refor- ‘lating Eq. A-10 as shown below 1 wey ut —— Skin) r Table 1 lists the correspondence between Li(2a) and Lira) values. Eq. To shows that if th horizonta-well length significantly exceeds the reservoir height (L/h 1), then the second term in the {enominator of Eq. To representing the verical-ow resistance tds to be very small as compared with the first term (horizodtal resistance). Moreover, if Li@a)- Bh, (109) where 6=Viuity « |AS shown in Appendix C, an alternative equation to account for reservoir anisotropy (Ba, C7) could also be developed and rewrite Ark hdpl(uB) of fat —Li2y } ohy(*) "| 12 L\an, Although Eg, 10b is derived more rigorously than Eq. 10a, there is less than 14% difference in the productivity indices (9/4p) cal- culated with these two equations for L>0.43%. Moreover, these productivity indices show less han 10% diference from the prodoc- tivity index calculated with the skin-factorcoreelation developed by transient pressure analysis (Ha, 20 of Ref. 16). In general, Eq {0b gives a slighly higher productivity index than Eq, 10a. Although cither Eg 103 or 10b could be used for engineering calculation pur- potes, Eg. 10x is recommended for conservative production fore- fast. Therefore, in the rest of the paper, anisotropic calculations are based on Bg. 10a, n= (108) Hortzontal-Well Eccentricity Eqs. 7 and 10 assume that a horizontal wells located atthe resex- voir center ina vertical plane—i.e, ta distance h/2 from the reser- ‘oie top and bottom. With Muskats'® formulation for off-centered wells, ol production ina vertical plane from a horizontal well placed ‘disance & from the reservoir midheight could be shown as 2xk,LAphi(uBh) [ea for &5<(hi2), ay ir) resulting inthe following expressions for Ryy and qi Boh [ (2)? ey «12 2ekgLA L Ohrgl2) Joural of Ptolem Technology, Se 1988 ‘TABLE 1—RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VARIOUS: ‘GEOMETRIC FACTORS L L Be 2a a] D.0008 002 02 o.1g8 4.010 03 0.209 +1028 oa 0388 4182 08. 0.470 1054 28 0500 11.083 o7 0.820 1.129 08 0.882 aan 09 0739 3218 and 2rkohapiuB) aaa), b [wa -G f Vata Jee! yg aD Dl i for 0.5, then well cccentricty exhibits some influence on well productivity. ‘These results were also confirmed experimentally wih an electrical fog, which is described Inter. Effective Wollboro Radius and Skin Factor Fora given drainage area, the vertical-well production rate increases with an increase in wellbore rads. Hence, the higher ol preducon of slant and horizontal wells could also be represented by a vertical ‘well of a large wellbore diameter. Ina conventional vertical well, {increased well production resulting fom well stimulation is repre” sented as a decrease in 2 negative skin factor or an increase in ef- fective wellbore diameter, The relationship between skin factor snd effective wellbore radius is defined as Fue tig EDC). ay ‘To calculate the required vertical-wellhore diameter to produce oil atthe same rate 28 that from a horizontal well, equal drainage Volumes, ray=rey, and equal productivity indices, (4/4) (q/ap)y were assumed. With these assumptions, cay rele) ly { 2k, hltuBy) | and «sy rel!) ofl VI (i202 JOP 16) with a calculated from either Eq. 8 or Table 1. Eqs. 16 and 14 ‘ould be used to calculate effective wellbore radius, Pog, and skin factor, s, respectively. Eq. 17 yields the ratio of horizontal- and mt