Classification of Wells

Classification of Wells
• Vertical Well
• Deviated Well
• Horizontal Well
 Deviated Wells
• Deviating a well bore is a process of controlled
directional drilling along a pre-determined
course to a target whose location is given at
lateral distance from the vertical.
 Why Deviated Well ?
• Drilling of inaccessible locations
– A target zone lying vertically beneath a surface location
that is impractical to be used as a rig site (e.g. residential
locations, river beds, harbors etc.) can be penetrated by
drilling a directional well.
• Multiple wells drilling from a single platform
– Offshore platforms are the most common application of
directional drilling, where multiple wells can be drilled
through various slots installed in the same platform.
• Side-tracking
– Directional drilling can be used to deviate the well
bore around and away from an obstruction in the
original wellbore
• Relief well drilling
– This is one of the most important application of
directional drilling to intersect a blowout well near
the bottom so that mud and water can be pumped
into the blowing well.
• Multiple targets
– Sometimes it may be necessary to drill through
one target and alter the direction of the well to
reach the next target.
• Troublesome geological conditions
– Drilling through geological faults or troublesome
formations like saltdome etc. can be avoided by
directional drilling method
 C. Horizontal Well
• Horizontal wells can be defined as extension
of highly deviated wells, drilled in order to
increase the length of the completion zone
through the reservoir ,with borehole
inclination approaching 90° from vertical.
 Why Horizontal Drilliing
• Increased production from a single well
– In a horizontal well the greater contact area of the
wellbore through the producing zone allows a
much longer completion interval than would be
possible a less deviated well
– With more of the formation contributing directly
to the production higher flow rates can be
expected.
• Reduction in water/gas 'coning
– A horizontal well can be strategically placed away from
both gas and water bearing zones.
– drawdown in the reservoir pressure around the wellbore
will also be reduced, giving greater oil recovery before the
onset of coning problems.
• Intersection of vertical fractures
– Many reservoirs contain fractures which are vertical or
near vertical.
– Although the matrix of the rock may be fairly impermeable
the oil may still be able to flow along the fractures.
• Enhanced oil recovery
– Steam or polymers is injected to improve the
mobility of the oil.
– The viscosity of the oil in the vicinity of the steam
injectors wells are reduced
– It drains downwards under gravity towards the
horizontal producing well.
• Reducing the number of wells/platforms
– The increased productivity of horizontal wells may
result in drilling fewer wells to develop an offshore
field
– the overall economics of the project would be
improved.