2001-2002 OTRC PROJECT: Workshop on Multilateral and Extended Reach Wells
OBJECTIVE:
In order to efficiently exploit many of the world’s remote reservoirs and to minimize surface disruptions, many operators are utilizing extended reach and multilateral drilling technologies. Extended reach technology has allowed operators reach targets up to 35,000 feet horizontal displacement. This technology allows the operators to fully exploit many reservoirs from a single surface facility. ERD technology is applicable to land operations, as well as offshore. Offshore this can be accomplished from any type of drilling structure and any water depth.
Multilateral wells allow the reservoir to be produced from a minimum number of wellbores. The main wellbore is drilled to a depth above the target, and multiple wellbores are drilled into the target zones. This allows much greater wellbore contact with the reservoir from a single wellbore than possible with conventionally drilled wells.
This technology is relatively new to the U.S. offshore areas, but shows great promise in regions such as Alaska, California, and the Gulf of Mexico. Wells drilled in federal waters must have approval from the Minerals Management District Offices and are evaluated by the MMS district drilling engineers before approval is granted. These workshops will give the MMS engineers a better understanding of the latest ERD and Multilateral technology, and allow for a more efficient approval process.
APPROACH:
We will perform a literature review of the state of the art in multilateral and extended reach wells. We will use he results of the literature review to prepare Power Point presentations which will then be used to conduct a workshop for the MMS in two locations. This workshop will be made available for other entities that are interested in applying this technology to their operations.
DEPLOYMENT OF RESULTS:
The information gathered and prepared will be used in two workshops. One workshop will be held in the MMS office in Camarillo, CA, and the other in New Orleans, LA or College Station, TX. The anticipated audience for these two workshops will be engineers employed by the MMS in the Pacific and Alaska regions for the California workshop, and the New Orleans region. The workshop will also be available for presentation in other locations where extended reach and multilateral drilling could be utilized
The presentations will also be used in two graduate Petroleum Engineering courses which will be offered in the fall of 2002 in the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University.
ANTICIPATED PROJECT DURATION: 2 weeks
PROJECT PLAN FOR YEAR 1 (2002-2003):
Scope of Work: We will perform a literature search in the state of the art in Multilateral and Extended Reach Drilling. The information gathered in the literature review will be used in preparation of the PowerPoint presentations to be used in the workshop. We will present the workshop to the MMS engineers at two different locations; once at the MMS offices in Camarillo, CA and New Orleans, LA or College Station, TX.
Anticipated Results: The workshop should provide the MMS Engineers with insight into the state of the art in multilateral and extended reach wells. The workshop should also aid these engineers to develop a list of issues and concerns regarding multilateral and extended reach wells.
Workshop Presenters:
Jerome J. Schubert, Ph.D., P.E. – Texas A&M University
Dr. Jerome J. Schubert, P.E. will be the lead presenter for this workshop. Dr. Schubert has a B.S. (1978), M.Eng. (1995), and Ph.D. (1999) all in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University, and is currently employed as Lecturer/Assistant Research Engineer by the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University. Dr. Schubert has worked as a Drilling Engineer for over eight years with Pennzoil Company and Enron Oil & Gas, over four years as a Well Control Instructor with the University of Houston/Victoria, and as a faculty member at Texas A&M University for over seven years. At Texas A&M University, Dr. Schubert is involved in teaching graduate and undergraduate drilling courses and in drilling research. Related research activities that Dr. Schubert has been involved with are kick detection, shallow water flows, underbalanced drilling, development of well control procedures for the SubSea MudLift Drilling JIP (Dissertation title: Well Control Procedures for Riserless/Mudlift Drilling and Their Integration Into a Well Control Training Program), and development of a dynamic kill simulator and blowout containment procedures for dual gradient wells being drilled in ultra-deepwater. He also serves on the IADC Training and Well Control Committees, and on the IADC WellCAP Review Panel.
Mr. Steve Walls, Cherokee Offshore Engineering
Mr. Steve Walls will work along side Dr. Schubert in preparing and conducting this workshop. Mr. Walls has attended both Montana Tech and the University of Louisiana – Lafayette and studied Chemical Engineering and Industrial Technology, and has approximately 30 years of Petroleum Industry experience in preparing and presenting technical and organizational training seminars. He started in the industry as an Apprentice Operator for Humble Oil & Refining Company, then moved on to work as a roughneck, derrickman, driller, and subsea engineer for Wxeter, Brinkerhoff, and Global Marine drilling companies. Mr. Walls has since worked as a Drilling Supervisor, Senior Drilling Supervisor, and Instructor for Shell Oil Company, BP Exploration, and Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas. He has experience working in the Gulf of Mexico, the Rocky Mountains, California, and Alaska, where he has been involved with conventional wells as well as ERD and Multilateral wells. He has worked as Senior ERD Supervisor for K&M Technology.
Contact:
Dr. Jerome J. Schubert
Department of Petroleum Engineering
Texas A&M University, M.S. 3116
College Station, TX 77843-3116
979/862-1195, jschubert@.tamu.edu
fax 979/845-1307
Date: November 27, 2002
Project Name: Workshop on Multilateral and Extended Reach Wells
Project Number: 32558-58880B
Principal Investigators: Jerome J. Schubert Task Order: 85221
Estimated Completion Date: December 5, 2002
Project Description:
Deliver a workshop on the state of the art, applications for, economic benefit, and limitations of extended reach and multilateral wells. This workshop will be held two times at the MMS offices in Camarillo, CA (November 21, 2002) and New Orleans, LA (December 5, 2002).
Progress:
We have completed both workshops. Steve Walls, Cherokee Offshore Engineering, Bjorn Gjorv, TAMU, and Jerome Schubert, TAMU presented the workshops at the MMS offices in Camarillo, CA and New Orleans, LA. Attendees of the Camarillo workshop were MMS Engineers and Geologists from the Pacific and Alaska regions, while attendees of the New Orleans workshop were Engineers from the MMS New Orleans region.
The proposed agenda to the workshop held in Camarillo is attached. There was more discussion on the topic that was to be held in the morning session (definition of extended reach and multilateral wells, torque and drag, dual gradient drilling, and expandable tubulars) than was anticipated. The session of drilling fluids was also longer than expected. The additional time spent on these subjects resulted in an abbreviation on the discussion of some of the state of the art in ERD/ML wells.
Based on the feedback of the attendees in Camarillo it was decided to rearrange the topics for the New Orleans workshop. The agenda for the New Orleans workshop is also attached. We shortened the discussion on torque and drag, dual gradient drilling, and high lubricity muds. Since representatives of Shell Oil Company and Enventure (the developers of Expandable Tubulars) were at the MMS office in New Orleans on December 5, we decided to omit our presentation on expandable tubulars. These changes allowed us to spend more time on the state of the art in multilateral and extended reach wells.
From the feedback at both workshops, the presenters feel that the MMS was well satisfied with the workshops.
Extended Reach and Multilateral Workshop (Camarillo, CA)
Agenda
Presented by
Jerome J. Schubert, TAMU
Steve Walls, Cherokee Offshore Engineering
Bjorn Gjorv TAMU
8:30 am Welcome and Introductions
9:00 am Introduction to Extended Reach and Multilateral Wells
Define ERD and ML levels
How ML and ERD wells are drilled
Economic benefits
Technical difficulties
Lost circulation and other well control problems
Casing wear
Torque and drag
Cementing
10:30 am Break
10:45 am New drilling technologies that could enhance ML/ERD
Dual Gradient Drilling
Expandable tubulars
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm New drilling technologies, continued
High lubricity muds
Hole cleaning
State of the art in ERD
State of the art in MLD
2:30 pm Break
2:45 pm Completion, workover, and fishing concepts
Horizontal gravel-packed sand control completions
Downhole completion tools for ER and ML wells
3:45 pm Questions and discussion
4:40 pm AdjournExtended Reach and Multilateral Workshop (New Orleans, LA)
Agenda
Presented by
Jerome J. Schubert, TAMU
Steve Walls, Cherokee Offshore Engineering
Bjorn Gjorv TAMU
8:30 am Welcome and Introductions
9:00 am Introduction to Extended Reach and Multilateral Wells
Define ERD and ML levels
How ML and ERD wells are drilled
Economic benefits
10:00 am Break
10:15 am New drilling technologies that could enhance ML/ERD
Dual Gradient Drilling
Expandable tubulars
High lubricity muds
Hole cleaning
State of the art in ERD
State of the art in MLD
Lunch
1:30 pm Completion, workover, and fishing concepts
Horizontal gravel-packed sand control completions
Downhole completion tools for ER and ML wells2:30 pm Technical difficulties
Lost circulation and other well control problems
Casing wear
Torque and drag
Cementing
3:30 pm Questions and discussion
4:00 pm Adjourn