Deep insights to transient pressure behavior and stabilized productivity index of multilateral wells in laterally and spatially anisotropic reservoirs

Al-Rbeawi, Salam

doi:10.1016/j.jngse.2018.04.008

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 23 publications

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“…Currently, a series of complex production wells are applied to certain challenging reservoirs to maximize oil recovery. − With the development of drilling techniques, multibranch horizontal well technology can improve well productivity by expanding reservoir drainage. − Moreover, the application of this technology can prevent the transportation of large volumes of fluid along a single long horizontal borehole, which would result in pressure losses in the wellbore and would cause a decrease in well productivity. − Therefore, branch wells with complex structures can have a higher production rate with a lower production pressure drop. More specifically, the application of multibranch horizontal wells to bottom water reservoirs appears to be promising in minimizing water cresting or coning. − Depending on whether the radial inflow on the wellbore exists or not, the flow of the wellbore is divided into two types: the variable mass flow and the constant mass flow.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Theoretical Approach for the Calculation of the Pressure Drop in a Multibranch Horizontal Well with Variable Mass Transfer

Yue

Yang

He³

et al. 2020

ACS Omega

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In this study, the pressure drop obtained from physical experiments and theoretical approaches of a single horizontal wellbore is reviewed and a comprehensive wellbore pressure-drop model is derived for a multibranch well. We propose a new coupling model for fluid flow in multibranch wells and reservoirs. Based on this coupling model, we introduce a theoretical approach for the calculation of the pressure drop in a multibranch horizontal well with variable mass transfer. To facilitate the understanding of the physical model, the entire coupling model was divided into three parts: (1) the pressure-drop model of the wellbore, (2) the reservoir inflow model, and (3) the coupling model. By incorporating the acceleration, friction, mixing, confluence, and gravity pressure drops, a coupling model with a finite-conductivity multibranch horizontal well was developed. Newton−Raphson iterations and Visual Basic programming were employed to solve the coupling model and to obtain the pressure and the inflow rate of the wellbore. The wellbore pressure-drop model was verified by comparing it with different models for the same case study, which has been previously introduced in a different research work. Furthermore, the forecast and sensitivity analysis were conducted, and then the results are discussed. In the proposed new model, several factors are considered, including the wellbore structure, the wellbore completion method, the wellbore, and the fluids and formation properties. The presented approach can be used as a valuable tool to analyze the influence of the pressure drop on the productivity of complex-structured wells and vice versa, and to quantitatively investigate the various pressure drops in wellbores, including the friction, acceleration, mixing, confluence, and gravity pressure losses.

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