Experience of Using Continuous Production Surveillance Techniques in Multilateral Wells

Abstract

This paper deals with the case of using the production surveillance inflow tracer based method in one of multi-lateral wells located in the Yuzhno-Priobskoye field. Tracer systems were placed in the well during the well construction by horizontal side tracking, and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing (MSHF) was performed, with the parent borehole remaining in operation. This technology allows developing the reservoir drainage area with a lateral hole and bringing the oil reserves remaining in the parent borehole into production, which results in an increased well productivity and improved oil recovery rate. Tracer systems are placed into the parent borehole within a downhole sub installed into the well completion. Polymer-coated proppant packs were injected during multi-stage hydraulic fracturing to deliver the tracers to the side track lateral. Dynamic production profiling was done to aid into more efficient development of complex and heterogeneous reservoirs and improve of the productive reservoir sweep ratio during the construction of multilateral wells, which enabled us to address several key problems: Providing tools for waterflood diagnostics in multilateral wells and finding an easy water shutoff method for a certain interval Assessing the efficiency of multi-stage hydraulic fracturing and elaborating the optimal treatment design Selecting the optimal mode of the multilateral well operation to prevent premature flooding in one or more laterals Evaluating whether well construction was performed efficiently, and a higher production was achieved by side tracking. Currently, the proposed first-of-its-kind solution enables the operator to obtain a set of data that can help not only significantly improve the wells’ productivity and increase the oil recovery rate, but also lead to a considerable economic savings in capital expenditure.