Slotted liner is commonly used for well completion to maintain borehole integrity and control production of sand, both in land and offshore. Due to length of horizontal wells, there is a pressure drop within producing wellbore, as a result of friction and turbulent flow. Additionally, radius of damaged zone caused by drilling fluid invasion is not constant along the horizontal well. Significant amount wellbore pressure drop and/or near well formation damage leads to non-uniform production profile along horizontal well. Consequently, unbalanced depletion of reservoir and problem of gas or water coning will occur.
This paper represents an approach to eliminate occurrence of water or gas coning into producing horizontal wells which is based on precise manipulations and design of slotted liner parameters in such a way that the effect of wellbore pressure drop is compensated. Therefore, instead of running slotted liner with constant design parameters, they will vary deliberately along the well. Calculations performed by simulation software, developed based on theoretical concepts, which have been elaborately explained in this paper, comparisons between calculated data and measured field data have been made.
When the modified parameters applied, total pressure drop along horizontal well approaches to an identical value. Additionally, this procedure of design can be used directly offset the effect of invaded zone around well. As the significant outcomes, with the help of this design method, production along the wellbore will be balanced and uniform. Additionally, if coning occurs, it will occur at tip of the well rather than happening at heel of horizontal well.