Physics-Based Well Design - Engineering the Well for Production

Abstract

TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractEnsuring long-term well integrity and optimum completion performance is important for the economic development of any field. However, as fields are now developed with fewer wells and in more technically challenging environments, new technologies are required to deliver mechanically robust and reliable wells that can be operated at the high rates required to meet today's aggressive production targets. Unfortunately, in this environment, our industry can no longer rely on historical industry practices that are based on generalized principles, aggregate historical data, anecdotal evidence, and simplified analytical models, because the inherent inaccuracy of these types of analyses requires excessive use of a significant safety factor between the planned production rates and the actual deliverability limit of the well.To address this challenge, ExxonMobil has developed unique, physics-based, completion design and well performance modeling capabilities that are applied during both well planning and production phases to optimize overall well performance.