In the increasingly competitive oil and gas industry, especially in mature fields where water coning is expected, operators constantly look for innovative ways to increase productivity, optimize well flow, and reduce costs and environmental impact. An integrated multilateral drilling and smart completion technology coupled with inflow control devices (ICDs) and downhole monitoring systems can help achieve these goals. The success of multilateral drilling and smart completion technology depends on using the right drilling system and completion equipment to achieve key objectives, including safe and trouble-free deployment, access to drilled laterals, and proper system function throughout the planned well life.
The operator planned to drill a long dual lateral well in a major oil field in the Middle East and demanded access to the main bore and the lateral section for future intervention. A TAML level-2 junction was created using an advanced latching system and a multilateral window to provide access to both laterals. The deployment and alignment of the multilateral window with the guided mill and the key latching system required critical job planning and simulation to ensure that the system loads and applied forces were effectively transferred to allow the tools to function without complication. Another milestone was the requirement for flow control in both laterals to delay water breakthrough and limit water production post-breakthrough. This added to the complexity of the smart completion system design as all the window access tools were optimized to pass the smart completion equipment safely, and the area around the multilateral tool was adjusted for enhanced flow.
Proper wellbore geometry design, drilling optimization, completion system design, and real-time monitoring resulted in successfully deploying the integrated multilateral drilling and completion technology, which enabled the main bore and horizontal sections to be accessed as planned. The approach also demonstrated its effectiveness in increasing well productivity and reducing well construction costs while minimizing environmental impact and maintaining optimal well flow while limiting water production. The successful implementation of the multilateral drilling and completion system in the dual lateral well unlocked significant potential in developing multilateral well technology. This system and other multilateral well technologies are likely to play an increasingly important role in the future of hydrocarbon production. In addition, this project highlights the importance of collaboration between multidisciplinary teams to ensure seamless integration of technologies and processes.
This paper focuses on the best practices, lessons learned, and value-added outcomes from implementing multilateral drilling and smart completion technologies. In particular, it highlights the benefits of taking a holistic approach to well completion design and well intervention management, ultimately resulting in more sustainable and profitable hydrocarbon production.
