The Role of Multilateral Drilling Technology in Increasing Productivity in the Middle East Fields

Abstract

Multilateral drilling (ML) drilling technology is one of the unconventional drilling methods to increase the productivity of a well. It is thought that ML wells could be more economic with higher productivities than other types of wells such as vertical, directional, horizontal or extended reach horizontal wells. Advances in ML drilling has resulted in significant cost saving, greater flexibility and increased profit potential. In the last two decades, thousands of ML wells have been drilled worldwide. Around 10 percent of the total wells are ML. During 1980s, advances in horizontal technology were adopted quickly in the Middle East to bring about dramatic improvements in well productivity. Many operators in the Persian Gulf region looked at ML drilling technology as a next step from horizontal drilling technology. These operators started to drill ML wells after experiencing successful drilling of horizontal wells. Since the early 1990, the use of ML drilling technology in the Middle East has seen significant growth to the extent that Middle East is one of the most active areas in the world for ML applications. This paper investigates the benefits of ML drilling as one of the highly expanded methods. Advantages and challenges of the ML technology are highlighted. Since Middle East is one of the most active areas in the world for ML applications, therefore, two case studies from this region are reviewed. The first case study is the first Saudi Aramco's deep ML gas well, and the second is drilling a dual lateral well in Dukhan field in Qatar. For the former case study, productivity of ML wells is presented. Furthermore, a comparison is made between the productivity of a horizontal and dual ML in order to give a recommendation for one of them. Introduction Unconventional drilling is a growing part of the global drilling activity. In the past several years directional, horizontal, extended reach horizontal and multilateral (ML) wells have been drilled successfully using unconventional drilling techniques. Unconventional drilling technologies play a key role today where conventional technologies are not fully efficient to keep development profitable. These technologies allow us to increase production per well but also to improve ultimate reservoir recovery factor (RF). ML drilling as one of unconventional drilling techniques emerged at the beginning of nineties.1 The general definition of a ML well is one in which there is more than one horizontal or near horizontal lateral well drilled from a single side (mother bore) and connected back to a single bore. 2 During 1980s, advances in horizontal technology were adopted quickly in the Middle East to bring about dramatic improvements in well productivity. Many operators in the Persian Gulf region looked at ML drilling technology as a next step from horizontal drilling technology. These operators started to drill ML wells after experiencing successful drilling of horizontal wells. Since 1992, the use of ML drilling technology in the Middle East has seen significant growth to the extent that Middle East is one of the most active areas in the world for ML applications. 3 In 1996, it is estimated that over 35 MLs were drilled in the Middle East. 4 Among the Middle East countries, some invested more on of ML technology are Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Qatar. Examples of leading companies in the region in ML technology are Saudi Aramco and ZADCO. Other countries in the region are progressing in application of ML technology. An overview to applicability of ML technology in the Middle East countries has been done by Mirzaei Paiaman and Moghadasi (2009).5

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