ADVANCED DRILLING
MODULE-17
HORIZONTAL DRILLING
MULTILATERAL WELLS
By
GAURAV HAZARIKA
Assistant Professor
School of Petroleum Technology
Pandit Deendayal Energy University
Multilateral Wells
• The technology of drilling multiple wellbores from a single well has been
around since the 1920’s
• Widespread use in the industry began with the directional drilling
improvements made in the late 1980’s.
• Initially, the multilateral technology was associated with horizontal
drilling.
• From the build curves, open-hole side tracks were drilled.
• These laterals gave good production results, creating industry’s interest
in this technology.
Multilateral Wells
• Multilaterals can be drilled from existing wells or drilled as a new well
using special multilateral equipment.
• The complexity of the multilaterals drilled depends on
• Integrity of the formation
• Prevention of water or gas coning
• Requirements to isolate the main wellbore from the laterals
• Requirement to reenter the each lateral
• Requirements to isolate production from the laterals
Multilateral wells
• The return on investment (ROI) for the operator is more than the
conventional.
• Multilaterals are more expensive to drill, so production rates have to be
higher for a longer period of time to payout the difference.
• Generally, multilateral wells are more effective in low to moderate
permeability reservoirs.
• Cumulative production ratio for a low to moderate permeability reservoir
was maintained for a longer period of time.
Multilateral wells
• In higher permeability reservoirs, production interference will occur
between laterals at an earlier time reducing the effectiveness of the
laterals.
• Additionally, production in the parent wellbore would be limited by tubing
diameter for high permeability wells.
• use of a single vertical well bore minimizes access roads and cleanup
costs.
• Fewer surface production facilities may be necessary
Multilateral wells
• In offshore, increasing the drainage area for a fixed number of well slots
gives greater platform flexibility and allows more extensive field
development.
• One disadvantage, however, is the potential complications during well
control because two or more well bores are open.
• Servicing a particular well bore is more complex.
• To prevent future well bore service problems each drain hole must be
designed for subsequent re-entry .
Multilateral classification system
• In a multilateral well, the wellbores are either cased or open hole.
• The multilaterals can therefore have numerous configurations based on
whether the main wellbore and laterals are cased or left open hole.
• These configurations allow installation of a variety of junctions in a well.
• This variety necessitated development of a classification system for
users to compare, differentiate and select the multilateral applicable for
their respective requirements.
• The TAML (Technology Advancement of Multilaterals) categorizes
multilaterals into 6 levels based on the type of junction used.
• As the level increases, the complexity of the junction increases and the
cost and risks go up.
TAML Level 1
• Main wellbore and the lateral left uncased at the junction
• Simplest and least expensive multilaterals and hence, is one of the
most common categories.
• Can be placed in any hole size and any wellbore configuration. It can
also be drilled by all directional service companies.
• Only be used in a competent formation; otherwise the borehole wall
will collapse or sand produced from the formation will fill up the
wellbore.
• Open hole laterals have limited re-entry capabilities.
• No isolation of the laterals and production must be commingled.
TAML Level 1
• After the first lateral is drilled, the
motor assembly is brought up to the
top of the build curve.
• The motor is oriented in the opposite
direction and drilled further.
• Depending upon the hardness of the
formation, open-hole drilling can take
a few hours.
TAML Level 2
• Main wellbore is typically cased and cemented, while the lateral, or at
least the junction, is left uncased
• Second most popular multilateral system used today since they can be
drilled from an existing vertical well.
• In an existing well, it is typically drilled using a whipstock to sidetrack out
of the existing casing.
• Retrievable whipstock is used to sidetrack out of the existing casing.
• The whipstock should be placed in the body of the casing to prevent
milling a connection
• Can be accomplished with pre-milled window joints.
TAML Level 2
• Pre-milled windows are much more
expensive, more difficult to install, and in
some cases, they require drilling a larger
hole to accommodate a pre-milled joint.
• A liner can be dropped off outside the
window to case the lateral if desired but it
does not connect back into the casing of
the parent well.
• Open-hole must be located in consolidated
formations. Also, the laterals are not
isolated.
TAML Level 3
• Main Wellbore is cased and cemented while the laterals are not
cemented but cased only
• Has mechanical integrity at the junction but has no hydraulic
isolation
• Installed where the formations are not competent at the junction
and where water or gas production into the junction are not
problematic
• It may or may not have access to both the lateral and to the
main wellbore.
• Selective reentry may or may not be possible.
TAML Level 3
• More expensive depending upon how it is
accomplished.
• A liner was run in the upper lateral and hung
inside the parent wellbore.
• After completing the lower main bore,
whipstock is placed and the upper lateral
drilled through the window joint.
• After drilling, a liner is run in the hole and
hunged in the pre-milled window joint
• Then the whipstock is removed.
TAML Level 4
• Main wellbore and the laterals cased
and cemented
• Has mechanical integrity, but is
assumed to have no pressure integrity.
• Cement cannot always provide
pressure integrity.
• Reentry is possible in most cases
through the main bore or through
tubing.
TAML Level 5
• Built upon the Level 4 system by providing
pressure integrity at the junction.
• The pressure integrity is achieved in the
completion by running tubing and isolation
packers
• If tubing integrity is lost, the pressure integrity
is also lost.
• Allows access to both wellbores usually
through tubing.
• Expensive and is more risky to run
• Prone to mechanical failures during installation
TAML Level 6
• Full pressure integrity is achieved with the main
casing string.
• Two types of level 6 junctions:
• Expandable metal junction requires under-reaming
the hole where the junction will be placed so that the
junction can be expanded before setting cement.
(Higher Depth)
• Splitter junction requires drilling a much larger
diameter hole from the surface down so that the
splitter can be run. (Shallow Depth)