SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION AND LIMITATIONS OF HORIZONTAL WELLS

Abstract

In fields with low-permeable reservoirs, the use of vertical wells becomes economically unprofitable, since a significant amount of reserves remains not involved in development. In these conditions, the most rational use of horizontal wells becomes.

A horizontal well is drilled parallel to the plane of the reservoir and can drain a larger area than a vertical one, which makes it possible to increase the impact of the working agent. This, in turn, leads to an increase in well productivity and, ultimately, to an increase in oil recovery of productive formations.

Due to the horizontal wellbore, fractured areas are exposed, due to which the flow rates of these wells increase somewhat compared to vertical ones. It becomes possible to develop a reservoir with minimal drawdowns with a much smaller number of wells.

The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of the field application of horizontal wells in various reservoir conditions. The review of economically successful and unsuccessful wells allows the creation of a certain kind of list of parameters that are of the greatest importance for consideration in order to select a commercially successful application of horizontal wells.