Horizontal Wells: Focus on the Reservoir

by Tim Carr

This book provides an overview of the new technical approaches required for best use of horizontal and extended-reach technology in different reservoir situations. The volume is a selection from more than 50 papers presented at an AAPG/SPWLA Hedberg Research Symposium, 'International Horizontal and Extended Reach Well Focus on the Reservoir,' held in The Woodlands, Texas, on October 10-14, 1999. The 16 chapters describe horizontal and extended-reach wells and drilling programs in a variety of geologic settings all over the world. The book discusses the evolution of technical knowledge required from geoscientists, engineers, and managers to develop a detailed and integrated approach to the design and execution of a horizontal well. Through 2001, more than 34,777 horizontal wells had been drilled in 72 countries spanning the globe. Today, horizontal and extended-reach wells are used to overcome various challenges imposed by reservoir geometry, fluid characteristics, economic conditions, or environmental constraints, * coning (gas or water) * waterflood conformance * improved recovery from thin beds * economic and technical limitations (e.g., offshore limitations on the number of slots) * environmental restrictions * heterogeneous reservoirs (e.g., fractured or restricted flow units) * recovery from tar sands AAPG's Horizontal Wells highlights the changes in our understanding of petroleum reservoirs and the type of knowledge required to move beyond the limitations of vertical wells to a horizontal perspective. American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Founded in 1917, AAPG is the world's largest professional geological society. AAPG is a pillar of the world-wide scientific community. Our books foster timely scientific research, advance the science of geology and promote the most efficient methods of energy exploration & processing technology and practices available today. Some of the areas we publish in
Well Log Analysis
Geological Modeling
Carbonate Petrology
Seismic Imaging
Reservoir Characterization
Regional Petroleum Analysis
Tectonics and Sedimentation
Stratigraphy

Paperback

First published January 1, 2003