Method of producing a communicating horizontal well network

Wells – Processes – Specific pattern of plural wells

Reexamination Certificate

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C166S268000, C166S052000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06729394

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to the general subject of methods and devices for recovering fluids from subterranean formations, and, in particular, to processes and apparatus for recovering bitumen, heavy crude oil and other hydrocarbons by means of horizontal wells drilled from surface locations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known that the use of horizontal wells drilled from surface locations has improved the economics and reduced the environmental impact of finding and recovering hydrocarbons and other substances from subterranean formations. A horizontal well is a well that is formed with a section of the well being oriented relatively or approximately in a geometric plane that is parallel to the surface of the earth beneath which such section is located. In particular it is well known that in appropriate applications, a single horizontal well can expose and access as much of the mineral bearing rock in a subterranean formation as several vertical wells. A vertical well is a well which is not comprised in whole or in part of a horizontal section as described above, and includes a deviated or slant hole well formed or drilled from the surface of the earth.
The cost of drilling and completing a single horizontal well into a particular formation, generally exceeds the cost of drilling and completing a vertical well into the same formation. However substantial economies of scale can be achieved where the use of horizontal wells significantly reduces the number of wells required to efficiently produce the hydrocarbons contained in a subterranean reservoir. These savings accrue as a result of reduced capital and operating costs for developing and producing a mineral bearing subterranean formation. For an excellent summary of the art and advantages of producing a subterranean reservoir using horizontal wells, see:
Butler, R. M., “The Potential for Horizontal wells for petroleum production”, Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, May-June 1989, Volume 28, No. 3, pp.39-47;
Deskins, W. G, Reid, T. B. and McDonald, W. J., “Success of Horizontal Well Technology in Heavy Oil Applications”, 6
th
UNITAR International Conference on Heavy Crude and Tar Sands, Feb. 12-17, 1995, Houston Tex., USA, Volume 1, pp. 495-503; and
Thakur, G. C., “Horizontal Well Technology—A Key to Improving Reserves”, paper delivered at the SPE/CIM 5
th
Annual One-day Conference on Improvement in Horizontal Well Productivity and Profitability, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Nov. 21, 1995.
A hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation is usually developed and produced through wells formed from locations on the surface of the earth overlying such formation. It is well known that the use of horizontal wells can reduce the number of wells required to accomplish such development and production which in turn, can correspondingly reduce the number and areal extent of well sites and access roads required to form and support such wells. As a result the cost and environmental impact of developing and producing a hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation can be reduced.
It is well known in the art that a subterranean reservoir containing hydrocarbons or other valuable substances which are fluid in nature or may be reduced to or carried in a fluid, can be produced efficiently through a network of horizontal well-bores. A means of exploiting and producing substances contained in a subterranean reservoir through a network of horizontal wells is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,691 to Shuh. However the method taught by Shuh requires that each horizontal well be drilled from a separate well site, and completed, equipped and operated as a separate individual well.
As improvements in technology have facilitated the drilling of horizontal wells of increasing length and at shallower depths, further reductions in the environmental impact and economic cost of developing a subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir have been achieved by drilling multiple horizontal wells from the same well site or drilling “pad” (see Sadler, K. W. and Houlihan, R. N. “An Energy Resources Conservation board Review of Oil Sands Development in Alberta, 6
th
UNITAR International Conference on Heavy Crude and Tar Sands, Feb. 12-17, 1995, Houston Tex., USA, Volume 1, p.
95-103
, at pp.101 & 102). In these instance the well-bore of each well drilled from the pad is characterized by having its own vertical, build and horizontal sections. The vertical section lies approximately perpendicular to the surface of the earth from which the well is formed. The horizontal section lies approximately parallel to the surface of the earth. The build section is the portion of the well-bore which connects the horizontal section and the vertical section. Although multiple well-bores may be formed from a single well site, frequently each well-bore is completed, equipped and operated as a separate individual well. By completing, it is meant that steps are taken to prevent: (i) the collapse of the well-bore, (ii) the infiltration of substances into the well-bore from formations other the target formation, (iii) the ex-filtration of substances from the well-bore into formations other the target formation, and (iv) the uncontrolled escape of substances from the subterranean formations penetrated by the well-bore. By equipping, it is meant that steps are taken to prepare the well-bore to be used to inject or produce substances, into or from the subterranean formation, as the case may be. This includes the placing of pumps, production or injection tubing and other equipment into the well-bore and the installation and connection of tanks, pumps, surface piping or other equipment at surface on the well site and to the well-bore as the case may be.
To overcome the need to complete and equip each well formed from a pad site, advances in the art discloses the forming of multiple well-bores from a single vertical shaft and the apparatus required to form, operate and maintain such multiple well-bores. This allows more of the reservoir to be accessed from a single well site using a network of multiple horizontal well-bores that share a common vertical section. This further reduces the amount of surface disturbance. The size of the well site required to support multiple horizontal well-bores formed and operated in this fashion, may be smaller than the well site required to form and operate a similar number of horizontal well-bores formed from individual vertical sections. See:
Maurer, W. C., “Recent Advances in Horizontal Drilling”, The Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, Nov. 1995, Volume 34, No. 9, pp. 25-33.
Brockman, M. and Gann, C., “Multilateral Completions Prepare to Take Off”, Petroleum Engineer International, January 1996, pp. 49-50.
Themig, D., “Planning And Evaluation Are Crucial To Multilateral Wells”, Petroleum Engineer International, January 1996, pp. 53-57.
Collins, D., “Single-Size Reduction Offers Workover, Completion Advantages”, Petroleum Engineer International, January 1996, pp. 5942.
Von Flatern, R., “Operators Are Ready For More Sophisticated Multilateral Well Technology”, Petroleum Engineer International, January 1996, pp. 6549.
Sperry-sun Drilling Services Brochure “Horizontal Drilling; Multilateral and Twinned Wells”, copyright 1993, Sperry-Sun Drilling Services Inc.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,901 to Piso et al
U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,279 to Driver
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U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,592 to Vakhnin et al
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U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,945 to Ayler et al
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U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,239 to Ayler et al
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U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,485 to Goddhart
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U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,936 to McNair et al
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U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,429 to Thompson
U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,177 to Jordan Jr. et al
U.

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