This multidisciplinary study is dedicated to an integrated approach to formation evaluation while drilling. The article focuses on the important issue of mitigating risks associated with the design and construction of horizontal wells. This work summarizes practical experience of logging while drilling (LWD) methods, results of well site cuttings analysis and points up the need to use seismic data in the field development stage for horizontal well planning and geosteering while drilling. The analysis was conducted using data from two fields located on the Frolov NGO territory. Their geology is characterized by low gross thicknesses, thin interbeddings of sandstone and siltstone, high compartmentalization, low permeability, presence of zones with poor reservoir properties and block structure of the fields. Development of comlex reserves required a detailed geological model of the reservoir indicating high risk zones where faults meet. When drilling through thin formations it is critical to ensure accurate wellbore placement with the geological structure in mind in order not to exit the reservoir. The article shows the potential of using advanced methods and technologies enabling optimum wellbore placement within the oil reservoir. This approach will be of interest to specialists in horizontal wells design and construction. The integrated approach to drilling and minimizing risks of reservoir exit can be applied to any field being developed.
"How do we reduce the cost of producing a barrel of oil and improve well productivity?" This is probably the most frequently asked question by operators. According to a US Energy Information Administration study, average drilling and completion costs in 2015 in five major unconventional plays in the US dropped 25 to 30% since 2012. Despite an overall price drop in drilling and completion, which accounts for up to 65% of capital expenditure, unconventional oil and natural gas extraction remains non profitable for many operators at current oil prices. Increasing well productivity often requires well intervention with expensive logging tools and high-tech equipment. The use of these technologies is cost prohibitive for some unconventional plays during a market downturn, and incurs the additional risk of the loss of tools downhole. Drill cuttings analysis during mud logging, a well-known formation evaluation tool in conventional drilling, is often overlooked or ignored in unconventional well evaluation because of the limited data from conventional techniques. However, with the development of advanced drill-cuttings analysis such as scanning electron microscope-based automated mineralogical techniques can now provide data-rich information such as brittleness, rock elastic properties and rock typing that can improve completion design and post-stimulation production. One of the main advantages of drill cuttings is that they are readily available and advanced analysis is relatively inexpensive and low-risk. This paper reviews the use of advanced drill cutting analysis (ACA) for hydraulic fracture treatment design optimization in well 1-H in the Wolfcamp formation. The results from the review show the correlation between some formation properties obtained from the ACA and fracture treatment parameters such as treating pressure and pump rate. The post-fracture oil production of well 1-H is compared to the offset geometrically completed well. Limitations of ACA and other factors that can affect the post-stimulation production are also discussed.
Optimizing a hydraulic fracture stimulation in a horizontal well requires an understanding of the petrophysical properties, and the near-wellbore and far-field stresses along the entire lateral. Such reservoir characterization is normally developed from a geomechanical and petrophysical analysis using wireline or logging-while-drilling services that include acoustic and borehole-image logs. Unfortunately, economic considerations often inhibit or preclude complete characterization, especially in the current economic climate. An affordable and convenient alternative for reservoir characterization is to use commonly recorded data, such as drilling mechanics and steering information, to provide a gross characterization. Adding a comprehensive drill cuttings analysis provides insight into rock texture, mineralogy, and rock properties along the entire length of the lateral that is not available from the nominal real-time services. When performed in real time, such studies help ensure that the well stays on-target and within in the pay zone. Such information can later augment the reduced data sets to improve the completion strategy and hydraulic fracture design. This paper describes a case study of a 4-well fracturing campaign in the lower Cleveland sand in Ellis County, Oklahoma. The objective of this project was to compare the completion and production from geometrically stimulated wells against an equal number of wells with an engineered optimization plan. The basic information included drilling data, steering information, and a basic mud and gas log. The optimization on the two engineered wells included an advanced drill cuttings analysis that provided rock texture, mineralogy, and rock properties along the entire length of the lateral. In addition, the drill cuttings were evaluated by a rock laboratory for fluid sensitivity. The results of this study show a significant improvement in the hydraulic fracturing treatment results. The engineered fractured completions were 70% faster— in particular eliminating screenouts that affected operations in one of the geometrically designed wells. The design process is described and has been extended to include the results of the drill cuttings analysis, and incremental results from fracture operations. These are correlated with the plan wells, and a comparison of the available production data is included in the final evaluation of the technique. The lower Cleveland sand was amenable to using this reduced data set for fracture optimization, and this method may be applicable to similar formations.
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