In today's drive to improve well production, more innovative methods are continually being implmented to enhance well productivity and reservoir management. Remote monitoring and interactive control are two such methods that are more frequently employed to derive more value from wells. In Saudi Arabia, the world's first maximum reservoir contact (MRC) well, using Intelligent Well Systems and fiber-optic monitoring to maximize production performance was implemented. This paper discusses the implementation of remote monitoring and interactive control systems on Well-194, which was drilled as a tri-lateral MRC well with 4.2 km (2.61 mi) of total reservoir contact. The Intelligent Well System utilized feed-through production packers to isolate each of three laterals in the motherbore. Three remotely operated downhole chokes were installed to independently control flow from each lateral for the purpose of optimizing overall well production. This control extends the production plateau while maximizing reservoir drainage. The fiber-optic monitoring system enables remote monitoring of key production parameters, including pressure, temperature, total flow rate and water cut from each of the laterals, used to determine optimum downhole choke settings. Finally, the well was implemented as "ESP Ready" with 7″ tubing and a Deep-Set SCSSV to enable subsequent installation of a thru-tubing ESP to further improve production. Ultimately, this configuration resulted in a well capable of producing at a very high rate with low drawdown for an extended period of time. This strategy will result in a long-term sustained rate while optimizing the reservoir drainage process. This paper will review the lessons learned and key issues around implementing this type of "Next Generation" well completion system. MRC Well Overview The definition and benefits of MRC wells have been well defined1, however for the purpose of this paper a short description and application of this technology is important. In lower permeability carbonate facies environments, significantly extending wellbore reservoir contact yields significant enhancements in the well's Productivity Index. The length a single horizontal lateral can be drilled is limited by drilling constraints such as Torque and Drag as well as productivity issues around flowing back, cleaning up and getting significant production from excessively long horizontal wells. Multi-Lateral technology has been utilized to extend reservoir contact while not exceeding drilling and production constraints. Typically a MRC well consists of three or four single open hole laterals drilled from a single "Motherbore". Naturally, each single lateral acts as a single well with variances in permeability and productivity identified from lateral to lateral. Intelligent Well Systems can be installed in the motherbore of an MRC well to mitigate the risk associated from variances in reservoir parameters that can lead to early water breakthrough and poor ultimate recovery. In the case of Well - 194, the Intelligent Well System consisted of three separate downhole valves and monitoring stations that independently monitored the production rate and water cut from each lateral and then enables remote isolation of each lateral without intervention. (See Figure 1)

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TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractShort radius re-entries are very common in Saudi Aramco. Short radius is the fastest and generally most cost effective way to deliver reentry wells whenever vertical wells are converted into horizontal wells. A casing leak across Arab-C formations is a common problem in some onshore fields. Arab-C formation is a high-pressure water bearing zone. Arab-C is located right above the cap rock of the pay zone. When leaks develop, water starts to flow from the high pressure zone to the pay zone (downhole cross flow) and the well will stop producing oil. This paper will describe the use of expandable casing clad to repair wells with casing leaks across the high-pressure zone. In such wells, the leak was located across Arab-C in production liner. Then, the leak was squeezed off with cement. After that, the casing window was milled below the leak and a short radius curve section was drilled without penetrating the pay zone (Arab-D). Next, the expandable casing clad was utilized to enable drilling the low-pressure pay zone with low mud weight.Utilizing this technique enabled Saudi Aramco to drill short radius sidetracks while insuring integrity of the well, provide Geosteering in the pay zone and facilitate the option to run flow control/isolation systems. By drilling such wells as short radius re-entries, long radius sidetracks with open hole expandable liner option were avoided. Consequently, significant rig time and cost savings were achieved. After the success of this technique, short radius drilling was still carried out with wells that had casing leaks, and the leaks were stopped.