Development of Small-Size Heavy-Oil Field with Innovative Technology

Abstract

TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractExploration and development of Heavy oil fields in Muglad Basin in Northern Africa started with conventional vertical wells and as time progressed this matured into drilling of horizontal and high angle wells.Typically drilling challenges in this area include drilling of very reactive shale's, shallow kick off depths and high build rates. Unconsolidated sandstones and interbedded shale's are sensitive to mud weight and are prone to lost circulation.First few horizontal wells were drilled with traditional technology of positive displacement motor with Silicate mud. Many of these wells faced hole cleaning challenges leading to pack off -excessive back reaming and stuck pipe incidences, uneven build rates via sliding in interbedded formation leading to high borehole tortuosity. It is significant to note that due to these difficulties one of the planned horizontal wells was sidetracked thrice after stuck pipe incidences and finally completed as a 30 deg deviated well with an AFE over run of 300%.