Predicting Undulating Well Performance (2007)

Predicting Undulating Well Performance R. Kamkom; R. Kamkom Texas A&M University Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar D. Zhu; D. Zhu Texas A&M University Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar A. Bond A. Bond Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Anaheim, California, U.S.A., November 2007. Paper Number: SPE-109761-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/109761-MS Published: November 11 2007 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Kamkom, R., Zhu, D., and A. Bond. "Predicting Undulating Well Performance." Paper presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Anaheim, California, U.S.A., November 2007. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/109761-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition Search Advanced Search Abstract Undulating wells are one of the alternatives to horizontal wells in field developments for extremely low vertical permeability formations. Undulating wells offer higher reservoir exposure and they do not depend on vertical permeability as much as horizontal wells do. This makes undulating well trajectory sometimes more attractive than horizontal wells.Although undulating wells have been used in the field, predicting and understanding well performance is still a challenge. In the past, we have presented an analytical model that uses a segmented vertical well model with a slanted skin factor to estimate undulating well performance. The analytical model works well under certain formation and well structure conditions. In this paper, we will present a more comprehensive model for undulating well performance. The model evaluates undulating well performance in a parallelepiped reservoir based on a line source solution. The well can be located anywhere in the reservoir. The result is also compared with the previously developed analytical model to identify the conditions that the analytical model can be applied.Field examples are used in the paper to illustrate optimizing undulating well performance by the model. The Cosmopolitan Field, Cook Inlet Alaska, and the Oooguruk Field, North Slope Alaska, are planned for development with undulating horizontal wells. Both reservoirs are challenged with relatively low permeability, low kv/kh ratios and moderate viscosity oil. Undulating horizontal wells are needed to overcome these issues and deliver commercial production rates. The performance model developed in this study demonstrated the additional value of an undulating well over a conventional horizontal well, which provided a key support in well design and field development plan. Keywords: production control, flow in porous media, inflow performance, well performance, drilling operation, production monitoring, Directional Drilling, Well Productivity, well trajectory, well height Subjects: Drilling Operations, Well & Reservoir Surveillance and Monitoring, Reservoir Fluid Dynamics, Formation Evaluation & Management, Directional drilling, Flow in porous media, Well performance, inflow performance Copyright 2007, Society of Petroleum Engineers You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.