Effectiveness of a New Surfactant-Based Friction Reducer to Extend CT Reach in Openhole Completions-Case Histories from the Middle East

摘要

Maximizing hydrocarbon recovery by drilling longer horizontal sections or maximizing reservoir contact has presented many challenges to well interventions with coiled tubing (CT). In most cases, the architectural complexity of the wellbore has pushed CT interventions to their limits. The number of these complex wells has increased significantly in the Middle East in the past few years, especially in new field developments where water-injector wells with the above mentioned characteristics have been placed in the reservoir flanks. These water-injector wells are a perfect example of the completion complexity caused by a combination of large-bore tubular, lower reservoir pressure, and long, horizontal openhole sections. While preparing a stimulation campaign for water-injector wells on one of the above mentioned fields, because of the complexity of its wellbore architecture, the use of a mechanical assistant tool for CT, such as hydraulic tractors, was considered the only alternative to reach the entire wellbore. However, during the interventions of shorter horizontal sections, it was discovered that a new surfactant-based friction reducer could be used effectively to reduce the drag forces, significantly improving the CT reach. This paper describes cases histories where the use of a new friction reducer allowed the effective stimulation of openhole completions longer than 8,000 ft without using any additional mechanical tools.