World's First MRC Window Exits Out of Solid Expandable Open-hole Liner in the Shaybah Field,Saudi Arabia

摘要

A well in the Shaybah Field was recently worked over by converting the existing 1-km horizontal section to MRC (maximum reservoir contact)well with a total reservoir contact of 18,443 ft.The objectives of the workover program were to improve well productivity by maximizing the reservoir contact as well as to install solid expandable liner as a conduit for downhole flow control system in the future. The original horizontal section was first extended by 6,462 ft, before running expandable liner.Installing a 1,008 ft 5-1/2" expandable liner in near horizontal section encountered considerable difficulties in this well,first with liner stuck,then experiencing stuck expansion cone during the final stage of liner expansion.After these problems were finally overcome, top of expanded liner was successfully pressure tested.Two laterals were sidetracked successfully out of the expandable liner(Lateral-1=4,615 ft and Lateral-2=7,366 ft)to access additional flow contribution from the reservoir. This paper describes the experiences and lessons learned from hole preparation,running and expanding expandable liner, window exits of expandable liner,and subsequently drilling two 5-1/2"laterals.