Drilling Sideways -- A Review of Horizontal Well Technology ... - EIA

Contents
Highlights ............................................................ vii
1. Introduction ....................................................... 1
Definition and Immediate Technical Objective ................................ 1
Drilling Methods and Some Associated Hardware .............................. 1
Some New Terminology ............................................... 3
The Essential Economics of Horizontal Drilling ............................... 4
The Cost Premium ................................................. 4
Desired Compensating Benefits ........................................ 4
2. History of Technology Development and Deployment ......................... 7
Halting Steps ....................................................... 7
Early Commercial Horizontal Wells ....................................... 7
The Recent Growth of Commercial Horizontal Drilling .......................... 8
Types of Horizontal Wells and Their Application Favorabilities .................... 8
Short-radius Horizontal Wells ......................................... 8
Medium-radius Horizontal Wells ....................................... 9
Long-radius Horizontal Wells ......................................... 9
Attainable Length of Horizontal Displacement ................................ 9
The Completion of Horizontal Wells for Production ............................ 10
Well Logging and Formation Testing .................................... 10
Wall Cleanup and Well Stimulation ..................................... 10
Open Hole Completion .............................................. 11
Cased Completion ................................................. 11
Casing ....................................................... 11
Cementing .................................................... 11
Packers ...................................................... 12
Perforations and Liners ........................................... 12
Current Domestic Applications ........................................... 13
"Chalk Formations" ................................................ 13
Other Applications ................................................. 15
Source Rock Applications ......................................... 15
Stratigraphic Trap Applications ..................................... 16
Heterogeneous Reservoirs ......................................... 16
Coalbed Methane Production ....................................... 16
Boosting Recovery Factor ......................................... 17
Fluid and Heat Injection Applications ................................. 17
Multiple Objectives ............................................. 18
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Drilling Sideways -- A Review of Horizontal Well Technology and Its Domestic Application