Sidetrack Lateral Wellbore EOR Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods become uneconomical for deep, long lateral wellbores and are limited by surface access constraints, making it difficult to recover stranded oil efficiently in deep tight oil reservoirs.
Innovation Solution
The method involves drilling sidetrack or branch lateral wellbores from a cased and cemented main lateral wellbore, perforating, stimulating, and producing hydrocarbons before injecting EOR flood fluid down an annulus to mobilize and recover stranded oil, allowing for a 'clean sweep' of the production zone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional EOR methods are used with multiple spaced-apart injection bores, then oil recovery effectiveness is improved, but drilling cost and complexity increase significantly for deep production zones
Solution Approach 1:
The wellbore is divided into multiple laterals (main lateral and sidetrack laterals) that extend into different zones of the reservoir. Each lateral can be independently perforated and stimulated to access different oil-bearing zones, effectively segmenting the recovery process spatially while using a single vertical wellbore structure
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from horizontal spacing of multiple wells at surface level to vertical stacking of multiple laterals within a single wellbore. By drilling sidetrack laterals at different angles and depths from the same vertical wellbore, the system accesses reservoir volume in three dimensions without requiring additional surface footprints
2Productivity
If multiple spaced-apart injection bores are drilled for deep production zones, then EOR coverage is improved, but surface access requirements and environmental constraints are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The system resolves surface area constraints by moving the multiplication of access points from the horizontal dimension (multiple surface locations) to the vertical dimension (multiple laterals within one wellbore). The single well pad serves as the sole surface access point while multiple laterals extend into the reservoir at different angles and depths
3Reliability
If packers are used to isolate injection zones from production zones in the same wellbore, then zone isolation is improved, but the method is limited to relatively short lateral bores
Solution Approach 1:
The wellbore system is segmented into multiple independent laterals, each capable of being perforated and stimulated separately. This segmentation allows long lateral bores to be divided into manageable sections that can be isolated and treated independently, overcoming the limitations of packer-based isolation in single laterals
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic control of zone isolation through selective perforation and stimulation of different lateral sections at different times. Rather than relying on static packer placement that limits lateral length, the system can dynamically activate different lateral segments as needed, effectively extending the treatable lateral length
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the recovery of more stranded oil from long lateral wellbores, extending the production life and improving oil recovery efficiency without the need for multiple spaced-apart wells, thus overcoming the limitations of traditional EOR methods.
Implementation Method 1
injecting EOR flood fluid under pressure and recovering mobilized oil mixed with the flood fluid
Data Source
AI summary
Enhanced oil recovery is practiced in long lateral wellbores by drilling at least one of a sidetrack lateral wellbore end a branch lateral wellbore from the main lateral wellbore. After production of the sidetrack lateral wellbore or the branch lateral wellbore, EOR flood fluid is pumped info the at least one of the sidetrack lateral wellbore and the branch lateral wellbore and recovered hydrocarbons and EOR flood fluid are produced from the main lateral wellbore, or vice versa.