Definition of Requirements and Selection Criteria for Multilateral Completions on the Norwegian Continental Shelf

Research output: ThesisMaster's Thesis

Abstract

Petroleum Engineers are confronted with declining production rates in almost all mature oil and gas fields and more and more technically and economically challenging prospects. A very successful method to reach up to these challenges is Multilateral Technology (MLT). A Multilateral (ML) well is a well with one or more horizontal or directional laterals drilled from a single main bore and connected back to the so called mother-bore. Nowadays a lot of ML wells are drilled and completed in Statoil ASA on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). However, there is no existing systematic approach or procedure to make decisions about the technical feasibility or solutions for the different MLT challenges. Neither general valid criteria or requirements for information needed in beforehand, nor a systematic rating is available today. Decision makers take the solution they have been using mostly or that worked properly the last time. This “experience-based” approach does not always have to be the best. As a result, the objective of this master thesis is to create an evaluation scheme that rates selection criteria and options for multilateral wells. Different required input criteria are defined and available technical systems for the construction of a ML junction are presented. The guideline is, at the request of Statoil, established in MS Excel. It is fed with experience data and maxima that have been achieved in Statoil. The user and/or engineer can fill in data of the actual project and will get feedback about the feasibility. The Decision Support Tool, as the name tells, gives support to the user. The result is an advice or recommendation for the solution of the given challenge. It also shows if technical challenges that are related or similar to the given ones have been faced successfully in the past. There are different schemes for different stages of progress. The later the planning phase, the more detailed information is required. The constructed guideline defines required information and due to the clearly defined input and the structure, it helps to evaluate a situation quicker and in a textured manner.

Details

Translated title of the contributionDefinition der Anforderungen und Auswahlkriterien für Multilaterale Bohrlochkomplettierungen am Norwegischen Kontinentalsockel
Original languageEnglish
QualificationDipl.-Ing.
Supervisors/Advisors
  • Ruyter, Rolf Erik, Supervisor (external), External person
  • Thonhauser, Gerhard, Supervisor (internal)
Award date25 Jun 2010
Publication statusPublished - 2010