At present, the design of the field surface facilities and selection of pad locations would normally ignore the complexity of the well paths, specific conditions of the rock penetration by drilling and geological constraints, which later leads to high costs during the placement of these facilities and the amplification of well profiles [1]. The article discusses the options how to reduce well construction costs on the example of the field located in the Komi Republic.
The objective was to reduce unproductive penetration during the development drilling in the Permo-Carboniferous reservoir with the significant reserves of super-viscous oil, which is located in the northern part of the Komi Republic by optimizing the location of the well pads, while considering the existing limitations and keeping the consistent well pattern in relation to the production facilities. The development and operation of the reservoir revealed that pumps were installed in the highly curved sections of the wells and confirmed the unproductive penetration due to long horizontal departures. The paper includes calculations for two options of grid density and provides their results. The authors defined the best location of well pads and optimum drilling sequence for each option, considering the existing capabilities for construction of the wells, which will be located at these facilities. The authors conducted analysis of the measures to be taken to prevent well-bore intersection and feasibility study of the asset, however, they failed to get the positive net present value. They re-calculated the pads where project wells will be located to reduce the drilling rig capacity. This approach led to the adjustments in well design, higher complexity of their paths and, as a consequence, to the increase in the construction costs, leaving the net present value negative. Due to repeal of the benefits for super-viscous oil production, at present time the scenario involving full penetration of the considered reservoir is not accepted.

OPTIMIZATION OF PAD LOCATION, WELL PATH OPTIMIZATION, COSTS REDUCTION, PERMO-CARBONIFEROUS RESERVOIR, SUPER-VISCOUS OIL

P.I. Klykov¹, e-mail: Pavel.Klykov@pnn.lukoil.com;

A.N. Fedorov¹, e-mail: Aleksej.Fedorov@pnn.lukoil.com;

A.E. Freze¹, e-mail: Aleksandr.Freze@pnn.lukoil.com;

O.V. Garshina¹, e-mail: Olga.Garshina@pnn.lukoil.com;

I.A. Pastukhov¹, e-mail: Ivan.Pastukhov@pnn.lukoil.com


¹ PermNIPIneft – branch of LUKOIL-Engineering LLC (Perm, Russia).

Klykov PI, Fedorov AN, Freze AE, Garshina OV, Pastukhov IA. Optimization of well construction costs at the design stage of field development. Oil and Gas Territory [Territorija “NEFTEGAS”]. 2024; (5–6): 16–21. EDN: ZQRXDM. (In Russian)