The lateral tie-back system: The ability to drill and case multiple laterals
A system has been developed for new wells to achieve greater reservoir exposure by allowing multiple lateral wellbores to be drilled and cased from a single primary wellbore. The Lateral Tie-Back System (LTBS{trademark}) described in this paper allows all of the laterals to be cased, providing a complex interconnection of individual production liners, with total wellbore integrity. The system increases reservoir exposure even beyond the dramatic improvement offered by a single horizontal well. Multiple laterals may be drilled at virtually any predetermined depth in a new vertical, directional or horizontal wellbore and at any time during the productive life cycle of the well. The system also allows quick re-entry into all laterals for well servicing and workovers. A prototype system was successfully field tested in cooperation with CS Resources Limited in a shallow, unconsolidated sand formation where a definite correlation has been established between horizontal reservoir exposure and increased production. This provided an excellent opportunity to test the advantages of the Lateral Tie-Back System. The system provides a new opportunity to significantly reduce overall drilling and casing costs for the development of entire fields. Its application to date has been in horizontal wells that require slotted liner completions. This paper reviews the development and use of the first Lateral Tie-Back System. Additional developments and future advances of this technology are presented which will adapt to a broader range of applications.
- OSTI ID:
- 269559
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9502114--Vol.1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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