Directional and Deep Logging While Drilling Technology Reduces Geological Uncertainties and Allows Optimum Horizontal Well Placement

Silva, Augusto Carvalho¹, Jose Cavero², Cory Labatte³, Rene Mensias⁴, Johny Tapia³, Gavino Espinel³, Luis Chiluiza³, Gustavo Hermosa³, German Guerra³ (1) SPE, SPWLA, Quito, Ecuador (2) N/A, Lima, Peru (3) N/A, Quito, Ecuador (4) N/A, Quito,

The current oil market price and the need to improve recovering of the existent reserves provide extremely encouraging arguments for the search of technology to maximize production results.

Operators around the world are looking for technology resources that could open new possibilities to improve the return on investment in their wells.

In many cases, conventional vertical or deviated drilling methods do not provide the best application to maximize the zone of interest exposition to drainage.

Horizontal drilling is often perceived as one of the best possibilities to maximize reservoir drainage under better drawdown conditions. Although, reservoir complexity and uncertainties are often considered to be a blocker for the proposition of horizontal wells.

A novel well placement technology developed by Schlumberger* allows the prediction of orientation and distance to reservoir boundaries or fluid contacts. This technology provides 360° azimuthal capability, which gives the ability for optimum 3D real time geosteering.

The application of this new logging while drilling service in a horizontal well in Ecuador, for Andes Petroleum Limited, brought a new perspective for horizontal drilling in a high uncertainty geological scenario.

The service permitted successful horizontal drilling with accurate mapping of reservoir boundaries, keeping a safe distance from OWC.

It enables the recovering of important attic oil volumes in reservoirs with strong effect of water influx, where vertical or deviated wells often present very low performance with respect to Oil-Water rate.

The service proved to be effective on reducing geological uncertainties related to reservoir depth positioning, thickness and resistivity response. Additionally, it brought an important contribution in the reduction of drilling costs and risks by eliminating the need of pilot holes.