What is a multilateral well?

A multilateral well is a well with two or more laterals (horizontal, vertical, or deviated) drilled from a main mother well. This allows one well to produce from several reservoirs. Multilateral wells are suitable for complex geology where drilling more new wells to penetrate to those reservoirs is not economical.

Why multilateral wells are better than typical horizontal wells?

In general, multilateral wells perform better than single horizontal wells. The incremental production over single horizontal wells is in general greater than 70%. This advantage is because multilaterals provide greater reservoir contact in low-productivity reservoirs.

What is meant by well completion?

Well completion is the process of making a well ready for production (or injection) after drilling operations. After a well has been drilled, should the drilling fluids be removed, the well would eventually close in upon itself.

How are multilateral wells drilled?

Multilateral drilling is a new technology developed after directional drilling, sidetrack, and horizontal drilling. The technology can increase oil-drainage area, improve oil well production, and greatly reduce reservoir development cost through drilling several lateral wells in one borehole.

What is Multilateral well completion?

Multilateral completion systems allow the drilling and completion of multiple lateral boreholes within a single mainbore. This allows for alternative well-construction strategies for vertical, inclined, horizontal, and extended-reach wells. Multilaterals can be constructed in both new and existing oil and gas wells.

How is a horizontal well drilled?

Most horizontal wells are started by drilling a vertical well. After drilling down to the target rock, the pipe is pulled out of the well and a motor is attached to the drill bit. The motor is fuelled by a flow of drilling mud down the drill pipe, rotating the bit without rotating the entire pipe.

What are horizontal wells?

A horizontal well is a type of directional drilling technique where an oil or gas well is dug at an angle of at least eighty degrees to a vertical wellbore. 1 Operators use it to retrieve oil and natural gas in situations in which the shape of the reservoir is abnormal or difficult to access.

What is the main purpose of well completion?

Well completion is a series of steps–depending upon the completion method–performed after the drilling and casing phase, that enable to well to produce hydrocarbons. The primary goals are to stimulate the well to maximize production, and running tubing to enhance the well’s lifespan and ease of maintenance.

What is are the advantages of multilateral drilling?

A successful multilateral well that replaces several vertical wellbores can reduce overall drilling and completion costs, increase production and provide more efficient drainage of a reservoir. Furthermore, multilaterals can make reservoir management more efficient and help increase recoverable reserves.

Why is horizontal drilling bad?

Horizontal drilling in the Marcellus shale involves large volume hydraulic fracturing, which poses a number of risks to aquatic species and habitats. This type of hydraulic fracturing requires about five million gallons of water per well, with 1-3 wells per pad.

How many horizontal wells have been drilled?

Hydraulically fractured horizontal wells have accounted for most of all new wells drilled and completed since late 2014. As of 2016, about 670,000 of the 977,000 producing wells were hydraulically fractured and horizontally drilled.

What are multilateral well completion systems?

How do I file a well completion report in California?

Submit a Well Completion Report California Water Code Section 13751 requires that anyone who constructs, alters, or destroys a water well, cathodic protection well, groundwater monitoring well, or geothermal heat exchange well must file with the Department of Water Resources a report of completion within 60 days of the completion of the work.

How do you prepare for a multilateral well bore project?

Prepare selective access and multiple kickoff points for current and future sidetracks and multilateral wellbores. Benefits of multilateral technology can be enormous. Field development plans define well counts required to drain the reservoir―often with significant technical constraints and uncertainty.

How do I get a copy of my well report?

California Water Code Section 13752 allows for the release of copies of well completion reports to governmental agencies and to the public. DWR has redacted the personal information from the approximately 800,000 reports on file. They are available online at no charge via a web mapping application here: