Selective Lateral

Re-Entry System
Since the mid-1990’s, short-radius- ing, and other CT interventions in Production and recovery maximiza-
horizontal-well technology has the lateral. tion requires that evaluation and
been used in mature Middle remedial-workover tools, such as
Eastern fields to maximize oil Incentives logging and CT acid stimulation,
recovery from existing wells. Because these fields are quite mature, can access the laterals. Drilling and
Although use of this technology has maximizing oil production and ulti- completion challenges in these fields
resulted in significant production mate oil recovery are key objectives of also require that new approaches to
increases, through-tubing access to these short-radius horizontal holes. achieve such objectives remain eco-
the short-radius lateral was not nomical. Also, it was
available. This problem has been important to use
solved by use of a selective lateral standard completion
re-entry system (SLRS). COMPLETION techniques and imper-
Multilateral/Extended Reach

TUBING
ative that convention-
Introduction al slickline and CT
Frequently, thin oil columns, 50 ft or UPPER
tools and techniques
TORQUE-LOCKED
thinner, are produced in these fields. COMPLETION PACKER be applicable.
ASSEMBLY
Most of these wells are in mature
areas where the water cut tends to be Design
high. These wells are vertical comple- The chosen system
tions, and many cannot sustain nat- allows through-tubing
ural flow because of the high access from the main
water cut. bore to a short-radius
A short-radius recompletion in- PREMILLED lateral section. The sys-
volves re-entering an existing well, WINDOW
JOINT
CASING WINDOW tem uses a torque-
opening a window through the cas- locked retrievable pro-
ing, then recompleting the well with a OPEN HOLE LATERAL duction packer and
horizontal lateral within 100 ft (later- SELF-LOCKING premilled window
al displacement) of the re-entry point. KEY joint run on drillpipe.
Typically, this technology is used in A wireline-retrievable
wells that contain zones with thin oil isolation sleeve pro-
columns in place but are no longer vides pressure integrity
able to flow because of high water between both sections
cut. Application of this technology of the wellbore during
has improved production rates and completion operations
reduced the water cut, thereby SEAL ASSEMBLY to ensure well control
increasing oil recovery. at all times. Once the
The new system allows lateral re- completion is landed
entry by use of wireline or coiled LOWER PACKER and the Christmas tree
tubing (CT). Use of isolation and flanged up, the isola-
commingling sleeves allows the tion sleeve can be
operator to control production from retrieved on slickline.
both the main bore and the lateral. Its retrieval allows for
Re-entry whipstocks (deployed by TAILPIPE
immediate communi-
wireline or CT) allow logging, acidiz- cation from the later-
al section.
This article is a synopsis of paper
SPE 59209, “A New Selective Lateral System
Re-Entry System,” W. Mark Development
Rivenbark, SPE, Halliburton Energy Packers previously
Services Inc., and Mohammed I. Al- used in both typical
Sowayigh, SPE, and Yousef A. Al- and multilateral com-
Furaidan, Saudi Aramco, originally pletions have no
presented at the 2000 IADC/SPE torque-through capa-
Fig. 1—Wellbore system with the upper seal assem-
Drilling Conference, New Orleans, bly stung into the torque-locked packer.
bility. The SLRS, how-
23–25 February. ever, requires that both

56
JUNE 2000
 the packer and its setting tool have depth, the window joint is oriented along with the premilled window
such capability. Also, the premilled and landed in the milled casing win- joint and a torque-locked retrievable
window joint must be able to pass eas- dow. The packer is set, and the packer. After stinging into the lower
ily through a liner top yet locate posi- completion is pressure tested. The packer and properly orienting the
tively and accurately in the milled cas- setting tool is released from the pack- window joint in the milled casing
ing window. For the SLRS, a premilled er and pulled from the borehole on window, the upper torque-locked
window joint incorporates a feature the drillstring. retrievable packer is set with pressure
that ensures proper orientation and applied through tubing.
location in the milled casing window. System Application In Step 3 (Fig. 1), the seal assembly
The re-entry whipstocks can be The installation of this equipment and production tubing are run and
installed with conventional slickline involves several critical steps. After the landed in the upper retrievable packer,
or CT tools and techniques. casing window is milled and the later- the system is tested, then the tree
The SLRS (including packer, win- al section drilled, the completion is installed.
dow joint, and isolation sleeve) is is installed. Step 4 involves retrieving the isola-
run as a single assembly. Once on Step 1 involves setting the tailpipe tion sleeve from the premilled win-
assembly on a permanent production dow joint by use of slickline tools. In
packer with a hydraulic setting tool in Step 5, the tubing-exit whipstock is
the main wellbore below the previous- run in the borehole on slickline and
ly cut exit window. Then, the assem- set in the premilled window joint. An
bly is pressure tested to ensure pres- orienting guide on the whipstock
Multilateral/Extended Reach

sure integrity of the lower permanent interfaces with the sleeve to orient the
packer. In Step 2, the seal assembly for whipstock in the direction of the
the lower packer is run in the hole milled casing window.
As Fig. 2 shows, Step 6 involves
running CT into the lateral section to
perform remedial work as required.
After completing CT operations, the
whipstock is removed by use of either
CT or slickline. At this point, the iso-
lation sleeve can be installed to close
off the lateral section (Fig. 3) or, if left
COILED TUBING out, production can be commingled
from the main and lateral sections.

Future Plans
To date, operations in these fields have
been successful, leading to plans to
ISOLATION SLEEVE
install two SLRS’s in a single well. This
WHIPSTOCK design will allow independent access
to two lateral sections of the well in
addition to the main bore. However,
the design will require that the tubing-
exit whipstock and the isolation sleeve
pass through an upper window and
locate in the lower window.

Summary
This system allows through-tubing
access to both the main and lateral sec-
tions of the wells, enabling the opera-
tor to meet operational and economi-
cal objectives. Operations in these
fields are encouraging the use of mul-
tiple SLRS-technology applications in
the same well. JPT
WIRELINE
MEMORY GAUGES

Please read the full-length paper for

additional detail, illustrations, and ref-
erences. The paper from which the
Fig. 2—Coiled tubing run into the Fig. 3—Isolation sleeve installed to synopsis has been taken has not been
lateral. produce only the main wellbore.
peer reviewed.

58
JUNE 2000