DRILLING AND

COMPLETION METHODS
Naturally Fractured Reservoirs
Roberto Aguilera
Servipetrol Ltd.

KEYS (GOALS) TO SUCCEED IN

MOST NATURALLY FRACTURED
RESERVOIRS:

Intercept the natural fractures

Do not damage the natural
fractures

HOW TO ACHIEVE THESE

GOALS?
Drilling wells that go
perpendicular to the natural
fractures
Drilling wells underbalanced. If
at all possible, avoid
overbalance drilling in naturally
fractured reservoirs

ADVANTAGES OF
UNDERBALANCED DRILLING
(Bennion et al., 1998)

Potential reduction in invasive formation

damage
Minimize the potential for circulation
losses
Minimize the potential for sticking
differential
Eliminate need for costly mud systems
and costly disposal of exotic muds (we
have to be careful with the environment)

ADVANTAGES OF
UNDERBALANCED DRILLING (2)
Reduce extensive and expensive
completion and stimulation operations
Rapid indications of productive zones
during drilling operations
Economic benefits from flush production
while drilling underbalanced
Potential to flow test while drilling
Increase bit life. Larger ROP

DISADVANTAGES OF
UNDERBALANCED DRILLING
Wellbore stability and consolidation
concerns
Safety and well control concerns in high
pressure or sour environments
Increased drilling costs
Inability to use MWD technology
(partial)

DISADVANTAGES OF
UNDERBALANCED DRILLING (2)
Failure to maintain a continuously
underbalanced condition resulting in
significant invasive damage because of
periodic overbalanced pressure pulses
due to: (1) pipe connections, (2) bit
trips, (3) localized depletion effects, (4)
poor knowledge of initial pressure
Spontaneous countercurrent imbibition

COMPLETIONS
PERFORATED VS. OPEN HOLE
COMPLETIONS
CLASSIFY RESERVOIR ACCORDING
TO FRACTURE STORATIVITY
RESERVOIR OF TYPE A, B, or C

Total
Porosity,

Chart for Evaluating Naturally Fractured Reservoirs (mb = 2.0)

4

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

1.9

1.8

v=0.05
v=0.10

Dual-Porosity Exponent, m

1.7
v=0.20

1.6

v=0.30
v=0.40

1.5

v=0.50
v=0.60

1.4

v=0.70

v=0.80
v=0.90

1.3

1.2

1.1

1
0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15
Matrix Porosity, b

0.20

0.25

0.30

COMPLETIONS
FORMATION DAMAGE INCREASES
SIGNIFICANTLY AS WE MOVE FROM TYPE
A TO TYPE C RESERVOIRS
PERFORATED COMPLETIONS::
TYPE A AND B RESERVOIRS
OPEN HOLE COMPLETIONS:
TYPE B AND C RESERVOIRS
TYPE C RESERVOIRS PLUS CEMENT CAN
LEAD TO MAJOR FIASCOS

PERFORATING DAMAGE
Shock stresses resulting from detonation
during jet perforating can cause
deformation of the rock surrounding each
perforation tunnel
This in turn can seal a fracture where it
intersects a perforation (laboratoty work)
(Halleck, 1996)

So a stimulation might be required

following a perforating job

MULTIPLE HYDRAULIC
FRACTURES
These are hydraulic fractures that grow
simultaneously from a wellbore and penetrate
far into the formation during a fracture treatment
The presence of natural fractures will lead to
more complex systems of multiple hydraulic
fractures, especially when the created hydraulic
fracture intersects the natural fractures
(Gas Research Institute)

Hydraulic fracturing process

Micro-fracture stress measurement

ADVANTAGES OF HORIZONTAL
WELLS
INTERCEPTING OR AVOIDING NATURAL
FRACTURES
HIGHER AND MORE RAPID RECOVERIES
BY DRILLING INFILL HORIZONTAL WELLS
BETTER RESULTS IN SECONDARY
RECOVERY PROJECTS
REDUCTION OF GAS AND WATER
CONING
REDUCTION OF SAND PRODUCTION
PROBLEMS

ADVANTAGES OF HORIZONTAL
WELLS (2)
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
LOW PERMEABILITY RESERVOIRS AS
THE HORIZONTAL WELL APPROACHES
THE IDEALIZED CONDITION OF INFINITE
PERMEABILITY
REDUCE TURBULENCE IN GAS (AND OIL)
RESERVOIRS
RESERVOIRS WITH PARALLEL DIPPING
BEDS

DISADVANTAGES OF
HORIZONTAL WELLS
MORE EXPENSIVE THAN VERTICAL
WELLS
CAN PENETRATE DUE TO
IMPROPER DESIGN (OR
ACCIDENTALLY) UNWANTED PARTS
OF THE RESERVOIR OR
COMPARTMENTS WITH
UNDESIRABLE FLUIDS

SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS
IN PRODUCTIVITY