Systems and methods for positioning horizontal wells within boundaries

• US 9,286,437 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Colvin, Dan, Schottle, Gary Daniel, MacDonald, Colin, Woodard, Philip William
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/635,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20130073209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,192 Days
• Field of Search: 702 11- 13, 702182-185, 702/188
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/00 Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2406 Steam assisted gravity drainage [SAGD]
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/30 Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimising the spacing of wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/305 comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/002 Details, e.g. power supply systems for logging instruments, transmitting or recording data, specially adapted for well logging, also if the prospecting method is irrelevant means for transmitting well survey signals E21B47/12; signal transmission systems in general G08C; transmission in general H04B
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Systems and methods for positioning horizontal wells within a limited-pre-defined boundary. The systems and methods include an automated process for creating jointed target pairs or horizontal laterals to be utilized for planning horizontal wells in order to position the horizontal laterals within limited pre-defined boundary(ies).

Claims

1. A method for determining subsurface target locations within a predetermined boundary, which comprises:

selecting a reference well within the predetermined boundary;

computing an azimuth and an offset distance based on a point at a total depth for the reference well;

creating a line that is perpendicular to the azimuth and passes through a center location of the predetermined boundary;

creating a point on the line at a maximum distance from the center location within the predetermined boundary;

creating a series of points along the line beginning at the offset distance from the point on the line and passing through the center location until reaching twice the maximum distance, each point in the series of points being separated from another point in the series of points by a well spacing distance; and

computing a list of heel/toe pairs for each point in the series of points using a computer processor and adding the list for each point in the series of points to a collection of lists comprising heel/toe pairs as each list is computed, the collection of lists representing the target locations within the predetermined boundary.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein computing the offset distance comprises:

computing an initial offset distance based on the point at the total depth of the reference well; and

subtracting the well spacing distance from the initial offset distance until the initial offset distance is less than the well spacing distance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the initial offset distance comprises a distance between the point and another point.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the another point represents an intersection between the line and another line that vertically passes through the point at the total depth of the reference well.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating subsurface targets for horizontal wells using the collection of lists.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined boundary is based on a maximum extent for a project area.

7. A non-transitory program carrier device tangibly carrying computer executable instructions for determining subsurface target locations within a predetermined boundary, the instructions being executable to implement:

selecting a reference well within the predetermined boundary;

computing an azimuth and an offset distance based on a point at a total depth for the reference well;

creating a line that is perpendicular to the azimuth and passes through a center location of the predetermined boundary;

creating a point on the line at a maximum distance from the center location within the predetermined boundary;

creating a series of points along the line beginning at the offset distance from the point on the line and passing through the center location until reaching twice the maximum distance, each point in the series of points being separated from another point in the series of points by a well spacing distance; and

computing a list of heel/toe pairs for each point in the series of points and adding the list for each point in the series of points to a collection of lists comprising heel/toe pairs as each list is computed, the collection of lists representing the target locations within the predetermined boundary.

8. The program carrier device of claim 7, wherein computing the offset distance comprises:

computing an initial offset distance based on the point at the total depth of the reference well; and

subtracting the well spacing distance from the initial offset distance until the initial offset distance is less than the well spacing distance.

9. The program carrier device of claim 8, wherein the initial offset distance comprises a distance between the point and another point.

10. The program carrier device of claim 9, wherein the another point represents an intersection between the line and another line that vertically passes through the point at the total depth of the reference well.

11. The program carrier device of claim 7, further comprising creating subsurface targets for horizontal wells using the collection of lists.

12. The program carrier device of claim 7, wherein the predetermined boundary is based on a maximum extent for a project area.

13. A method for determining subsurface target locations within a predetermined boundary, which comprises:

a) selecting an azimuth range comprising at least one predetermined azimuth;

b) selecting an offset distance range comprising at least one predetermined offset distance;

c) creating a line that is perpendicular to at least one predetermined azimuth within the azimuth range and passes through a center location of the predetermined boundary;

d) creating a point on the line at a maximum distance from the center location within the predetermined boundary;

e) creating a series of points along the line that begin at the at least one predetermined offset distance within the offset distance range from the point and pass through the center location until reaching twice the maximum distance, each point in the series of points being separated from another point in the series of points by a well spacing distance;

f) computing a list of heel/toe pairs for each point in the series of points and adding the list for each point in the series of points to a collection of lists comprising heel/toe pairs as each list is computed;

g) repeating c)-f) for each predetermined azimuth within the azimuth range and for each predetermined offset distance within the offset distance range; and

h) determining the best collection of lists representing the target locations within the predetermined boundary.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein selecting the azimuth range comprises selecting a minimum azimuth and selecting a maximum azimuth.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the azimuth range comprises the minimum azimuth, each azimuth separated by an increment between the minimum azimuth and the maximum azimuth, and the maximum azimuth.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the minimum azimuth is equal to the maximum azimuth.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the offset distance range comprises zero and each offset distance separated by another increment between zero and the well spacing distance.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one predetermined offset distance is zero.

19. A non-transitory program carrier device tangibly carrying computer executable instructions for determining subsurface target locations within a predetermined boundary, the instructions being executable to implement:

a) selecting an azimuth range comprising at least one predetermined azimuth;

b) selecting an offset distance range comprising at least one predetermined offset distance;

c) creating a line that is perpendicular to at least one predetermined azimuth within the azimuth range and passes through a center location of the predetermined boundary;

d) creating a point on the line at a maximum distance from the center location within the predetermined boundary;

e) creating a series of points along the line that begin at the at least one predetermined offset distance within the offset distance range from the point and pass through the center location until reaching twice the maximum distance, each point in the series of points being separated from another point in the series of points by a well spacing distance;

f) computing a list of heel/toe pairs for each point in the series of points and adding the list for each point in the series of points to a collection of lists comprising heel/toe pairs as each list is computed;

g) repeating c)-f) for each predetermined azimuth within the azimuth range and for each predetermined offset distance within the offset distance range; and

h) determining the best collection of lists representing the target locations within the predetermined boundary.

20. The program carrier device of claim 19, wherein selecting the azimuth range comprises selecting a minimum azimuth and selecting a maximum azimuth.

21. The program carrier device of claim 20, wherein the azimuth range comprises the minimum azimuth, each azimuth separated by an increment between the minimum azimuth and the maximum azimuth, and the maximum azimuth.

22. The program carrier device of claim 21, wherein the minimum azimuth is equal to the maximum azimuth.

23. The program carrier device of claim 19, wherein the offset distance range comprises zero and each offset distance separated by another increment between zero and the well spacing distance.

24. The program carrier device of claim 23, wherein the at least one predetermined offset distance is zero.