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Productivity prediction model and optimal configuration of herringbone
multilateral well
CAI Ming (蔡明) 1,2 , YIN Hongjun(尹洪军) 1,2 , ZHONG Huiying(钟会影) 1,2 , FU Chunquan(付春权) 1,2
1. Accumulation and Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas,
State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base Jointlyconstructed by Heilongjiang Province and the
Ministry of Science and Technology (Northeast Petroleum University), Daqing 163318, China;
2. Key Laboratory of Enhanced Oil and Gas Recovery of Ministry of Education
(Northeast Petroleum University), Daqing 163318, China
© Central South University Press and SpringerVerlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Abstract: In order to accurately predict the productivity of herringbone multilateral well, a new productivity prediction model was
founded. And based on this model, orthogonal test and multiple factor variance analysis were applied to study optimization design of
herringbone multilateral well. According to the characteristics of herringbone multilateral well, by using pressure superposition and
mirror image reflection theory, the coupled model of herringbone multilateral well was developed on the basis of a threedimensional
pseudopressure distribution model for horizontal wells. The model was formulated in consideration of friction loss, acceleration loss
of the wellbore and mixed loss at the confluence of main wellbore and branched one. After mathematical simulation on productivity
of the herringbone multilateral well with the coupled model, the effects of well configuration on productivity were analyzed. The
results show that lateral number is the most important factor, length of main wellbore and length of branched wellbore are the
secondary ones, angle between main and branched one has the least influence.
2.3 Coupled model
The following coupling relationships are made for
the couple model.
1) Volumetric flow balance
Fig. 2 Oil mixed in herringbone multilateral well In the nonconvergence of the section, keep a
According to the mass conservation theory, balance between the mainstream flow rate at the end of
considering the loss of oil mixture, the equation is every section and the inflow rate from reservoir:
N
8 f j r (Qi2 + Q 2 j )
pw,j +1 - pw, j = Dl j + p n +1 = Fq n +1 (21)
π 2 D 5
J. Cent. South Univ. (2013) 20: 770-775 773
where pwf is the pressure at the heel of main horizontal borehole. So, the ends of main borehole show less
wellbore, which is assumed to be known. From the initial interference and higher inflow rate. The confluence of
value p 0 = [pwf, pwf, ×××, pwf] being started, the new main borehole and branched one which has the strongest
pressure vector and the radial flow rate vector are interference shows the lowest inflow rate. Similarly,
obtained by the iterative forms until the changes of p, q various parts of branched wellbore can be analyzed.
were less than a certain value, that is Figure 4 shows the distribution of mainstream flow
along the wellbore. As shown in Fig. 4, the influx rate
max qijn +1 - q ij n < e1
1£i £ M ,1 £ j £ N increases along the oil flow direction, and the wellbore is
(22)
max pijn +1 - pij n < e 2 variable mass flow. At the confluence of main borehole
1£i £ M ,1 £ j £ N and branched one, the flow of main borehole jumping
increases since oil of branched wellbore flows into the
4 Mathematics simulation main borehole.
Fig. 5 Effect of angel between main and branched wellbore in
Fig. 3 Distribution of inflow rate along wellbore productivity
774 J. Cent. South Univ. (2013) 20: 770-775
In order to study the effect of lateral number and length, the more the number of branches, the greater the
well configuration in productivity of herringbone drainage area of herringbone multilateral well. And the
multilateral well, nine different well configurations were herringbone multilateral well with heteronomous
designed. As shown in Fig. 6, main borehole length and branches which have lower interference shows greater
branch length are 400 m and 150 m, respectively, and productivity.
angel between main and branched wellbores is 45°. The
productivity of different well configurations are listed in 5 Optimal design method for productivity
Table 2. The results show that productivity of
herringbone multilateral well continuously increases with In order to fix the most important factor influencing
the increase of lateral number, and in the same lateral the productivity of herringbone multilateral well,
number, the productivity of herringbone multilateral well orthogonal test [14-15] and multiple factor variance
with heteronomous branches is the maximum. This is analysis [16-17] were applied.
because in certain main borehole length and branch There were four major factors in productivity of
herringbone multilateral well, such as length of main
wellbore, length of branched wellbore, lateral number
and angle between main wellbore and branched one.
Choosing four levels for each factor and applying the
orthogonal experiment design, the productivity
optimization model was founded.
The tests based on L16 (4×4) orthogonal test table,
were arranged productivity of herringbone multilateral
well was regarded as detecting index, and the factor
influencing the productivity would be assessed. The
design plan parameters are listed in Table 3, and the
Fig. 6 Different herringbone configurations
simulation results are displayed in Table 4 and Fig. 7,
where mi(i=1, 2, 3, 4) represent the average productivity
Table 2 Productivity of different herringbone configurations
at the ith level and R represents the range f mi .
(m 3 ∙d −1 ) According to above analyses, lateral number is an
important factor for productivity of herringbone
Lateral Homolateral Heteronomous Symmetric
multilateral well, and then the length of main wellbore.
No. branch branch branch
Productivity of herringbone multilateral well of plan 13
1 26.498 — — and plan 16 are more than other plans. Variance analysis
2 31.975 32.154 31.789 of an orthogonal experiment is arranged according to the
3 36.965 37.722 — orthonormal theory, as listed in Table 5, where Ii
4 41.168 42.901 42.32 (i=1,2,3,4) represent the sum of productivity divided
Table 3 Orthogonal experiment design
Length of main Length of branched Lateral No. Angle between main wellbore Productivity/
Factor level No.
Wellbore (A)/m Wellbore (B)/m (C) and branched one (D)/(º) (m 3 ∙d −1 )
1 200 100 1 15º 13.342
2 200 120 2 30º 18.986
3 200 140 3 45º 26.642
4 200 160 4 90º 36.679
5 300 100 2 45º 22.756
6 300 120 3 90º 30.270
7 300 140 4 15º 29.882
8 300 160 1 30º 21.469
9 400 100 3 15º 27.297
10 400 120 4 30º 35.435
11 400 140 1 45º 26.035
12 400 160 2 90º 34.352
13 500 100 4 45º 39.049
14 500 120 1 90º 30.647
15 500 140 2 15º 32.623
16 500 160 3 30º 41.986
J. Cent. South Univ. (2013) 20: 770-775 775
Table 4 Intuitional analysis mixture loss at the confluence of main borehole and
Parameter A B C D branched one. It presents real situation in wellbore.
m1 23.912 25.611 22.873 25.786
3) Orthogonal test and multiple factor variance
analysis are applied to study optimization design of
m2 26.094 28.835 27.179 29.469
herringbone multilateral well. The results show that the
m3 30.780 28.796 31.549 28.621 effects of lateral number and length of main wellbore on
m4 36.076 33.622 35.261 32.987 the productivity of herringbone multilateral well are
R 12.164 8.011 12.388 7.201 more significant than length of branched wellbore and
angle between main wellbore and branched one.
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(Edited by DENG Lüxiang)