Production Improvement by "Radial Drilling" - Selection Criteria and Application for OMV Austria E&P

To maximize the productivity of a well, production enhancing technologies have to be applied. Especially in mature fields, radial drilling can be an economically feasible alternative to conventional technologies applied in OMV Austria E&P. This thesis gives a complete overview on the application of radial drilling. First, the underlying principles of inflow performance and formation damage are reviewed to provide a basis for the understanding how radial drilling can increase a well’s productivity. In addition, a review on current state-of-the-art production enhancing technologies is made to compare radial drilling to those methods. A technical elaboration on radial drilling and a literature review on published results, as well as results of some other European operators are stated to introduce the reader to radial drilling technology. Well selection criteria and a selection process are established in order to identify wells, which benefit the most from a treatment with radial drilling. A decision matrix complements the selection of the most appropriate method for production enhancement and to provides the ability to compare radial drilling to similar technologies. In addition, a simulation methodology is developed to simulate the effect on well productivity and provide a basis for economic considerations. A chapter on HSSE considerations completes the picture on radial drilling. The thesis concludes with the two main objectives: „ A well selection process to quickly find the most suitable candidates for radial drilling „ A candidate pool of 10 wells for a pilot program to test this technology within OMV Austria E&P including an economic evaluation