METHOD OF COMPLETING AND PRODUCING LONG LATERAL WELLBORES

摘要

Long lateral wellbores are prepared for the production of hydrocarbons by preparing only a portion of the wellbore for production at a time, starting at a remote end of the long lateral wellbore. The prepared production section is produced until production becomes uneconomic before a further production section is prepared and produced.

主权项

1. A method of producing hydrocarbons from a cased and cemented long lateral wellbore, comprising:
preparing a first production section at a furthest reach of the long lateral wellbore for production, the first production section having a length of less than a total length of the long lateral wellbore; producing hydrocarbons from the first production section until production from the first production section is exhausted or no longer commercially viable; setting a plug in an unperforated interval of the casing of the long lateral wellbore to plug off the first production section of the long lateral wellbore; preparing a next production section of the long lateral wellbore for production, ensuring the unperforated interval between the first and the next production sections is at least one casing joint in length; producing hydrocarbons from the next production section until production from the next production section is exhausted or no longer commercially viable; if hydrocarbons have not been produced from the entire long lateral wellbore, plugging off the next production section of the long lateral wellbore; and repeating the steps of preparing a next production section and producing from the next production section until an entire length of the long lateral wellbore has been prepared for production and produced until production from the long lateral wellbore is exhausted or no longer commercially viable.