CONSIDERING WELLBORE FRICTION EFFECTS IN PLANNING HORIZONTAL WELLS

This paper analyzes the importance of friction pressure loss within the completed section of horizontal wells under some reservoir conditions. We studied the phenomena both analytically and experimentally with subsequent implementation in a commercially available 3D, three-phase reservoir simulaton model. This paper outlines criteria based on simulation studies for selecting appropriate dimensions for horizontal wells under different reservoir conditions and presents a field example from the Troll field, where these results were applied during the planning of a horizontal test well.