Technology

In the VERTIZONTAL SYSTEM, conventional drilling and production techniques are used; with a combination of wells providing many advantages over single conventional vertical or individual horizontal wells.

In the VERTIZONTAL SYSTEM, “one or more horizontal wells are drilled in conjunction with an existing or newly drilled well such that the horizontal well or wells intersect or terminate in close proximity of the existing or newly drilled vertical well or a vertical well is drilled is drilled such that it intersects or penetrates the producing formation in close proximity of an existing or newly drilled horizontal wellbore”.

For those fields, which have experienced extensive reservoir pressure depletion with insufficient energy to sustain economic production, the application of the VERTIZONTAL SYSTEM could be of particular benefit.

Application of the VERTIZONTAL SYSTEM in existing fields results in substantial savings in operating and capital costs as existing access roads, locations, flow lines and production facilities can be used. Delineation and subsequently drilled vertical and horizontal development wells could be incorporated as part of the VERTIZONTAL SYSTEM.

In conventional horizontal wells or those that have been drilled as re-entries from existing wells, mechanical problems during the drilling and production operations could be costly.  In the VERTIZONTAL SYSTEM, since the downhole pumping equipment is located in the interconnected vertical wellbore, downtime can be minimized. The horizontal wellbore produces in the opposite direction with gravity and acts as a producing well and an underground flow line.

Enhanced recovery techniques can be applied in fields or selective areas of fields, which utilize the VERTIZONTAL SYSTEM.  The horizontal wellbore is available for quantitative and qualitative productivity surveys while on production. These surveys then can be used to determine sources of fluid productivity nessessary for remedial stimulation and workover programs.  The horizontal well can temporarily be isolated from the interconnecting vertical wellbore and utilized for injection purposes in enhanced recovery schemes such as water and solvent flooding. 

Enhanced recovery done via the VERTIZONTAL SYSTEM of alternating injection and producing well pairs would greatly increase reserves recovery. In the VERTIZONTAL SYSTEM the production of water is seriously curtailed as the coning of wells is minimized and in some cases healed when the pressure drop is spread over the longer length (surface area) of the horizontal wellbore.

The VERTIZONTAL SYSTEM has the added advantages over conventional horizontal wells in that the field life can be extended through the use of existing facilities, which will translate into substantial cost savings!