KOC’s Multilateral Drilling Project Improves Production & Reduces Costs

• This type of drilling has six levels; with the first being the simplest
• The most important benefits of this technology include protecting surface areas and reducing environmental pollution.
• Five teams from Reservoir Studies, Fields Development, and Well Surveillance are participating in this project.

Kuwait Oil Company continues to work on improving production rates at the lowest possible cost by adopting the latest and most effective working methods and technologies. In this context, since 2018 the Company has started work on a multilateral drilling project, which helps protect surface areas in addition to raising the level of production.

In order to become acquainted with this project, which has great importance and many benefits for the Company, we met with Sabri Abdel Aziz Abdel-Jawad, Senior Geologist from the Reservoir Studies Team.

Abdel-Jawad said that Multilateral Drilling Technology is one of the most complex challenges in the oil sector. Since 2018, this idea began with directives from senior officials to develop areas in North Kuwait, with a particular emphasis on Sabriya and Rawdatain fields. These fields were selected for several reasons, the most important of which is that the two fields are the largest in North Kuwait in terms of production capabilities.

According to Abdel-Jawad, more than 2,500 wells were drilled, in addition to the construction of the existing infrastructure, which led to congestion of the surface area of the two fields and lack of sufficient space to drill new wells and create additional infrastructure. Therefore, new work commenced in order to discover new methods that help to provide new surface areas in addition to raising production levels. To realize this goal, an integrated work team was formed from various professional departments to study the feasibility of this technology, which took between four and six months.

Abdel-Jawad explained that the multilateral technique is a multi-branch horizontal well drilling technique (the mother well + multiple branches), which allows the use of a surface area sufficient to drill several wells instead of drilling one well, and all branches can be in the same layer or different layers. He emphasized that this type of drilling has six levels, the first one is the simplest type in terms of the drilling method and activating the well until it connects to the production line. If the level is higher, the challenges become more complex, so work is mainly conducted on the first level, as it does not require additional equipment or tools.

He added that this technology was adopted to develop reservoirs with lower quality characteristics in porosity and permeability and which have similar characteristics to shale oil. He also pointed out that the most important benefits of this technology include the provision of surface areas that can be used to drill new wells or build additional infrastructure. It also increases production by increasing the contact area of the reservoir with the wellbore and the branches connected to it, and reduces environmental pollution by limiting the movement of cars used during drilling operations until delivery of the well to production and reducing the drilling fluid flow.

Abdel-Jawad said KOC employees have quickly and cooperatively utilized this technology with positive outcomes. All worked as one team, and all difficulties were overcome and alternative solutions were found to meet any challenge, starting from the feasibility study through the implementation process until the well was delivered to production, and this was done under the leadership of Team Leader Reservoir Studies (NK) Moudi Al-Ajmi.

He pointed out that one of the most important difficulties faced by the team during the work was determining how to design and implement the drilling of a horizontal multi-branch well (the mother well + multiple branches). Other considerations included how to exit from the mother well to each new branch and reach the targeted layers of a few thicknesses that do not exceed 18 feet in layers with varied characteristics and complex geological structures, at underground distances of up to 9,000 feet. Drilling between a far surface distance until the arrival of the reservoir at a specific angle and direction consistent with the nature of the reservoir composition and its geological composition was also considered, in addition to providing the necessary materials for drilling and how to stimulate and activate the well until it is connected to the production line. These challenges were addressed professionally and with high efficiency and degrees of success, and the results can be used as case studies for similar work at other wells.  

Abdel-Jawad said that they applied the first level of MLT drilling in Al-Sabriya and Rawdatain fields at the Mauddud Reservoir by drilling only two branches from each mother-well. Then these results were used and applied in an advanced manner in Al-Sabriya field of the Lower Tuba Reservoir, and three branches of the mother-well were drilled. He added that the results were very encouraging in terms of reducing the cost by 30% of the actual value as well as increasing production from 4 to 5 times compared to traditional drilling.

He pointed out that the initial results of this project showed its importance in terms of contributing to the development of similar reservoirs, especially in the Bahra Field of the Mauddud Reservoir, which is the next target, stressing that the lessons learned from previous experiences will be applied in the future. He also commended the support of KOC's senior leadership in implementing this project, adding that KOC's higher management provided the teams with full support and technical and logistical directives, through weekly and monthly reports. Work was also conducted to remove all challenges faced by the team, starting from the feasibility study through the implementation process until the well was in production.

Abdel-Jawad also talked about the teams and entities involved in this project, namely the Reservoir Studies Team (NK), Al-Sabriya Fields Development Team, the Development Drilling & Workover Team X, Rawdatain Fields Development Team, the Well Surveillance Support & Engineering Team, and Shell, KOC's partner in the project. Shell works alongside the Field Development Group (NK) to develop Al-Sabriya and Rawdatain fields under a long-term contract of 10 years (ETSA).

He explained that this technology will help to increase the drilling of a larger number of wells with its various applications. In turn, it will contribute to increasing production at the lowest cost, which leads to the realization of the Company's 2040 Strategy.

Al-Ajmi: results were impressive

In conclusion, TL Reservoir Studies (NK) Moudi Al-Ajmi praised the spirit of cooperation that existed between her team and the Sabriya Field Development Team, Rawdatain Field Development Team, New Fields Development & Bahra Team, in addition to the Drilling Teams and Well Surveillance Teams. She also commended the cooperation which exists with Shell International, which played a role in the implementation of the Multilateral Technology project in the Sabriya and Rawdatain Fields. KOC has benefitted from the drilling and development expertise associated with the wells, with the implementation of similar work set to take place at the Maudud Reservoir in Bahra Field.

Al-Ajmi also thanked KOC's senior leadership for the support they have given to this project, which began in 2018. She noted that the results have been impressive, especially for reservoirs with lower quality characteristics with features similar to high-cost shale oil. The use of this technology has contributed to increasing production by a factor of four while reducing the cost by 30% compared to conventional drilling.

The Reservoir Studies Team Leader then emphasized that her team, in cooperation with other relevant teams, is constantly searching for ways to further develop and adopt the latest technologies and best practices. At the same time, the team is also working to increase production with greater efficiency in order to realize the goals of KOC's strategic objectives.