The Optimization of the Length of Horizontal Wells for Bottom Water Reservoir Conditions

Abstract

The effect of length of horizontal production well on breakthrough oil recovery in reservoirs with bottom water conditions when water is flooded through a vertical well is studied with ECLIPSE100 (black oil simulator) as a function of several properties. It was found that as the horizontal well length increases, the breakthrough oil recovery rises and then falls indicating an optimum well length. The effect of reservoir properties, such as permeability, bottom water thickness, reservoir thickness, and viscosity of oil, and operating conditions, such as injection rate and injection well length, on breakthrough oil recovery were studied and explained on the basis of approach of interface between swept and un-swept zones to the production well.

Keywords:

• bottom water conditions
• breakthrough oil recovery
• coning
• cresting
• horizontal wells
• water flooding