extended reach wells

Operators continue to look to prolific high-permeability, clastic reservoirs in basins around the world. The use of high-deviation and horizontal well trajectories in these fields improves productivity but increases the challenges of sand control.

Although early inflow control devices and intelligent completions (ICs) were introduced almost 20 years ago, completion technology has not kept pace with advancements in drilling technology.

A number of companies are pushing for alternative approaches to offshore development that seek to access marginal reservoirs. Their differing and unique ideas call for a departure from the usual playbook, but share a common goal of slashing capital costs.

Eight of the world’s 10 longest wells have been drilled by ExxonMobil as operator of the Sakhalin-1 project in Russia.