| dc.description.abstract | Extended Reach Drilling (ERD) presents significant challenges in hydraulic
management and efficient hole cleaning, which can limit the horizontal reach of the
well. This study is based on the question of the technical limits of ERD drilling.
The objective is to conduct a hydraulic sensitivity analysis of the added lateral
length to assess operational efficiency and determine the maximum reach that can
be achieved with current equipment capabilities. In this study, a hydraulic
simulation method using Wellplan software was used to examine six lateral
extension scenarios (HD ratio of 2:1 to 6.5:1) in the NBT-059 well. Each scenario
was assessed for feasibility based on key operational constraints, including
maximum pump pressure (5,000 psi), flow rate to clean the hole, and Equivalent
Circulating Density (ECD). The results showed that narrowing by increasing the
lateral length decreased the maximum achievable flow rate. The analysis showed
that increasing the lateral length led to a decrease in the maximum achievable flow
rate, which narrowed the operational window significantly from 144 GPM in the
2:1 HD scenario to 5 GPM in the 6:1 HD scenario. The 6.5:1 HD scenario was
considered infeasible because its maximum flow rate (245 GPM) was below the
minimum flow rate to clean the hole (249.51 GPM) and the required circulation
pressure (5,002.96 psi) exceeded the rig capacity due to the narrow operational
window. | en_US |
