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Horizontal wells have become the preferred option of many operators for the development of liquid hydrocarbon reservoirs of all types, including heavy oil. Horizontal wells have indeed been used successfully in many heavy oil applications to achieve increased productivity and recovery while minimizing total costs, as well as to exploit resources that would be impractical or difficult to access with vertical wells. However, industry experience has also shown that horizontal wells have not performed nearly as well as expected in many cases. This can be attributed to a number of different factors related to the reservoir setting and the design, construction and operation of the horizontal wells.
The presentation provides further background and insight to a number of these factors in relation to both primary and thermal recovery from heavy oil reservoirs including geology, foamy oil behavior, drilling and well completion effects, horizontal well inflow, flow losses, solids production, water breakthrough and artificial lift challenges. Field data and experience from Canadian and Venezuelan heavy oil operations are used to illustrate the significance of these various factors.
A brief overview of the SPE and the services/benefits available to members will also be provided following the technical presentation and questions related to SPE will be welcome.
Speaker Bio
Cam Matthews is a C-FER Technologies Fellow, with over 35 years of experience as an engineering consultant and researcher in oil and gas. He is responsible for conducting advanced engineering investigations and organizing research and development programs related to challenges faced by operators in drilling and completions and production operations. Matthews holds BS and MSc degrees in civil engineering. He has written many technical papers, coauthored a chapter on PCP systems in the SPE Petroleum Engineering Handbook, and taught related short courses. He holds five patents on novel drilling and production processes. Matthews currently serves as the SPEI Regional Director for Canada and on the SPE Canada Board of Directors.
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