New rotating, self-aligning system enables cost-efficient construction of extended-reach multilateral completions
Baker Oil Tools has achieved the first successful installation of a new rotating, self-aligning multilateral (RAM) system on Alaska’s North Slope. The RAM system is the industry’s first tool that can continuously rotate liners and screens into extended-reach lateral bores while simultaneously landing multilateral junctions.
“On Alaska’s North Slope, extended-reach multilateral wells are necessary to ensure maximum contact with trapped oil pools. The RAM System enables operators to efficiently construct long, horizontal multilaterals, a major technical challenge,” said Alex Ortiz, wellbore construction manager for Baker Oil Tools. “The RAM system is an evolutionary tool based on our HOOK Hanger™ and FORMation Junction™ technologies.”
On the North Slope, a major operator found that improving recovery from the sand horizon just below the permafrost (3,000 ft depth) required extended-reach multilaterals with horizontal departures of more than 5:1 ratios and liner lengths of more than 8,000 ft. Continuous rotation was necessary to get the drill pipe and liner to total lateral depth in these long horizontal sections.
The RAM system was used to land two multilateral junctions and simultaneously rotate liners to bottom. Liner length of the upper lateral was 8,689 ft and total depth was 17,035 ft (3,212 ft TVD). All project objectives were met, resulting in the world’s first successful RAM multilateral system and providing an economical option for developing the large viscous oil reserves in Alaska.
Baker Oil Tools, a division of Baker Hughes, is a world leader in well completion and intervention solutions. Baker Hughes is a leading provider of drilling, formation evaluation, completion and production products and services to the worldwide oil and gas industry.
Posted by Baker Oil Tools on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 17:59
Location Alaska
Category Company News Release
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