Analytical and semi-analytical methods for modeling liquid inflow to a horizontal well (review)

Abstract

The efficiency of using horizontal drilling technology largely depends on a number of factors, including the geological structure of the productive formation, fracturing, anisotropy, heterogeneity, porosity, and permeability. This necessitates the design of the process of oil inflow to the horizontal section of the well. The article presents analytical and numerical methods used in modeling liquid inflow to horizontal and multilateral wells. The main attention is paid to taking into account the anisotropy of reservoir permeability, the trajectory of the horizontal wellbore and hydraulic pressure losses due to friction.

Keywords

• horizontal well
• calculation of inflow
• working sections of the horizontal wellbore
• permeability anisotropy
• hard-to-recover oil reserves