Horizontal Gravel Packs Successfully Deployed in Trinidad's First Multilateral Well — Planning, Implementation, and Remedial Strategies

AbstractThis paper discusses the first multilateral well drilled in Trinidad and the unique integration of techniques that allowed sand control procedures to be implemented as well. The well was recently drilled and completed in the 759 area of the northern Soldado Field, offshore Trinidad in approximately 60 feet of water. A multilateral completion was selected over conventional well construction to horizontally access heavy-oil reserves in the Forest 4B and 4C sands, located at true vertical depths of 3850- and 4000-ft respectively. Since the formation parameters included poorly sorted, non-uniform formation characteristics, the completion would have to employ some method of sand control.This well represents several "firsts" for this area as it not only represents the first multilateral well in Trinidad but also is the first in the area that integrates sand control into a multilateral.After reviewing many possibilities, horizontal openhole gravel-pack technology had been selected to provide sand-exclusion. A TAML 4 multilateral well junction was selected originally because it offered a cemented junction with full casing-drift access across the mainbore/lateral interface. When sand was encountered above the junction area, a completion workover was required to convert the existing TAML 4 multilateral junction into a TAML 5 to gain pressure integrity across the junction area.The paper will present the initial planning, special considerations, methods for implementation of horizontal gravel pack into multilateral technology, and finally, the rework operation later required for junction conversion.