Recovery From A Hydrocarbon Reservoir

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for improving production of hydrocarbon resources. A method for improving recovery from a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir includes drilling a well comprising a horizontal segment through a reservoir interval and installing a pipe string in the horizontal well segment, wherein the pipe string comprises a plurality of screen assemblies. Each of the plurality of screen assemblies is located and a hole is drilled in the pipe string at a portion of the plurality of screen assemblies. Each hole is drilled at a desired orientation to a radial axis of the drill string.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for improving recovery from a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir, comprising:
 drilling a well comprising a horizontal segment through a reservoir interval;   installing a pipe string in the horizontal well segment, wherein the pipe string comprises a plurality of screen assemblies;   locating each of the plurality of screen assemblies; and   drilling a hole in the pipe string at a portion of the plurality of screen assemblies, wherein each hole is drilled at a desired orientation to a radial axis of the drill string.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 drilling a plurality of injection wells through the reservoir interval; and   drilling a plurality of production wells through the reservoir interval.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising determining locations for the plurality of screen assemblies from reservoir data. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the reservoir data comprises geologic data, seismic data, open hole log data, or any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising identifying the portion of the plurality of screen assemblies at which to drill the hole. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 identifying a hole that has failed in a screen assembly;   plugging the hole; and   drilling a new hole.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising:
 drilling a first size of hole in each of the plurality of injection wells; and   drilling a second size hole in each of the plurality of production wells.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising increasing a flow area in the pipe string at a screen assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , comprising drilling additional holes at a screen assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising locating the screen assembly using a gamma ray tool. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising locating the screen assembly using a density detector. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising locating the screen assembly using a profile segment of pipe installed at a known location in a pipestring. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising orienting the drilled holes vertically downward. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising orienting the drilled holes within about 20° of vertically downward. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising drilling a hole in at least one of the plurality of screen assemblies after production has commenced. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising plugging a hole by squeezing cement into the hole. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising plugging a hole using a low profile casing patch. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising plugging a hole using a scab liner. 
     
     
         19 . A system for improving the recovery of resources from a reservoir, comprising:
 a reservoir;   a horizontal well drilled through the reservoir, wherein the horizontal well comprises a plurality of pipe joints that have a screen assembly mounted thereon;   a detection apparatus configured to locate a screen assembly on a pipe joint; and   a drilling device configured to drill a hole in a pipe joint at a selected orientation to the vertical.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , comprising two horizontal wells, wherein one horizontal is an injection well and a second horizontal well is a production well. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein a portion of the plurality of pipe joints that have a screen assembly have a hole drilled in the pipe joint underneath the screen assembly. 
     
     
         22 . A method for harvesting hydrocarbons from an oil sands reservoir, comprising:
 drilling a steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) well pair through the oil sands reservoir;   placing a pipe string in each of the wells of the SAGD well pair, wherein the pipe string comprises a plurality of screen assemblies, and wherein the pipe string has no holes prior to placement;   selecting a portion of the screen assemblies at which to drill holes in a base pipe underneath the screen assembly;   drilling the holes at a selected orientation to the radial axis of the base pipe;   injecting steam into an injection well in the SAGD well pair; and   producing fluids from a production well in the SAGD well pair.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , comprising:
 identifying a screen assembly that has failed;   determining the reason for the failure; if the failure is due to a hole failing:   drilling a new hole under the screen assembly; and, if the failure is due to the screen assembly failing:   plugging the hole under the screen assembly; and   drilling a new hole under a new screen assembly.