Gravity Assisted Reservoir Drainage Systems and Methods

Abstract

Gravity assisted reservoir drainage systems and methods, which improve preexisting reservoir drainage systems and artificial lift methods using the interwell hydraulic communication that exists between closely spaced horizontal wells in certain fully developed leases completed with large multi-stage hydraulic fracture treatments in batch fashion.

1 . A gravity assisted reservoir drainage method, which comprises:
 drilling a new well between two preexisting horizontal wells, wherein each preexisting horizontal well is located within a respective stimulated reservoir volume created during its completion and which includes at least one non-overlapping hydraulic fracture and at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture fluidly connecting the two preexisting horizontal wells;   forming at least one of a perforation and a casing-to-casing well interception junction fluidly connecting the new well and at least one of the two preexisting horizontal wells;   draining hydrocarbon fluids with gravity assistance from at least one stimulated reservoir volume through the at least one non-overlapping fracture of at least one of the two preexisting horizontal wells, the at least one of the two preexisting horizontal wells, and the at least one of the perforation and the casing-to-casing well interception junction into a bottom of the new well; and   pumping the hydrocarbon fluids from the bottom of the new well to a surface.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising draining hydrocarbon fluids with gravity assistance from each stimulated reservoir volume through the at least one non-overlapping fracture and the at least one overlapping fracture of each preexisting horizontal well, the two preexisting horizontal wells, and the at least one of the perforation and the casing-to-casing well interception junction into the bottom of the new well. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two preexisting horizontal wells is shut-in at the surface. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the new well is longitudinally positioned proximate to a downdip bottomhole location of at least one of the two preexisting horizontal wells connected by the at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each stimulated reservoir volume includes a common upper formation interval and a common lower formation interval. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the new well includes cemented production casing, production tubing, and a pump positioned below the common lower formation interval. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each preexisting horizontal well is batch completed with staged-fracturing. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the new well is laterally positioned less than four feet from one of the two preexisting horizontal wells connected by the at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming a cross-well hydraulic fracture from the new well to enhance the fluid connection between the new well and the two preexisting horizontal wells. 
     
     
         10 . A gravity assisted reservoir drainage system, which comprises:
 a plurality of preexisting horizontal wells, wherein each preexisting horizontal well is located within a respective stimulated reservoir volume created during its completion and which includes at least one non-overlapping hydraulic fracture;   at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture fluidly connecting at least one of the plurality of preexisting horizontal wells to an adjacent one of the plurality of preexisting horizontal wells; and   a new well, wherein the new well is completed within a stimulated reservoir volume containing the at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture after completion of the plurality of preexisting horizontal wells and includes at least one of a perforation and a casing-to-casing well interception junction fluidly connecting the new well and at least one of the plurality of preexisting horizontal wells connected by the at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein each preexisting horizontal well is batch completed with staged fracturing. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein each preexisting horizontal well is centrally positioned within the respective stimulated reservoir volume. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the new well is laterally positioned less than four feet from one of the plurality of preexisting horizontal wells connected by the at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the new well is longitudinally positioned proximate to a downdip bottomhole location of at least one of the plurality of preexisting horizontal wells connected by the at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a new cross-well hydraulic fracture to enhance the fluid connection between the new well and the plurality of preexisting horizontal wells. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein each stimulated reservoir volume includes a common upper formation interval and a common lower formation interval. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the new well includes cemented production casing, production tubing, and a pump positioned below the common lower formation interval. 
     
     
         18 . A gravity assisted reservoir drainage system, which comprises:
 a plurality of preexisting horizontal wells, wherein each preexisting horizontal well is located within a respective stimulated reservoir volume created during its completion and which includes at least one non-overlapping hydraulic fracture;   at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture fluidly connecting tat least one of the plurality of preexisting horizontal wells to an adjacent one of the plurality of preexisting horizontal wells; and   a new well, wherein the new well is completed within a stimulated reservoir volume containing the at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture after completion of the plurality of preexisting horizontal wells and includes at least one of a hydraulic fracture and a perforation fluidly connecting the new well and at least one of the plurality of preexisting horizontal wells connected by the at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein each preexisting horizontal well is batch completed with staged fracturing. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein each preexisting horizontal well is centrally positioned within the respective stimulated reservoir volume. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the new well is laterally positioned between two respective preexisting horizontal wells connected by the at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the new well is longitudinally positioned proximate to a downdip bottomhole location of at least one of the respective preexisting horizontal wells connected by the at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the new well is laterally positioned between 5 feet and 220 feet from a cased section of at least one respective preexisting horizontal well connected by the at least one overlapping hydraulic fracture. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein each stimulated reservoir volume includes a common upper formation interval and a common lower formation interval. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the new well includes cemented production casing, perforations, production tubing, and a pump positioned below the perforations and the common lower formation interval.