Horizontal drilling used in gas storage programs

Horizontal wells may restore deliverability in old reservoirs and help efficiently develop new, porous-media, natural gas storage reservoirs. In many types of gas storage reservoirs, horizontal wells can have 5-10 times the productivity of vertical wells yet cost only about twice as much. The advantages of using horizontal wells in gas storage include the ability to develop less-favorable parts of the reservoir, fewer surface sites, less pipe and surface equipment, improved late season deliverability at low pressure, and reduced base gas requirements. Since 1990, the Gas Research Institute (GRI) has sponsored a project to increase the deliverability of the nation's 14,00 gas storage wells. The primary objective of the study is to conduct a comprehensive review of deliverability enhancement techniques, well completion methods, and procedures used by operators of underground natural gas storage fields in North America. Another objective is to design and construct a computer data base and compile reports and analyses in aggregated format. The first task of the project involved an assessment of the state of technology. The paper describes results from the gas storage survey; horizontal drilling technology; special considerations; and test results.