Horizontal well drilling is now a well established technique with growing popularity for exploiting a number of reservoirs which would otherwise be noncommercial. However, a horizontal well requires a substantial engineering work compared to conventional directional drilling. Significant advances in drilling technology have made it possible to drill horizontally in almost any situation by using very specialized tools. But some inherent weakness to this technique still exist, like casing design. Most of the reported horizontal wells are completed with open hole or slotted linear. This type of completion is simple and inexpensive, but may not furnish enough support to the walls of the well to allow for long well life. This book discusses easing design considerations for horizontal wells. It addresses the type and nature of loads applied on casing strings set in horizontal wells; examples of these loads are torque and drag, formation subsidence, effect of perforations wells is also included. The goal of this project is to make the engineer or foreman aware of some problems and solutions available in drilling horizontal well operations that can have a major effect on well completion.

Marcellin Wakam - Student Researcher in Oil & Gas Well Engineering. Petroleum and Gas Engineer; HND telecommunications and networking.