THE U LATERAL INFORMATION WEBSITE

U lateral, or horseshoe lateral, information is hard to find, and E&P companies are not sharing their experiences. The economics for using U laterals in stranded sections can be the difference between profitable development and releasing a section.

U laterals provide a 25-40% increase in ROR compared to development with single mile laterals in stranded sections based on drilling, completions and facilities costs and production in the Delaware Basin. Drilling a U lateral will save $3.5 to $4.0 million compared to drilling two one-mile laterals. If you have stranded sections, U laterals uncover lost value.

This website discusses the recent history of U laterals, has a sortable/searchable table of over 40 U laterals drilled in the United States in eight basins, incorporates the directional survey/directional plans for these existing U laterals, and reveals the economics that make U laterals and important development tool in stranded sections.

My first development project took a year to plan. The G&G team must distinguish subsurface hazards that will make drilling the turn difficult and identify zones that minimize risks. For drilling operations, planning includes T&D modeling for drilling and running casing, drill pipe selection, TDS selection and directional vendor selection. The geosteering team has to be prepared for the geometrical complexity of drilling around the turn. For completions operations, drag modeling is required for wireline operations and coil tubing drill-out operations. In all phases of the development, the key to success is good people that quickly react to trouble to keep operations on track.