As operators search for strategies to drill and complete wells more efficiently, the mantra of “longer is better” has swept over the Permian Basin. The idea of contacting as much reservoir area as possible from a single wellbore has sparked the initiative to increase lateral lengths and challenge the limitations of modern drilling techniques in the basin.
Drilling a single wellbore that covers the same length of reservoir as two shorter laterals has numerous efficiency gains for drilling operations, but comes at the cost of increased torque and drag impacts along the wellbore. Overcoming these impacts to justify the economics of these extended reach wells was a goal for Laredo for the better part of two years, and we continue to pursue options to optimize long lateral drilling in the Midland Basin. Novel changes to well design have allowed the successful completion of more than one dozen wells extending beyond 15,000 feet vertical section with no wholesale changes to standard operations.