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Many mature oilfields have undrained reserves within 100 – 450m distance from low producing wells or wells that have been shut in due to high water content. Often these fields have depleted reservoir pressure necessitating the use of downhole pumps. Commonly reservoirs are constrained between the “cap rock” at the top of the oil and the OWC (Oil Water Contact) below the oil.

Conventional vertical drilling is one way to tap these reserves; conventional horizontal drilling is another way. Both involve using a relatively large drilling rig and, in the case of the latter, approaching from hundreds of meters away and high above the target zone, often requiring new casing to be installed.

Other technologies may be appropriate when the target reservoir is less than 100m from an existing well.

ERDS technology enables horizontal sidetrack boreholes to be drilled from existing vertical wells reaching horizontal as close as 12m distance from the “donor” well and then drilling out, using jointed pipe up to +/- 450m into the undrained reservoir pool/s.

It is this combination of the above two features that makes this technology totally unique in the world.

• Reservoirs that are less than 30m thick, but more than 12m thick between cap rock / seal and OWC. Outside these parameters is also possible but these are the optimum.

• Low reservoir pressure; a big benefit of ERDS is that pumps can be set as low as 12m above reservoir top thus maximising the production of the well.

• Due to the smaller than conventional hole size (3 7/8”), ERDS only needs a small rig, or even a hoist. So a workover rig with fluid circulating system is perfect – and possibly easier to schedule than a bigger drilling rig.

• It is a unique IOR, Improved Oil Recovery, technology which enables draining of untapped oil reserves that otherwise would not be economical to access; the value is equal to the value of the incremental oil that can be recovered after recovering the costs of drilling the sidetrack/s

• Enables the extension of the life of wells / life of fields using existing wells and field infrastructure

• Depending on reservoir pressure,  typical incremental oil production of 150 BOPD can be achieved with lifting costs as low as $1/ bbl so this is a fantastic way to prolong the productive life of mature fields with payback for the sidetracks being achieved in under 90 days.

ERDS technology also includes integrated MWD directional, gamma, Drill pipe and Annular Pressure while drilling if required.

Additionally, ERDS can supply completion products including “swellables” and hydraulic fracturing products should they be required.