Comprehensive Review of Well Tractor Technology in Highly Extended Reach Wells

Abstract

Abstract Oil and gas wells are drilled with horizontal and multilateral architecture to improve reservoir contact and maximize production. To evaluate the performance of these wells, coiled tubing (CT) and Wireline (WL) conveyance are routinely used. CT inherently have many technical issues such as lock-up. The WL cannot reach the target depth. To address these challenges, the oil industry introduced well tractors that are combined with CT and WL to offer a significant improvement in well accessibility for all types of open- hole horizontal wells by providing extra pulling force to pull CT and WL all the way to target depth. The objective of this article is to evaluate most of the well tractor technology used in logging and stimulation operations. Moreover, the development of a new slim tractor with improved gripping and pulling force with ability to pass through restrictions in electrical submersible pump (ESP) is presented. This study can help identify areas of improvement for tractor capabilities in future operations.