Pad drilling method for drilling multiple wells and a multi-well pad system employing the same

Abstract

A well pad having a plurality of wells is described. The well pad has two parallel rows or linear arrays of well pairs, mirrored to each other in both a W-E direction and a S-N direction orthogonal to the W-E direction. Each row of well pairs comprises an inner row of injection wells and an outer row of production wells. A plurality of wellhead connection modules and a piping module are deployed between the two rows of well pairs. Each wellhead connection module is connected to one, two three or four well pairs. The piping module connects the wellhead connection modules to a central processing facility.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A well pad system comprising:
 a plurality of interconnected first wellhead connection modules arranged in a linear array and forming a first axis;   a plurality of first wellheads forming a first row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced at a first distance thereto; and   a plurality of second wellheads forming a second row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced at a second distance to the first axis, said second distance being longer than the first distance; wherein   the plurality of first and second wellheads are connected to the plurality of first well connection modules; and, wherein   the first wellheads are offset laterally from the second wellheads such that each neighboring pair of first wellheads has a second wellhead therebetween, forming an acute-angled triangle.   
     
     
         2 . The well pad system of  claim 1 , wherein both the first wellheads and the second wellheads are on a first side of the first axis. 
     
     
         3 . The well pad system of  claim 1 , wherein each first wellhead connection module has a neighboring first wellhead located laterally on each of the left-hand and right-hand sides thereof and connected thereto, and each two adjacent first wellhead connection modules have two first wellheads therebetween. 
     
     
         4 . The well pad system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a plurality of third wellheads on a second side of the first axis opposite to the first side thereof, the third wellheads forming a third row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced at a third distance thereto; and 
 a plurality of fourth wellheads on the second side of the first axis forming a fourth row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced at a fourth distance to the first axis, said fourth distance being longer than the third distance; wherein 
 the plurality of third and fourth wellheads are connected to the plurality of first well connection modules; and wherein 
 the third wellheads are offset laterally from the fourth wellheads such that each neighboring pair of third wellheads has a fourth wellhead therebetween, forming an acute-angled triangle. 
 
     
     
         5 . The well pad system of  claim 4 , wherein each first wellhead connection module has a neighboring third wellhead located laterally on each of the left-hand and right-hand sides thereof and connected thereto, and each two adjacent first wellhead connection modules have two of the third wellheads therebetween. 
     
     
         6 . The well pad system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second wellhead connection module aligning to the plurality of first wellhead connection modules and interconnected therewith, the second wellhead connection module defining a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, the first and second axes forming a coordinate system with an origin at the intersection of the first and second axes, the plurality of first wellhead connection modules on a first side of the second axis; 
 two of the fifth wellheads on the first side of the first axis forming a fifth row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced at a fifth distance thereto, the two of fifth wellheads respectively on the first side of the second axis and an opposite second side of the second axis and connected to the second wellhead connection module; and 
 two of the sixth wellheads on the first side of the first axis forming a sixth row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced at a sixth distance thereto, the two of sixth wellheads respectively on the first and second sides of the second axis, and connected to the second wellhead connection module, said sixth distance being longer than the fifth distance. 
 
     
     
         7 . The well pad system of claim  0  further comprising:
 two of the seventh wellheads on the second side of the first axis forming a seventh row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced at a seventh distance thereto, the two of the seventh wellheads respectively on the first and second sides of the second axis and connected to the second wellhead connection module; and 
 two of the eighth wellheads on the second side of the first axis forming an eighth row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced at an eighth distance thereto, the two of the eighth wellheads respectively on the first and second sides of the second axis and connected to the second wellhead connection module, said eighth distance being longer than the seventh distance. 
 
     
     
         8 . The well pad system of  claim 6  further comprising:
 a plurality of interconnected third wellhead connection modules on the second side of the second axis and aligning to the first and second wellhead connection modules; 
 a plurality of ninth wellheads on the first side of the first axis and on the second side of the second axis, the plurality of ninth wellheads forming a ninth row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced at a ninth distance thereto; and 
 a plurality of tenth wellheads on the second side of the first axis and on the second side of the second axis, the plurality of tenth wellheads forming a tenth row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced at a tenth distance to the first axis, said tenth distance being longer than the ninth distance; wherein 
 the plurality of ninth and tenth wellheads are connected to the plurality of third well connection modules; and wherein the ninth wellheads are offset laterally from the tenth wellheads such that each neighboring pair of ninth wellheads has a tenth wellhead therebetween, forming an acute-angled triangle. 
 
     
     
         9 . The well pad system of  claim 6 , wherein each third wellhead connection module has a neighboring ninth wellhead located laterally on each of the left-hand and right-hand sides thereof and connected thereto, and each two adjacent third wellhead connection modules have two of the ninth wellheads therebetween. 
     
     
         10 . The well pad system of  claim 6  further comprising:
 a plurality of eleventh wellheads on the second side of the first axis and on the second side of the second axis, the plurality of eleventh wellheads forming an eleventh row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced at an eleventh distance thereto; and 
 a plurality of twelfth wellheads on the second side of the first axis and on the second side of the second axis, the plurality of twelfth wellheads forming a twelfth row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced at a twelfth distance to the first axis, said twelfth distance being longer than the eleventh distance; wherein 
 the plurality of eleventh and twelfth wellheads are connected to the plurality of third well connection modules; and wherein 
 the eleventh wellheads are offset laterally from the twelfth wellheads such that each neighboring pair of eleventh wellheads has a twelfth wellhead therebetween, forming an acute-angled triangle. 
 
     
     
         11 . The well pad system of  claim 6 , wherein each third wellhead connection module has a neighboring eleventh wellhead located laterally on each of the left-hand and right-hand sides thereof and connected thereto, and each two adjacent third wellhead connection modules have two of the eleventh wellheads therebetween. 
     
     
         12 . A well pad system having a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, the first and second axes defining a coordinate system having four quadrants and an origin at the intersection of the first and second axes, the system comprising:
 a plurality of interconnected first wellhead connection modules arranged in a linear array along the first axis; and   in at least one of the four quadrants,
 a plurality of first wellheads forming a first row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced therefrom; and 
 a plurality of second wellheads forming a second row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced therefrom, the distance between the second row of wellheads and the first axis being greater than that between the first row of wellheads and the first axis; wherein 
 the plurality of first and second wellheads are connected to the plurality of first well connection modules; and wherein 
 the first wellheads are offset laterally from the second wellheads such that each neighboring pair of first wellheads has a second wellhead therebetween, forming an acute-angled triangle. 
   
     
     
         13 . The well pad system of  claim 12 , wherein each first wellhead connection module has a neighboring first wellhead located laterally on each of the left-hand and right-hand sides thereof and connected thereto, and each two adjacent first wellhead connection modules have two first wellheads therebetween. 
     
     
         14 . The well pad system of  claim 12  further comprising:
 a second wellhead connection module centered at the origin, the second wellhead connection module aligning to the plurality of first wellhead connection modules and interconnected therewith; 
 two of the third wellheads on a first side of the first axis forming a third row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced therefrom, the two of the third wellheads respectively on the first side of the second axis and an opposite second side of the second axis and connected to the second wellhead connection module; and 
 two of the fourth wellheads on the first side of the first axis forming a fourth row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced therefrom, the distance between the fourth row of wellheads and the first axis being greater than that between the third row of wellheads and the first axis, the two of the fourth wellheads respectively on the first and second sides of the second axis and connected to the second wellhead connection module. 
 
     
     
         15 . The well pad system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 two of the fifth wellheads on a second side of the first axis opposite to the first side, the two of the fifth wellheads forming a fifth row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced therefrom, the two of the fifth wellheads respectively on the first and second sides of the second axis and connected to the second wellhead connection module; and 
 two of the sixth wellheads on the first side of the first axis forming a sixth row of wellheads parallel to the first axis and spaced therefrom, the distance between the sixth row of wellheads and the first axis being greater than that between the fifth row of wellheads and the first axis, the two of the sixth wellheads respectively on the first and second sides of the second axis and connected to the second wellhead connection module. 
 
     
     
         16 . The well pad system of  claim 12  wherein each first wellhead is paired with an immediate neighboring second wellhead forming a well pair, the well pair forming a well pair vector from the first wellhead thereof to the second wellhead thereof, the projection of the well pair vector onto the first axis pointing away from the origin and the projection of the well pair vector onto the second axis also pointing away from the origin. 
     
     
         17 . A well pad system comprising:
 a module defining a first axis along a side of the module and a second axis crossing the center of the module and orthogonal to the first axis, said first and second axes forming a coordinate system; and   at least a first wellhead and a second wellhead in a same quadrant of the coordinate system, and connected to the module.   
     
     
         18 . A module component for connecting to a pair of wellheads, the module component comprising:
 a first layer having one or more headers for coupling to one or more pipes; and   a second layer on top of the first layer, the second layer having one or more valves coupling to the one or more headers in the first layer.   
     
     
         19 . The module component of  claim 18  further comprising:
 a third layer on top of the second layer, the third layer having oil and/or gas lifting and recovery equipment. 
 
     
     
         20 . The module component of  claim 18 , wherein the second layer comprises connectors for connecting to a pair of wellheads.