Drilling EngineeringDirectional Drilling
Maximum Slanted Well Length in Reservoir Thickness Formula
Maximum Slanted Well Length in Reservoir Thickness calculates maximum slanted well length through the reservoir thickness for directional drilling workflows in drilling engineering.
How engineers use this formula
Use this formula when the listed inputs (h, alpha) are known and the assumptions behind the cited directional drilling relationship match the engineering case being checked.
Assumptions
- Input values are representative for the well, reservoir, fluid, or equipment case being evaluated.
- The declared units match the field-unit constants used in the formula.
- The cited formula applies to the selected petroleum engineering workflow.
Limitations
- The calculation does not replace a full engineering model or operating procedure.
- Accuracy depends on the source correlation, assumptions, input quality, and unit consistency.
Common mistakes
- Mixing unit systems without converting the inputs.
- Using default example values as field recommendations.
- Applying the formula outside the source assumptions.
Default example
Using the default inputs, L equals 200 ft.
hft
100
alphadeg
60
Inputs
h
ftPay zone thickness
alpha
degWell inclination angle
Outputs
L
ft
Maximum slanted well length through the reservoir thickness
h
ft
Pay zone thickness
alpha
deg
Well inclination angle
Source and review
reviewedMaximum length of a slanted well in a given reservoir thickness
PetroleumEngineers.Net. Maximum length of a slanted well in a given reservoir thickness.
Source