Research reveals improvements in production efficiency and operational frequency in horizontal wells, suggesting effective technologies for wax prevention.
Shale oil development employs large platforms, multi-layer systems, and horizontal wells in a three-dimensional approach. The complexity of horizontal shale oil well environments is influenced by factors such as development models, fluid characteristics, and stimulation methods. This complexity manifests primarily in issues like wear and tear and wax deposition, which can significantly affect production efficiency. The intricate wellbore conditions often result in short production cycles, frequent pump inspections, and high operational frequencies, all of which can disrupt the normal production of oil wells. This paper thoroughly analyzes the key factors influencing the operational frequency of horizontal shale oil wells. By addressing challenges through wellbore prevention and control, and exploring various lifting methods, a series of technical breakthroughs have been achieved. These innovations led to the integration of an advanced, comprehensive process focused on mitigating wear and preventing wax buildup. This novel approach has led to the formation of a technically sound system for shale oil production. Through a year of systematic and comprehensive management, significant improvements have been observed in the oil production process. The frequency of maintenance operations has been substantially reduced from 1.49 to 0.65 times per well per year. In addition, insulation wax oil pipe tests and wellbore cable heating tests were conducted, with temperature increases of 5.2°C and 11.5°C, respectively. These improvements have resulted in a substantial reduction in the need for well repairs, saving over 3,700 tons of crude oil annually. The integrated and innovative technologies adopted for wear and wax prevention have effectively streamlined the production process, making shale oil extraction more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable.
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Zang et al. (2025) studied this question.
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