DecisionSpace Well Planning Onshore Methods Volume 1 - 5000.10

®
DecisionSpace Well Planning:

Onshore Methods
Volume 1
© 2015 Halliburton
Part Number 220064 Revision C April 2015

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Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to DecisionSpace Well Planning . . . . 1-1

Course Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
DecisionSpace Well Planning Software Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Creating and Working with Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Explorer Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Project Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Well Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
2D Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Working with Targets (Target Editor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Creating a New Target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Target Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Target Geometry Data Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Irregular Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Optimum Align Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Attitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Graphically Creating Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
EXERCISE 1-1. Navigating the DecisionSpace Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Creating a DecisionSpace Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Loading the Geological Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Loading Well Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Loading 3D Seismic Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-33
Saving the DecisionSpace Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-39
Chapter 2: TracPlanner Optimized Well & Pad Planning . . . . 2-1

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Creating Pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Creating Pads in 2D Plan View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Creating Pads in the TracPlanner Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Creating pads in DecisionSpace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1 i

Table of Contents
Slot Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Manual Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Plan Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Planning Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
True, Grid, and Magnetic North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Red Line Parameter Sets and Red Line Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Survey Tool Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Well Plan Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Visualization Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Grab Handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Sidetrack Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Survey Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Casing Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Site Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Plan Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-26

EXERCISE 2-1. Manual Well Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-29
Launching Well Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
Creating Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
Creating Targets Using the Well Planning Options Pane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-31
Projecting a Plan to the Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-35
Defining Red Line Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39
Plan and Section Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-41
Moving Targets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42
Saving the Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-43
Placing Targets Referenced to a Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-43
Snapping Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45
Survey Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-46
Uncertainty Calculations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-48
Reopening a Well Plan File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-49
Grab Handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-50
Displaying Target Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-53
Adding a Planning Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-55
Advanced Plan Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-57
Printing Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-60
Editing Existing Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-62
EXERCISE 2-2. Planning Sidetracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-66
Creating a Sidetrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-66
Using Sidetrack Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-77
ii DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1

Table of Contents
Recommend Surface Location and Recommend Kickoff Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-79

EXERCISE 2-3. Optimizing a Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-80
Using Plan Optimization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-80
Saving a Well Plan to OpenWorks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-82
Deleting Wells and Well Plans from a Well Planning Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-82
Saving a Well Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-83
EXERCISE 2-4. Creating and Managing Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-84
Creating a DecisionSpace Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-84
Loading the Geological Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-86
Incorporating Hazards from Geoshapers into the Field Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-86
Using the Target Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-91
Creating a Well Plan to a Specific Surface Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-100
Creating a Platform or Surface Well Using “Pick Site” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-104
Creating Intercepts to Targets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-109
Using Wellbore Analyzer to Create Picks and Log Curve Intersections . . . . . . . 2-111
Creating Surface Picks for Multiple Wells from Surface Grids
(Geological Data) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-118
Importing Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-121
Exporting from Target Parameters Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-125
Using the Target Spreadsheet Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-128
Exporting Polygons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-132
Chapter 3: AssetPlanner Field Development Planning. . . . . . . . 3-1

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Auto-Targeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Targeting - Classic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Targeting - Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Sites Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Site Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Number and Type of Platforms Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Available Platform Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Use Grid Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Plans Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Auto-planning Basic Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Auto-planning Advanced Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1 iii

Table of Contents
Available Plan Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16

Saving Plan Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Auto-Planning Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Results Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Automated Manual Planning in 2D Plan View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Perforations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Base Costs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Contingency Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
EXERCISE 3-1. GIS Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Integrating GIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Importing Data Using the GIS Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Draping an Image on an OpenWorks Surface or GIS Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-48
Loading and Viewing GeoShaper Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-53
Saving the Well Planning Project and the DecisionSpace Session . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-55
EXERCISE 3-2. Designing Optimal Pads, Slot Templates, and
Horizontal Laterals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
Opening an Existing DecisionSpace Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
Incorporating Surface Hazards and GeoShapers into the Field Plan . . . . . . . . . . . 3-60
Creating Custom Pads Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-64
Creating Optimal Pads and Laterals for a Field Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-67
Saving the Well Planning Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-74
Defining Pad Size and Optimizing Slot Locations via Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-75
EXERCISE 3-3. Methods and Applications of Creating Field Plans. . . . . . . . . . . 3-81
Setting the Field Site and Plan Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-81
Field-Level Optimization for Pads, Templates, and Nudging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-92
Creating and Assigning Well Statuses on a Field Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-98
Incorporating Well Statuses to Re-Plan Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-104
Modeling Well Drainage Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-110
Estimating Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-113
Calculating Base Costs of a Field Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-113
Incorporating Contingency Costs into the Cost Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-117
EXERCISE 3-4. Advanced Applications of Unconventional Field
Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-119
Creating an Interpretation Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-120
Loading ISet Data into the Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-121
Picking “Dummy Sites” to Customize Lateral and Pad Placement . . . . . . . . . . . 3-123
Multiple Boundary and Azimuth options in Horizontal Targeting. . . . . . . . . . . . 3-137
Alternate Kickoff Dogleg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-145
iv DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1

Table of Contents
Laterals Placed with Drag action and Assisted Manual Pad Placement. . . . . . . . 3-150
Creating Perforations during Frac Target Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-159
Radial Targeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-162
DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1 v

Table of Contents
vi DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1

Chapter 1
Introduction to
DecisionSpace Well Planning
Landmark’s DecisionSpace Well Planning solution allows teams to effectively streamline their
seismic and geological data, development plans, model visualizations, and workflows. You will be
able to leverage expertise across your organization with an integrated software suite to decrease
the time taken to create accurate well plans and manage the risk and uncertainty inherent in
complex geological environments. In this course, you will learn how to maximize the potential of
our collaborative well planning solution.
Landmark is proud that our DecisionSpace Well Planning software won a 2012 World Oil Award.
In the ‘Best Visualization and Collaboration’ category, Halliburton won for Landmark’s
DecisionSpace Well Planning software. DecisionSpace Well Planning stood out because it
enables cross-domain asset teams to generate well trajectories, pad or platform locations, and
reservoir targets in the DecisionSpace 3D visualization environment. This unified work
environment allows geology, geophysics, and engineering disciplines to collectively create a
shared earth model, and then plan single-well, multi-lateral well, or field development scale
scenarios. The software also includes relief well planning tools to help operators meet offshore
regulatory requirements. In addition to well planning, the software supports real-time geosteering
workflows in the visual context of the earth model. The DecisionSpace Well Planning software
leverages advanced automation techniques to plan any combination of targets, surface locations
and well trajectories. When asset team members interactively shift targets or a pad location, the
well path plan is updated in real time. Patented algorithms optimize field development plans
based on user-specified cost parameters, risk and uncertainty, and degree of difficulty.
DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1 1-1

Chapter 1: Introduction to DecisionSpace Well Planning
Course Overview
In this course you will learn about:
• Using the DecisionSpace Cube view to create 3D visualization

sessions in conjunction with Map view and 2D views.
• Using the TracPlanner™ software to manually plan directional

trajectories in the context of the seismic and other information.
• Simultaneously planning multiple wells and surface locations for

imported targets using the AssetPlanner™ software.
• Using AssetPlanner auto targeting to identify targets based on

petrophysical properties or facies locations in an Earth Model.
• Quickly developing plans for sidetracks.
• Project wellpath proximity and avoidance of other wells and of

geologic objects such as faults or salt.
• Integrating GIS into planning to avoid surface hazards and cultural

objects.
• Managing wellbore position uncertainty and the driller's target

definition through the DecisionSpace Well Planning
PrecisionTarget™ software.
• Generating and evaluating field development scenarios using

ScenarioPlanner™.
• Designing pattern targeting for efficient primary recovery and for

implementing secondary and tertiary recovery methods.
• Completely updating field drilling and development plans and

surface locations within minutes of loading newly drilled well
information into your geologic maps.
1-2 DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1

Introduction
The complexity of drilling and completions increases every day. Ultra

deep wells, extended horizontal wellpaths, and complex reservoir targets
now represent the norm. In this environment, prolonged well-planning
cycles can be very costly, as can targeting, wellpath and pad position
miscalculations. With profitability at stake, engineers must plan more
efficiently, despite complexity and the increasing volume of data with
which they must contend.
The solution represents an accelerated field planning enabler that

increases wellbore accuracy and improves reservoir development
efficiency by creating a highly integrated, collaborative well planning
environment.
The main benefits that an asset team can obtain from this solution can be
summarized as:
• Optimizing field development planning.
Quickly create and review multiple field planning scenarios with

sensitivity analysis tools to maximize ROI.
• Enhancing asset team collaboration.
Plan wells in the context of geological, geophysical, and reservoir

models, thus enabling cross-disciplinary asset teams to collaborate
with a clear view of risk and uncertainty.

• Compressing well-planning cycle time.
Integrated workflows leverage multidisciplinary data, asset team

collaboration, and automated workflows to compress the field
development planning process.
• Improving performance.
Common results for this integrated workflow include: safer well

plans, lower cost designs, and less nonproductive time.
• Leveraging your asset team's expertise.
Each asset team member and each discipline can define inputs and
constraints.
• Creating flexible workflows for complex environments.
DecisionSpace Well Planning arms asset teams with tools that

address many different types of scenarios.
For instance, in deepwater, finding and hitting relatively small targets

with a limited number of complex well trajectories may be the challenge.
Conversely, in tight sands, hundreds or even thousands of gas wells
drilled from dozens of pads may be required to produce the field
economically. This workflow easily adapts to any challenge.
Workflow tools include 3D visualization of data from multiple

disciplines, automated planning features, and scenario sensitivity
analysis. These features help optimize plans for platform or pad
requirements more effectively. They also create trajectories to reach
multiple targets with a minimum number of wellbores.
The following products enable the well planning workflow:
• The TracPlanner software—for wellpath manipulation
• The AssetPlanner software—for target generation and multi-well

path planning
• The ScenarioPlanner software—for creating and managing multiple

sets of field-development drilling scenarios

This course will cover how to use each component of the solution. Also,
basic topics that are common to the entire DecisionSpace Well Planning
software suite will be discussed. The course will also cover functions
and tasks that are specific to the TracPlanner and AssetPlanner modules
and their different modes.

DecisionSpace Well Planning Software Basics
DecisionSpace Well Planning is the suite of applications related to well

trajectory planning within the DecisionSpace software environment.
The following topics will apply to all the modules that you will cover in
this volume.
Creating and Working with Projects

The DecisionSpace Well Planning software uses projects to organize
and store data (that is, targets, plans, pads, templates, and so on). By
default, a project is always present, or you can create a new project or
open an existing project. There are two types of projects that can be
opened: OpenWorks software well planning projects or wellbore
planner files (*.wbp files).
Start New Project
Explorer Hierarchy
When the DecisionSpace Well Planning software is launched, you will
see a vertical panel to the left side of the window called Explorer. Here
you will be able to locate each component of your well planning
projects. Such components can be related to each other, following a
hierarchical structure:
Project > Pad > Well > Target

The Project is at the highest level in the hierarchy, and if there is a

Target assigned to a well plan, it is at the lowest level. The following
image shows an example of a project.
Project
OpenWorks Wells
Planned Wells
Targets
Explorer hierarchy
Note
Wells can be either OpenWorks software wells or Well Planning software project
wells. (This difference will be covered in future sections.)
Wells can also be imported to/from the EDM drilling database, with a
modification of the Live Link connection.
The following image is an example of a Well Planning well or plan that

has targets assigned to it but does not belong to a platform.
Targets assigned to a well

Project Properties
The Project Properties dialog box allows you to set numerous
parameters for data movement and visualization.
Project Properties
Below are the available options in the Project Properties dialog box:
• Recalculate Plans defines when plans will be updated in the

TracPlanner and AssetPlanner modules based on changes in the
Cube view of the DecisionSpace software. It has two update
options: While Moving, or After Move. If there are a lot of well
plans under a site and you want to drag the site around in 3D, set
this option to after move. This will allow you to move the pad faster
because the plans will recalculate after you move the site.
• Plan Coloring Scheme dictates how plans are colored in the 3D and
2D viewers. Coloring by red line parameters is the most popular
coloring scheme since it flags portions of a well plan that exceed
any of the red line criteria.
• Uncertainty Calculations allows uncertainty to be visualized, when

enabled. Once enabled, you can choose the Survey Tool as well as
the Survey Interval to compute the uncertainty. After this option is

activated, you must select what type of error ellipse to display. This
can be achieved either by double-clicking on a well plan in 3D and
launching the view properties or by selecting a well plan in the
Inventory Manager and clicking on the properties in that dialog
box. Uncertainty cannot be displayed on just a single well plan.
Either all or none can be displayed.
• Red Line Parameters allow you to change and select the parameter
set to apply either to a specific plan or all plans.
Well Planning
2D Views
Plan view and Section view are the types of 2D views available in Well
Planning. You can access them from the toolbar or by selecting Map or
Section view on the desktop.
Accessing 2D Views

2D Views in DecisionSpace

Working with Targets (Target Editor)

You can create targets in four different ways:
• Import them
• Manually enter them in the Target Editor
• Graphically create them in 2D or Cube view
Or
• Auto-target them in the AssetPlanner software
In this section, you will learn how to use the Target Editor to enter target
information manually (to access the Target Editor, select Tools >
Target Editor, or right-click the Explorer tree and select the Target
Editor option from the menu). The other methods will be covered in
exercises in later sections of this volume.
Target Editor Menu Option

Creating a New Target

You can create a new target in the Target Editor by clicking the Create
button. This launches the Create a new Target dialog box, where you
enter the required information for the target (name, depth and
coordinates).
If you have created multiple

targets in a project, you will
see them in the Targets list
box.
Create a new target

Target Types
Targets can be classified under the default categories: Oil, Gas, Wtr-Inj,
and so on; or under custom categories added by you. Classifying targets
as different types is useful for auto-planning in the AssetPlanner
software and when using the Slot Template Editor, which will be
discussed later.
1 2
Add New option
The Feature drop-down list is active if you have loaded faults or

surfaces into your visualization session from the OpenWorks software.
This will associate the current target and its corresponding plan to the
selected feature and store the target in the OpenWorks software as a pick
or fault pick of that plan. Also, the plan needs to be saved as an
OpenWorks software well (more details about this topic will be
discussed later).

Target Geometry Data Fields

The Geometry tab in the Target Editor allows you to specify geometrical
parameters for the target (shape, dimensions, and so on).
Target Editor: Geometry tab
The following target geometries can be defined in the Target Editor:
• Point
• Circle
• Ellipse
• Rectangle
• Irregular
The preview window will show results immediately, if any of the shape
parameters are changed.

Irregular Targets
A table appears when the Irregular option is selected. Use the table to
enter numeric values to define the local offsets (Local X, Local Y) for
each corner of the target, based on the target center (that is, the initial
coordinates used to define the target).
Irregular target option
By clicking on a line of the target in the preview window, you can add
a new corner point, which you can then select and drag to a different
position.
Note
If you have a plan designed for a target, the plan will be updated automatically as
you alter the penetration point.

Optimum Align Lock

Opt. Align Angle is an important parameter in the Target Editor. The
value of this parameter can be set to Locked or Unlocked. If the value
is Unlocked, a plan can hit the target at any attitude. When the value is
Locked, the option to specify by Well trajectory rather than Formation
plane is enabled in the Geometry tab.
Optimum Align Angle Option
Note
When auto-planning in the AssetPlanner software, S-shaped plan types will set this
value to Locked for any S-shaped wells. You will need to reset this if you want the
flexibility to alter the attitude (auto-planning will be discussed in a later chapter).

Attitude
The Attitude section is enabled if the target is locked. It allows you to
describe the target dip with respect to the well trajectory.
Target Attitude

Graphically Creating Targets

When sub-surface data is loaded in the DecisionSpace software, targets
can be created graphically. There are two Draw Target options available
in the right pane of the DecisionSpace software under the Interpretation
tab: Pick Target and Draw Polygon. The Pick Target option allows
you to define single targets or target patterns, whereas the Draw
Polygon option allows you to define a target by a polygonal region.

Exercise 1-1. Navigating the DecisionSpace

Environment
After completing this exercise, you should know how to:
• Create a DecisionSpace Session
• Load a geological model
• Load well data
• Load 3D Seismic Data
• Save Sessions
• Modify display settings for viewers and various data
• Create well lists
Creating a DecisionSpace Session

1. Open the DecisionSpace software.
The DecisionSpace Session Manager will open to the Existing
Sessions tab by default.
2. Select the New Sessions ( ) tab.
3. Under the Available Modules section, click the Select All ( )

icon.
All modules should be highlighted.
Click Select All to activate all license modules.

This causes the lower portion of the window to
populate with the session parameters drop-
down menus.

4. Select the following from the Selection drop-down lists of the

Session Parameters tab:
District: <determined by instructor>
Project: NORWAY_DSWP
Interpretation Project: ALL_DATA
Measurement System: SPE Preferred Metric
Domain: Depth
Interpreter: LGC
5. Click OK to start the new session.
Loading the Geological Model

1. After the program opens, load the following data in the data selector
by selecting File > Select Session Data or by clicking the icon.
See the note box below for help in locating the data types.
Surface Grid: test_contour_grid
Fault: DepthTDQ_Fault
Note
Faults can be selected after expanding the Faults tab in the Explorer window.
Similarly, Surface Grids are located under the Mapping tab.

To add the data to the session, select the data of interest and click the
Add data to session button. Similarly, selected data can be removed
by clicking the Remove data from session button.
2. Click OK to exit the main session window. The fault and surface
grid will be loaded into the Cube view:
3. Select the Inventory tab on the left side of the main session window.
4. To set the surface grid's display parameters, right-click the Surface

Grids data item in the Inventory and select the Display Properties
option:
Style: Color Map
Color map: System > 0-Spectrum
Opacity: 1.0000

5. To set the fault's display parameters, righ-click the fault data item in
the Inventory and select the Display Properties option:
Coloring style: Solid Color (red)
Opacity: 0.5
The Cube view displays the fault and surface grid according to the
selected settings.
6. To disable the Cube view tilt option, which can make viewing
manipulation difficult, select View > Cube view editor in the main
session window or select the View Editor ( ) icon in the vertical
icon bar to the left of the viewers.
7. Select the No Tilt option in the Rotation Style section. By default,

the program opens to the Trackball rotation style, indicating that the
object in the Cube view will rotate as if it is encased within a rolling
sphere. This causes a tilting effect.

The No Tilt rotational style is more commonly used for easier

rotation and eliminates the tilting effect of the Trackball style by
rotating about one or more axes.

8. Click OK.

9. After selecting the No Tilt option, slightly rotate your viewer. Your
image should resemble the one shown below.
Loading Well Data

1. This process is similar to the process for loading geological models.
In order to load well data, select File > Select Session Data, or click
the icon.
2. On the left side of the Select Session Data window, expand the
Wells tab in the data tree of the Explorer window, and select Well
Lists.
You will create a new well list that consists of three wells from the
FourWellsTD well list: 6507/7-3, 6507/7-4, and 6507/7-8.

3. Select the FourWellsTD list and click the Select Wells in Well
List ( ) icon located in the horizontal icon list above the upper
selection panel.
4. Select the three wells and click the Save as List ( ) icon.
5. Name the new well list NORWAY_Wells.

6. Click OK, and close the the WellList Save dialog box.
7. After closing the Well List Save dialog box, click Close to exit the
View/modify well list window.
The new well list displays as added session data in the lower panel.
8. Load the following log curve data:
Log Curves: CALI, DT, GR
Log Curves are found under the Wells tab in the data tree.

9. Click OK to exit.
In order to display the log curves, access the Inventory task pane and
verify that the green circles are toggled-on next to each log curve
data item, indicating that they are visible in the viewer that is
currently active. If the circles are gray, this indicates that they are not
visible in the current viewer. Simply click the circles to toggle-on
and off the visibility for any data item or data group.
The wells and accompanying log curves will be loaded into the Cube
view.

The log curves display along the corresponding well path. Zoom in
within the Cube view to see the curves in more detail.

The wells extend to the surface:
10. To label the wells, right-click the NORWAY_wells well list in the
Inventory, and select the Display Properties option.
11. Make the following changes:
Note
The color and line width options are found under Select Well For Annotation
view. The label is located after expanding the Well Header and dragging the
desired label to the preferred position on the map.
Color: Blue
Path Width: 3
Label: Common Well Name
Label Location: Top Left Corner

12. After dragging the Common Well Name label, a new window
appears, prompting you to specify the wells. Verify that
NORWAY_Wells is selected and click OK.
The Well Header position can be moved by dragging it within the

schematic.

13. Click OK to exit the Display Properties dialog box.
Labels are displayed for the wells in the NORWAY_Wells list.

The changes made are reflected in the Cube view.
Loading 3D Seismic Data

1. Click the Select Session Data ( ) icon and expand 3D Surveys in
the data tree.
2. Expand fusion and select Seismic.
3. Add Depth_full_offset.cmp to the session.

4. Click OK.
A gray square loads above the data, indicating that the seismic data
has been added to the session but a probe type has not been selected
to view.
5. In order to specify a probe type, drag Depth_full_offset.cmp into

the Cube view.
The Probe Type Selection dialog box appears. Inline and Xline are
vertical projections of the seismic probes and are orthogonal to each
other. In addition, Slice is a horizontal projection, orthogonal to both
vertical projections.
6. Select the Inline and Xline check boxes, and click OK.

The 3D seismic data appears but is too large for the purpose of this
exercise.
7. In order to edit the seismic data into a more visually appealing size,
click the Select/Drag Mode ( ) icon located in the vertical icon
menu to the left of the viewers. Then drag the green boxes at the
corners of the probe to the desired size.
The display parameters of the corner boxes (handles) can be

modified in the Display Properties dialog box for the seismic probe
data item. By default, the handles are green. They become yellow
when that particular probe is active.
Note
In order to view different seismic lines, hold SHIFT and drag the seismic pane
to the desired line/location. This can be done in Select/Drag Mode ( ) or
Pan/Zoom/Rotate Mode ( ). Refer to the Reference Materials appendix for
information about how to load seismic data into the Shared Memory for
seamless viewing while moving through seismic lines and traces.

In order to see the surfaces better, you must change the opacity of the
seismic data.
8. Select the Color tab, located on the left-side of the main session
window.

9. Ensure that the Depth_full_offset.cmp, fusion is selected in the

drop-down menu and click the Opacity edit ( ) icon.
After Opacity edit is enabled, a red line appears on the far right of
the task pane. It may initially be hard to see. Moving this red line
changes the opacity of the seismic data set.
10. Move the red line across the color spectrum until you have lowered
the opacity to an appropriate level – about a quarter of the way.

The Cube view reflects the changes in seismic opacity.

Saving the DecisionSpace Session

1. Select File > Save Session As.
2. When the Save Session As dialog box appears, save the session as
NORWAY Manual Planning, then click the Save button.


Chapter 2
TracPlanner
Optimized Well & Pad Planning
The TracPlanner module provides asset teams with a powerful tool to plan wells in a 3D visual
environment. Interpreters can visualize geologic information and then visually create targets
using that information. The TracPlanner module offers technology that enables platform and pad
positioning optimization for more efficient placement. Defined Red Line parameters select any
plans that exceed those limits. This application is integrated with the AssetPlanner software and
the PrecisionTarget software systems. Each of these applications leverages the DecisionSpace
software’s 2D and 3D visualization environment. The DecisionSpace software suite provides
geoscientists and engineers a powerful collaboration tool for path planning in the earth model.
The TracPlanner module is a manual planning and optimization tool used for planning single well
trajectories. With the TracPlanner module, you can optimize proposed platform locations for cost
and other predefined criteria. Platform well plans are automatically recalculated when platforms
are moved to the optimized location. This results in cost-effective designs.
The TracPlanner module has the following analysis modes:
• Manual Planning
• Advanced Plan Editor
• Site Optimization
• Plan Optimization

Chapter 2: TracPlanner Optimized Well & Pad Planning
Overview
In this chapter, you will learn about:
• Well Planning projects, targets, and well plans
• Using the Red Line View utility to set and visualize well plan
parameter constraints
• Moving and editing targets assigned to a well plan
• Generating a well plan report
• Adding additional path sections to an existing well plan, designing

side tracks, and displaying wellbore position uncertainty
• Performing plan optimization

Creating Pads
After creating a project and defining targets, the next step is to create a
pad within a given location and then create well plans kicking off from
the pad location. There are three methods possible, and each is discussed
in the following sections.
Creating Pads in 2D Plan View

In the 2D Plan view, a pad can be created by clicking the Site ( ) icon
and then clicking within the 2D view on the desired pad location where
you want the pad to be positioned. The Site Setup dialog box appears.
Use this dialog box to define the pad (or site) name, its elevation
reference above sea level, and whether or not it is a platform or surface
well. The coordinates clicked in the view automatically populate the
Easting and Northing fields and can be changed manually, if desired.
After it is created, a pad can be moved in 2D by clicking the Site ( )
icon and then clicking and dragging it in the 2D Plan view. Generally,
it is easier to move a pad around in this view than in the DecisionSpace
software. When a pad is moved, all plans under the platform will be

moved as well (recall the Calculate Plans option in the Project

Properties dialog box).

Creating Pads in the TracPlanner Module

Sites can also be created outside of the 2D view directly in the
TracPlanner module GUI. To create a new site in the GUI, access the
Plans menu and select the New Platform option. Enter values for
Platform name, Map easting, Map northing, and KB to create a platform
at the desired location.
New Platform menu options
Creating pads in DecisionSpace

Using the Well Planning Options pane, a pad location can be selected in
the Map view using the Pick Site option.
Pick Site option in DecisionSpace

Slot Templates
Slot templates can be created under a platform. Slot templates have
several uses in the DecisionSpace Well Planning software. They can be
used to determine the number of available slots a platform has, in
addition to defining the surface location for a plan. The AssetPlanner
software uses this information in auto-planning. You can make
OpenWorks wells occupy a slot template simply by dragging them
under the platform. If the surface location of an OpenWorks well is near
(two feet or less from) the slot location, it will automatically be assigned
to the slot and occupy it.
When slots are occupied by plans or OpenWorks wells, they cannot be

used for other plans. Subsequently, the AssetPlanner software will
reduce the number of total slots by the number currently occupied when
determining how many slots are available for additional plans. A
platform does not have to contain a slot template for use in Well
Planning.
You can access the Slot Template Editor by clicking the Edit
Template button (in the TracPlanner module and Manual Planning
mode) when a platform is active in the tree.

Creating a slot template involves defining the template name and a short
name for each individual slot. The template center coordinates are based
on the platform location, so 0,0 would mean that the first slot originates
at the platform location defined in the Platform Editor. This is the
reference point for the remainder of the data entries.
Below are the different sections that need to be defined:
• Layout selects Rectangle, Circle, or Single slot. If Single is

selected, you will need to enter each slot individually in the Slots
tab, as there is no defined geometry.
• Numbering defines how the slots are numbered. Letters can be used
for the slot labels, if desired.
• Pattern Position shifts the slot pattern by the amount specified in

the Pattern Position entries.
• Pattern Spacing dictates the distance between the rows and

columns for a rectangular template.
• Pattern Rotation applies a pattern rotation, if desired.

The image below shows a 5 x 5 rectangular slot template labeled with

numbers and numbered by rows. The top left slot originates three meters
west and six meters north of the template center.
Template Editor

Manual Planning
Plan Types
There are numerous plan types that can be defined in the TracPlanner
module. These are:
• Unknown: A temporary status where the estimated trajectory

through the reservoir is known, but it is not yet determined how the
trajectory will be reached from the surface.
• Surface Well: The path will be connected to the surface.
• Sidetrack: The path will be connected to an existing well or plan.
• Platform Well: The path will be connected to the surface, but

belongs to a platform.
• Look Ahead: The path will be projected from the end of a well to
represent additional drilling to be done. This type assumes that the
well is currently being drilled and will be receiving updates via
OpenWire or some similar mechanism.
Plan Types
When creating a new plan, some of the following options may not be
available for the Plan Type drop-down list:
• Platform Well: Requires a platform in the project.
• Look Ahead: Requires an OpenWorks well in the project.

• Sidetrack: Requires an existing plan or an OpenWorks well in the

project.
Planning Methods
You must define a plan method. The options to define a plan method are:
• Curve Only
• Curve and Hold
• Optimum Align (Curve-Hold-Curve)
Planning Methods
Additionally, the Dogleg Severity must be defined. This is the minimum

dogleg that will be used. If the TracPlanner module needs to go higher
to achieve the results, it will. An Extend option is available if a plan
needs to be extended past the last target.

True, Grid, and Magnetic North

You must define the North reference used for a particular planned well.
A plan will have its azimuth and local coordinates calculated according
to the North reference chosen (either Grid or True). The North
reference drop-down menu is located after the Mode drop-down menu
in the Well Planning window:
North reference menu
• True North - Imagine a line from you to the North Pole. This is a
line of constant longitude and points to true north. In many cases,
True North is selected because directional survey instruments read
azimuth to true (or magnetic) north. In both cases the convergence
correction does not need to be applied. True North is an accepted
reference for local coordinates.
• Grid North - On a map, a line joining two points with equal Easting
co-ordinates points to grid north. By representing the spherical
earth on a flat map, the distortion introduced means that (over most
of the map) grid north does not point to true north. The difference
between grid north and true north is called the grid convergence.
Grid north is an accepted reference for local coordinates.
• Magnetic North - Additionally, Magnetic north is a North reference,

but is not used in DS Well Planning. A magnetic compass points to
the horizontal component of the earth’s magnetic field and is
measured from true north. Magnetic north varies with location and
time. Magnetic North is not an accepted convention for local
coordinates. When loading azimuths and local coordinates into
Well Planning or OpenWorks, they should already be corrected to

True or Grid North depending on the convention selected in the

Well Planning window.
Red Line Parameter Sets and Red Line Views

The Red Line View dialog box provides an interface to visualize the
depth at which a plan is violating one of the Red Line parameters and to
identify which parameter is being violated. The parameters can be
displayed or hidden by selecting or clearing the selection of the check
boxes adjacent to the parameter.

To launch the Red Line View dialog box, select Window > Red Line
View or click the icon.
Red Line View dialog box - View tab
Red Line parameters must be set in the Parameters tab in order to use
them. The Parameters tab allows you to create, edit, or delete Red Line
parameter sets.
• Depths are entered in the table, and then the constraints for each
column (for each depth) are entered. You can have as many depth
increments as required.
• Select the Interpolate check box in order to interpolate the values

between depths.
• Save the parameter set by clicking the Save As button.
• The constraint on the last row is assumed to apply all the way to the
well's total depth. Based on the image below, any portion of the

well plan that is deeper than 2,438 ft. TVD and has a DLS greater
than 25 degrees/100 ft. will be flagged.
Red Line View dialog box - Parameters tab
Red lines will appear in both the 2D and Cube views if any plans exceed
any of the constraints. The Red Line parameters are also used in the
sidetrack net and in auto-planning if the dogleg severity is set to 0 in any
of the plan types.

Survey Tool Editor

Survey tools are created in this application in order to compute the
wellbore position uncertainty (while planning a well) and display it in
the Cube Viewer. You can define new tools or import them from the
COMPASS software.
The Survey Tool Editor only supports Error Cone and Systematic
Ellipse error models. However, it can import and use ISCWSA (Industry
Steering Committee on Wellbore Survey Accuracy) tools created in the
COMPASS software. A default tool should be defined to be used in the
PrecisionTarget software as well as the TracPlanner module when a
survey tool program is not defined in the Well Plan Properties dialog
box (this topic will be discussed in the next section).
Error Cone Example

Systematic Error Ellipse Example

To access the Survey Tool Editor, select Tools > Survey Tool Editor.
Survey Tool Editor

Well Plan Properties

The Well Plan Properties dialog box contains many important features.
After creating a plan, right-click the plan and select the Well Plan
Properties option from the menu to access this dialog box.
Well Plan Properties menu option and dialog box
The Well Plan Properties dialog box contains three tabs:
• Visualization
• Survey
• Casing

Visualization Tab
The Visualization tab contains parameters to define how well plans are
visualized (such as line, color, and thickness).
Well Plan Properties dialog box - Visualization tab

Grab Handles
Grab handles can be digitized along a well plan at defined depth
increments and used to manipulate the plan in greater detail (for
example, nudging a plan to avoid other wells or following some detailed
subsurface feature).
Grab Handles

Well Plan Properties dialog box: Show Grab Handles and Show
Sidetrack Net

Sidetrack Nets
The Sidetrack Net feature allows you to see how far you can reach from
a given starting point using the defined Red Line parameters. The values
used are Dogleg, Build, Turn, Drop, and Max. Inclination. A 3D net is
rendered based on your defined parameters, thereby enabling you to see
if a certain geologic objective can be reached. With the sidetrack net
visualized in 3D, any area encompassed by the envelope can safely be
reached while maintaining the design constraints.
Sidetrack Net

Survey Tab
The Survey tab allows you to define Survey Tool intervals that might be
used along the well plan while actually drilling the well. If there are no
entries in the table, the TracPlanner module will use the default Survey
Tool to compute the wellbore position uncertainty along the plan. Only
survey tools that have been created or entered in the Survey Tool Editor
are available for selection in this tab.
Well Plan Properties dialog box - Survey tab
Casing Tab
Casings can be defined for a well plan. These are primarily used for
minimum ID values in the sidetrack selection as well as creating the
casings in the OpenWorks software when saving a plan as an
OpenWorks software well.
Well Plan Properties dialog box - Casing tab

Site Optimization
After a pad is created and pad wells are planned, the pad location can be
optimized based on predefined optimization criteria. The pad locations
are optimized in the Site Optimization mode of the TracPlanner module.
Select the pad to be optimized and launch the dialog box; the current X
and Y coordinates are displayed. Select the optimization method from
the following:
• Cum MD
• Weighted MD
• Cum directional
• Cost
• Max reach
Site optimization

Weighted MD is recommended by Landmark Graphics for optimizing

the pad location of a typical Well Planning project.
The AssetPlanner software weights the calculations by adding the

following values for each directional section of the well path:
• For each turn section, add the measured length (ML).
• If the section is directionally drilled, add the ML again.
• If the section's inclination is greater than 90°, add another five

times the value of the ML.
• For each Red Line parameter (other than Inclination and

Cumulative Directional) violated in the turn section:
— Add two times the ML.

— Add 20 times the percent amount that the red line value is over
the limit. (For example, if the section has a value of 110%, it is
10% over the allowable Red Line parameter. Multiply 20 with
10 to equal 200 and add this to the turn section.)
Well Planning calculates these weighted values for each turn section of
each of the associated well plans. Well Planning then searches for the
pad location that minimizes the well plans' weighted MD.
When the Optimize button is clicked, the TracPlanner module

optimizes the pad location based on the optimization method selected.
The results of the optimization are displayed in text under the current
column. Any entries in green indicate that conditions have improved
from the previous location. Entries in red have been negatively
impacted.

Plan Optimization
Plan Optimization is another level of optimization in the TracPlanner

module and is done in the Plan Optimization mode. It offers the ability
to optimize plans both at the individual level and at the platform level
(that is, all plans under a platform can be optimized at one time). The
context of this optimization is based on what is currently active in the
tree. If a plan is active, the plan optimization will be at the individual
plan level. If a platform is active in the tree, the optimization will occur
for all plans under the platform. The label at the top of the dialog box
indicates what the context of the optimization is based on what is active.
Plan Optimization

The plan optimizer tries to optimize the path by adjusting the kickoff or
mill out depths and altering the penetration point of the targets in the
plan. It will also, upon request, attempt to optimize the plan by making
one or more targets reference targets. If a target is turned into a reference
target and the path still passes through the target within the requested
portion (Maximum Percent to move penetration point), the TracPlanner
module will create a more optimal path. The results are almost
guaranteed to be more optimal than any non-reference option since they
will consist of a straight line from the preceding target to the following
target.
The Grid Utilities dialog box can be accessed from the Tools menu. Use
it to view streams, lakes, or roads using a satellite image. It can also be
used to create a subset of a grid.

Grid Utilities dialog box

Exercise 2-1. Manual Well Planning

This exercise covers the basics steps of the well planning process
continuing from exercise 1-1. You will create plans, targets, and a well
planning project. Different types of well planning and targets can be
created on any pickable surface, such as a grid or a seismic line or trace.
• Launch the Well Planning tool
• Create well plans
• Create targets
• Project plans to the surface
• Define Red Line Parameters
• Navigate Map, Plan, and Section views
• Edit and move targets
• Snap targets
• Import survey tools
• Show uncertainty calculations
• Manipulate well trajectories
• Add planning sections
• Print reports
Note
The following are general exercises to demonstrate the main process for creating
plans and targets. During the exercises, you will visualize targets by placing them
on either a grid, a seismic line, or a trace. Since the location of your targets will be
different from the ones picked in the images, these results will be different from
yours. The objective of this chapter is to show you the workflow and the processes.

Launching Well Planning

1. To launch the Well Planning tool, select Tools > Well Planning
from the main DSG window.
The Well Planning window opens. Verify that the Module is set to
TracPlanner and the Mode is set to Manual Planning.
Creating Plans
The first step to creating a well plan is to create a Project where the
targets are going to reside. Plans and Targets with DSG 5000.10 can
now be up to 140 characters long. The previous limit was 20 characters.
With this change, the OpenWorks software has been modified to support
these new limits and the .wbp format has been extended to support them
as well.
1. In the Well Planning window, right-click the New Project and select
the Rename option.
2. Rename the project NORWAY Well Planning 10 and press Enter.
3. Right-click the new project (NORWAY Well Planning 10) and select
the New Plan option.
4. Name the new plan Plat 1Plan1 for DSWellplanning Training

Class.

The Explorer window on the left displays the projects, plans,

targets, and other data.
5. Click File > Close.

A warning window will display. Click the No button to close the
Project without saving it.
Note
In order to maintain backward compatibility, unique, shortened versions of the

long names are used in the old slots of the wbp file, with a translation at the
end. This allows older versions of the Well Planning software and the
COMPASS software to still read projects written by the 5000.10 Well
Planning software and vice versa.
It is also possible to turn this option off, by setting the environmental variable
“DSWP_USE_SHORT_NAMES” equal to “true”. Anyone using the old
Wellbore Planner Pointing Dispatcher (PD) interface to link to a product such
as the GeoProbe software, should use this as the PD interface does not support
longer names.
Creating Targets Using the Well Planning Options Pane

1. Re-launch the Well Planning tool.
Panes for different tools are located on the right side of the main
session window. Verify that the Interpretation pane is selected.
2. Start a new Project named NORWAY.

3. On the right side of the window, click the Well Planning Options
( ) icon. This icon also serves as another way to activate the Well
Planning tool. Expand each data type in the Session Data to display
additional data options. Four options are listed under the Actions
panel. Verify that the Pick Target is selected.
Note
This icon may not initially be visible. Either click the downward pointing
arrow to display the Well Planning Options ( ) icon or stretch the box until
the icon appears.
4. Verify that the Cube view is selected.
Note
The selection you make using the Actions panel applies to the view that is
active when the selection is made. For example, if the Cube view is active
when you click Pick Target, you can pick targets using the Cube view. If you
switch to Map view, the selection in the Actions panel may be different.
Note the other panels, Basic, Depth, and Pattern. You can use the
Basic panel to specify the parameter you want to use to create
targets, including target size, spacing, type, shape, as well as the plan
you want to associate the target with. You can use the Depth panel
to indicate which surface or 3D grid you want to use to pick targets.
You can use the Pattern panel to create a grid pattern of targets.
After selecting Pick Target, the cursor will display the icon. In
order to place a target, simply click where you would like to place it.
In order to zoom, pan, or rotate, you must select the icon.
5. Place two targets, one on the seismic lines and the other on the
test_countour_grid surface, as shown below.

Note
The targets are automatically connected, as shown in the image above. You
can Undo or Redo at any time by selecting . These icons are located
in the Actions panel and also in the Well Planning window.
6. Exit the Pick Target mode by clicking the icon.
7. Return to the Well Planning window.
8. Right-click the project (NORWAY) and select the New Plan option.

9. Name the new plan Forest.
The targets are reflected in the Explorer window beneath the Forest
plan. The icons for each target will be gray if they have not been
assigned to a plan yet.
10. If necessary, drag each target onto the Forest plan.
The icons for each target change to gold, indicating that they are now
assigned to the plan.
11. Targets must be added into the well plan in the order that they will
be drilled. If you need to swap targets in a well plan, you must drag/
drop the targets into the Project, where they will become (gray)

unassigned targets. You can then drag them in the correct order into
the well plan in the order that the drill bit will encounter the targets.
Projecting a Plan to the Surface

1. In the Well Planning window, select the Forest plan.
2. Select the Surface Well option from the Plan type drop-down list,
to estimate an appropriate drilling location at the surface.
The program automatically populates the fields associated with the

surface location.
Note
Your surface location parameters and current plan will be different from the
example shown due to different target locations.

In addition, the well is displayed in the Cube view.
3. Enter 20 m in the Elevation field of the Well Planning window.

4. Rename the targets Forest 1 and Forest 2, if necessary.
You have just created your first well plan.
5. Now create another plan called Bono.
6. Pick two targets - one on the seismic line and the other on the
test_contour_grid. Select the location of your choice.
Note
In the Well Planning window, verify that the NORWAY project is selected
instead of the Forest plan. By keeping the Forest plan selected, creating
targets in the Cube view will continue the well path for the Forest plan instead
of creating targets for a new plan.
7. To extend the new plan to the surface, select Plan Type > Surface
well.
8. Assign an elevation of 20 m to the well plan.

9. Rename the new targets Bono 1 and Bono 2.
The Forest and Bono plans are displayed in the Cube view.
Note
The display of the log curves has been toggled off for better visibility.

Defining Red Line Parameters

1. In the Well Planning window, select the Bono plan and click the
icon. The Red Line View - Bono dialog box appears.
The Red Line parameter values you specify for your well planning
project have to be manually entered and are typically provided by
the drilling engineers on the project. Once you obtain these values,
you can set them for your Well Planning project in the Red Line View
dialog box above.
Values for the Red Line parameters will be the values that you do not
want to exceed in any of the well plans.
2. Select the Parameters tab to view the values for the Red Line
parameters.

3. Define a new set of parameters to satisfy the following constraints:
• Kickoff point must be below 400m.
• Build rate must not exceed 4.0°/30m.
• Drop rates must not exceed 2.5°/30m.
• Due to wellbore stability problems, greater than 1500 m TVD,

the maximum inclination is 65°.
• Beyond 2500 m TVD, it is not recommended to slide or steer the

well; therefore, set the drop rate, turn rate, and inclination equal
to zero.
• Delete the last row of data if necessary, so that your table

resembles the one in the image below.
4. Save as NORWAY 8 and then click the Apply button.

Plan and Section Views
To see the Plan or Section view of a well plan, click the icons in
the Well Planning window.

Moving Targets
To move a single target in Plan or Section view, click the target and drag
it to the desired location. To move multiple targets, press the Ctrl key
as you click on the targets that you want to move. Then, while pressing
and holding the Ctrl key, drag one of the selected targets to the desired
location. All selected targets will move, but maintain the same distance
from each other.
To move a target in the Cube view, change the action from Pick Target
mode to Drag mode in the Well Planning Options task pane. The action
defaults to the Pick Target mode; if you do not change it to Drag mode,
you will be creating new targets instead.

Saving the Project

1. From the Well Planning window, select File > Save Project As.
There are two choices (tabs) when saving the project: The
OpenWorks software database or an external wbp file.
2. For this exercise, save the well plan as a wbp file by selecting the
WBP File tab. Save it with the name NORWAY.wbp. Your instructor
will direct you to the folder in which to save the well plan.
Placing Targets Referenced to a Surface

This mode allows you to create targets with specific parameters related
to different surfaces loaded into the session.
1. Create a new plan named Silver.
2. Verify that the Pick Target option is selected in the Actions panel.
3. In the Interpretation tab in the main window, expand the Basic

panel and make the following changes:
• Change the Color to Green
• Select the Add to current plan check box
• Select the Circle option for Shape
• Target radius is 50 m (for visibility)
4. Expand the Depths panel and set the following parameters:
• Select the Surface option for Model type
• Select OW UNKNOWN test_contour_grid as Surface
• Select the Extract depth check box
• Select the Parallel option for Dip type

• Select the Perpendicular offset check box and set its value as
- 100 m. The negative sign (-) will place the target 100 m above
the surface grid.
5. Pick two targets on the surface grid.

The targets display in the Well Planning window and are now part
of the Silver plan.
6. In the Well Planning window, extend the Silver plan to the surface
and enter an elevation of 10 m.
7. Save the project by clicking the icon. Additionally, save the

session by selecting File > Save Session in the main window.
Snapping Targets
In this section, you will snap the targets in the current well plan to make
them perpendicular to the plan. This feature is useful in highly deviated
and horizontal well plans, where the target is parallel or nearly parallel
to the plan.
1. Select the Silver plan in the Well Planning window.
2. Select Plan > Snap Targets.

3. The Cube view displays how the targets are now oriented
perpendicular to the well path.
Before snapping the targets, they are parallel to the surface grid.
Click the Undo ( ) icon to un-snap the targets before proceeding

further.
Survey Tools
Confirm that the MWD is the default survey tool by performing the
following steps:
1. Select Tools > Survey Tool Editor from the Well Planning window.
2. Enter MWD in the Name field.

3. Select the MWD, MWD - Standard* option from the Survey Tools
section, and make sure that the * Default check box is selected.
Note
If you do not see this tool in the list, click the Import button and select the
MWD.ipm file from the folder indicated by your instructor.
4. Click OK, and then close the Survey Tool Editor.

Uncertainty Calculations
Uncertainty Calculations creates error ellipses to visually illustrate the
positional uncertainty of the well path, based on the survey tool used.
This is especially useful when drilling in tight formations, such as near
a fault.
1. In the Explorer window, right-click the NORWAY project and select

the Project Properties option.
2. Set the following parameters:
• Select the Uncertainty Calculations check box
• Select MWD as the Survey tool
• Set the Survey Interval to 10 m
• Select Norway 8 as the Parameter set
• Select the Apply to all plans option

3. Click OK.
Ellipses of uncertainty are displayed around the well paths. You can
zoom in to better see them.
4. Return to the Project Properties dialog box and clear the

Uncertainty Calculations check box.
Reopening a Well Plan File
1. In the Well Planning tool, save the project by clicking the icon.
2. Practice reopening a well plan file:
• Close only the Well Planning tool, and then reopen it.
• Select File > Open Project from > File.
• Reopen the NORWAY project.

Grab Handles
By clicking a grab handle, it changes into a target that can be dragged to
a new location. The plan will automatically be recalculated to
accommodate the change.
Moving grab handles is different than moving a target because it creates

a new target that is incorporated into the well plan. In addition, since you
can choose the grab handle spacing, you can move any part of the well
plan instead of just at the target locations.
1. Right-click the Silver plan and select the Well Plan Properties
option from the menu.
2. Select the Show grab handles check box and leave the default
spacing at 500 m.
3. Click OK.

The grab handles display along the Silver well path every 50 m. If
required, manipulate the grab handle spacing in order to better fit
your well plan.
4. Click the Select/Drag icon and select any one of the grab
handles and move it around. Note how the Silver plan changes in
the viewer as well as the spreadsheet.
After you move a grab handle, it changes color from green to blue.

The changes are reflected in the Well Planning Explorer window as

a target named GrabHandle 0.
5. Launch the Well Plan Properties window again and clear the
Show grab handles check box.
6. Click OK.
7. Save your Well Planning project.

Displaying Target Labels

1. In the main window, right-click on NORWAY under the Well
Planning Projects tab in the Inventory and select the Display
Properties option.
The Display Properties window appears.
2. Select the Target Names check box.

3. Click OK.
The target labels are displayed.
4. Turn off the target labels and click OK.

Adding a Planning Section

After a well plan is created, you can add sections to the plan.
1. From the Well Planning Explorer window, select the Forest well
plan.
2. Select the last row of the Current Plan that is empty.
Additional well planning options are displayed.
3. Select the Manual check box and set the following parameters:
• Select Length and set it to 300 m
• Set Build to 1.75

• Set Turn to 0.00
4. Repeat the process by adding another section. Ensure that you click
the last empty row first.
• Select Length and set it to 300 m
• Set Build to 1.75
• Set Turn to 0.00
5. View the new extensions of the plan in the current plan and in the
Cube view.

6. Turn off Add Planning Section mode by clicking the first row of the
Current Plan.
7. Save the project.
Advanced Plan Editor

The Advanced Plan Editor can be used to plan, or modify an existing
wellpath using one of several planning methods including:
• Slant
• S Well
• Build Turn
• Dogleg Toolface
• Hold Optimum Align
• Nudge
Note
The following information is for your knowledge only, and is not included as a part
of this exercise.
1. Select the TracPlanner module, and then select the Advanced Plan
Editor mode.
2. In your current project, select the Forest well plan.
You can use the Advanced Plan Editor in two different ways. The first
way is to edit an existing plan.
To do so, use the grid section at the top of the editor to view or change
the plan. The grid is always present and displays the geometry data for

the plan trajectory. Each row in the plan grid is equivalent to a survey
station or change point. In the grid, a plan section can contain between
1 and 6 rows, and the full plan trajectory can contain a number of plan
sections joined together at tie-on lines.
If you are editing the plan, you can use the Insert and Delete buttons as
follows:
• Click Insert to insert a line in the plan immediately above the

selected line. After the line is inserted, use one of the available
planning methods to complete the plan. Do not try to enter data into
the inserted line.
• To remove the inserted line, click the Undo ( ) icon located in the
toolbar.
The second way you can use the Advanced Plan Editor is to create a
plan.
1. Select the planning method you want to use to create a plan.
2. Specify the required parameters associated with the plan method

selected.
3. Calculate the plan using one of the following options:
a. Click the Calculate button to compute the plan section based on

the current parameters.
b. Click the Calculate + Next button to compute the plan section

based on the current parameters and then move the focus to the
next plan section. Using this button, you can calculate several
plan sections without clicking on the blank new row in the grid
after each calculation.
For example, if you want to create an S-shaped well (the following

information is not a part of the exercise):

• 1st hold len: Length of initial hold section before the kick-off.
Enter zero if you do not want any length before the kick-off.
• 1st build: The initial build-up, or drop-off rate.
• Max. angle: The intermediate tangent angle of the profile.
• 2nd hold len: The length of the intermediate tangent section.
• 2nd build: The second build, or drop rate.
• Final Inc: The inclination you want to achieve at the target.
• Final hold: The distance from the end of the last build to the
target. Enter zero if you do not want any straight section before
the target.

Printing Reports
The Well Planning tool has a report format that provides the directional
survey data of the plan and target information.
1. Right-click the Silver well plan and select the Reports option from
the menu.
2. Select the Standard Well Plan option from the Available reports
drop-down list.
3. Click the Generate Report button.
A full report of the Silver well plan is generated and displayed in a

browser window.
(Your results will be different from the example shown above.)
4. Analyze the report. Notice that it provides target northings,

eastings, and depths.
5. When finished, exit the report.

Editing Existing Targets

From the Silver plan, you will change the properties of the GrabHandle
0 target.
1. In the Well Planning Explorer window, right-click the GrabHandle

0 target and select the Target Editor option. Alternatively select
Tools > Target Editor.
The Target Editor window displays. Use the Target Editor to define
target location, display properties, and shape; and for managing
several targets on a wellbore or a site.
2. To change the name, enter the new name over the old one in the
Name field. Enter Control-A as the new name and press Enter.

3. Change the color to red.
4. Select the Geometry tab.
5. Select the Ellipse option.

6. Set Radius 1 to 50 m and Radius 2 to 25 m.
Note
Use the Targets pane (beneath the schematic) to quickly switch between
editing targets by selecting from the list. Be sure to note the other options
available in the Target Editor.

The changes are reflected in the Cube view.
7. Close the Target Editor.
8. Save the project by clicking the icon. Additionally, save the

session by selecting File > Save Session in the main window.

Exercise 2-2. Planning Sidetracks

This exercise will illustrate how to use the TracPlanner module to create
sidetracks from existing wells, particularly:
• Creating sidetracks
• Sidetrack options
• Using sidetrack nets
• Using the Recommend Surface Location and Recommend Kickoff

Depth features
Creating a Sidetrack
First, you will create a target between the Silver well plan and the 6507/
7-8 well.
1. Verify that the Pick Target option is selected in the Actions panel.
2. Locate the Basic and Depths panes. For the new target:
• Clear the Add to current plan check box
• Select the No Model option for Model type
• Radius is 50 m

3. Before placing the target, verify that the NORWAY project is

selected in the Explorer window of the Well Planning window.
Otherwise, the target will become part of another project.

4. Place the target between the Silver plan and the 6507/7-8 well.
5. Exit the Pick Target mode by clicking the icon.

The target is created outside of any existing well plans.
Before you can incorporate a well from the OpenWorks software

database into your project, it needs to be loaded to the Well Planning
Explorer window.

6. Select Data > Load OpenWorks Wells to load the 6507/7-8 well
to the Well Planning Explorer window.
7. Verify that the Viewer wells option is selected.
The Viewer wells option includes only wells that are active in the
Inventory, while the Well List option includes all OpenWorks wells
in the project currently in use.
8. Use the right arrow button to move the 6507/7-8 well to the right
side of the dialog box.
9. Click Close.

The 6507/7-8 well is now part of the Explorer window and can be
selected for a sidetrack.
10. In the Explorer window, right-click the newly created target,

TARGET 1, and select the Sidetrack option from the menu.

The Investigate Sidetrack Options dialog box appears.
This dialog box is used to define parameters for potential sidetracks.

The millout depth is easily changed for quick sensitivity analysis of
various millout depths. Plans are recomputed accordingly, based on
the changes.
11. Click the Apply Parameters button.

The lower section of the Investigate Sidetrack Options dialog box
populates with well plan information for the new sidetrack.
12. Change Maximum length of sidetrack to 5000 m.

13. Change Minimum Millout Depth (MD) to 700 m.
Note
There must be sufficient sidetrack reach (5000 m) to allow for reach to target from
multiple wells. Also, the Minimum Millout Depth (MD) must be high enough to
allow for greater reach from surrounding wells.

Note
After this dialog box is closed, the Cube view will no longer display the
display possibilities. Ensure you leave this window open while navigating
between the Cube view and the Well Planning tool.
For the target picked for this exercise, there are multiple possibilities
for sidetracks from both the Silver plan and the 6507/7-8 well, as
shown in the Cube view.
For this exercise, you will pick any of the sidetrack possibilities.
Note that your sidetrack possibilities might kickoff from different

well plans (i.e., Forest and Bono well plans) than the ones shown in
the image above.
14. Click the icon and pick a sidetrack possibility by clicking on it in

the Cube view or by selecting it from the list in the Investigate
Sidetrack Options dialog box.
The selected sidetrack turns yellow.

15. Select the Create sidetrack as check box in the Investigate

Sidetrack Options window. Leave the name as Sidetrack and click
OK.
The selected sidetrack now displays in the Cube view.

16. After the sidetrack is created, it is displayed under the plan from
which it kicks off. In this case, the plan is Silver.
17. Play with the sidetrack design by changing the values for Millout
depth, Dogleg severity, and Extend in the Well Planning window.
Observe each change in the Cube view and the Current Plan -
Sidetrack spreadsheet.
18. Set the values back to their original values by clicking the Undo
( ) icon.
19. Save the Well Planning project first and then your session.

20. For practice, exit the DecisionSpace software and launch the
session you just saved (NORWAY Manual Planning).
When calling the session, only session data will display in the main
window. You will need to launch the Well Planning tool to display
the NORWAY project and its plans.
If no project displays, you will need to open the project by selecting

File > Open Project from > File.
Using Sidetrack Nets

You will test whether it is possible to reach you target via the new
sidetrack without exceeding the Red Line parameters you defined
earlier.
1. In the Well Planning Explorer window, select the well plan that
contains Sidetrack, the newly created sidetrack. Right-click the well
plan and select the Well Plan Properties option from the menu.
2. After the Well Plan Properties dialog box opens, verify that
NORWAY 8 is set as Parameter Set. Then click the Show
Sidetrack Net button.

3. The following parameters were used for the targets picked in this
exercise, but might not be sufficient for the targets you choose:
4. Click the Apply button.
The sidetrack net displays in the Cube view.
The sidetrack net displays how far you can reach sidetracking from
the Silver plan while honoring the Red Line parameters and the
sidetrack parameters (Millout depth, Sidetrack length, and
Maximum turn). Try reducing the maximum turn and/or increasing
the sidetrack length to focus the net around the targets.
Can you reach your target under these parameters? If not, try
changing them or changing the Red Line parameters.
5. Click Cancel in both windows to close the sidetrack net display.

Recommend Surface Location and Recommend Kickoff Depth

Recommend Surface Location and Recommend Kickoff Depth are
used after you specify a hold angle. They provide a surface location or
kickoff depth by using a hold angle very close to the specified hold
angle.
1. Select the Bono well plan. The Recommend Surface Location and
the Recommend Kickoff Depth buttons are grayed out until a new
Hold angle is specified.
2. Enter a hold angle of 20°, and then press Enter.
The Recommend Surface Location and Recommend Kickoff

Depth buttons are now active:
3. Click Recommend Surface Location and observe the changes to

the Current Plan - Bono spreadsheet and to the well plan in the
Cube view.
4. Click the Undo ( ) icon to return to the original values.
5. Change the hold angle back to 20° and click the Recommend
Kickoff Depth button.
6. Observe the changes in the spreadsheet and in the Cube view.
7. Save the project and session.

Exercise 2-3. Optimizing a Plan

The optimization offered by the Plan Optimization mode will look for
the shortest and most convenient well to drill by finding the best
combination out of the following parameters:
• Kickoff and/or millout depth
• Hold angle
• Target penetration point
• Anticollision (separation distance from offset wells)
Plans can be optimized at both the individual level and the pad level
(that is, all plans under a pad can be optimized at one time). The context
of this optimization is based on what is currently active in the tree. If a
plan is active, the plan optimization will be at the individual plan
penetration point. If a pad is active in the tree, the optimization will
occur for all plans under the pad.
Using Plan Optimization

1. In the Well Planning tool, select the Plan Optimization mode in the
TracPlanner module.
2. Select the Silver plan.

3. Select the Optimize Kick-off Depth check box and set the
following parameters:
Minimum kickoff depth: 150 m
Maximum kickoff depth: 1000 m
Minimum hold angle: 30 deg
Maximum hold angle: 40 deg
4. Click the Optimize button.
The lower portion of the screen depicts optimized parameters.

Improved parameters are depicted in green, while the red font
represents worsened parameters. In this example, the trajectory was

shortened and the maximum turn was reduced (green font), while the
max drop was increased (red font).
5. Return to the Manual Planning mode.
6. Save the project.
Saving a Well Plan to OpenWorks

Sometimes, you will need to save well plans to OpenWorks so that other
users can have access to the same well plan. NOTE: The actual level
which will be saved will be the Well Plan Project.
In this exercise, you will only save the Silver well plan to the database.
However, before you proceed, you will need to remove the other plans
and wells from the well planning project.
Deleting Wells and Well Plans from a Well Planning Project

1. Select the unwanted plans, right-click the selected plans and select
the Delete option from the menu.
2. Remove all plans except the Silver plan.
3. When deleting the well plans, the targets are released from the
plans. Delete the targets as well.
The Explorer window should match the following:

Saving a Well Plan

You will now save the Silver well plan to OpenWorks.
1. From the Well Planning window, select File > Save Project As and
then select the OpenWorks tab.
2. Enter Silver - Plan in the Name field.
3. Click OK.
The save operation could take a few minutes.
Note
Remember that you have not lost any data created in previous exercises using
the TracPlanner software. Everything—plans, targets, and project
information—is contained in the NORWAY.wbp file.

Exercise 2-4. Creating and Managing Targets

• Create, delete, and edit targets and boundaries in the Target Editor
• Create a well plan to specific surface coordinates
• Create a target from an intercept to a geological formation and

determine its TVDSS
• Use the Pick Site function to manually place platforms on the

surface
• Use the Target Spreadsheet Editor to organize and quickly find

target information
• Use the Target Parameters to export important target information
Creating a DecisionSpace Session

1. Open DecisionSpace.
2. Select the New Sessions ( ) tab.

icon.
Click Select All to activate all license modules.

populate with the session parameters drop-
down menus.

4. Select the following from the Selection drop-down lists of the

Project: NORWAY_DSWP
Measurement System: SPE Preferred Metric
Domain: Depth
Interpreter: LGC
5. Click OK.

Loading the Geological Model

1. After the program opens, load the following data in the data selector
by selecting File > Select Session Data or by clicking the icon.
Surface Grid: test_contour_grid
Fault: DepthTDQ_Fault-10
Note
Faults can be selected after expanding the Faults tab in the Explorer window.
Similarly, Surface Grids are located under the Mapping tab.
2. Click OK to exit. The fault and surface grid should now be loaded
into the Cube view.
Incorporating Hazards from Geoshapers into the Field Plan

A GeoShaper is a simple drawing you create to enhance your
interpretation. GeoShapers can be lines, points, or polygons that can be
connected to form a 3D surface. The points (or nodes) in these drawings
can be exported to an OpenWorks point set. You might use a polygon
with a lithology fill to express a geologic feature you want to make other

interpreters aware of. Or, you might use lines to indicate boundaries,
roads, gas lines, or cabling systems.
1. From the Well Planning window, select File > Open Project from
> OpenWorks and select the Target Creation project.
This opens a project with a defined lease boundary, in the form of a
polygon. The lease has been extended to total depth, and is depicted
in the Well Planning tool, as well as the Map and Cube views.
Lease
Boundary
Lease
Boundary
2. With the DepthTDQ_Fault showing in the Map view, open the

Interpretation task pane in the main DSG window.

3. Click the Geoshaper Interpretation ( ) icon from the

Interpretation task pane.
4. Click the Create new Geoshaper ( ) icon to create a new

Geoshaper called Pipeline.
5. Select the Polygon option from the Actions section.
6. Select the Test_contour_grid option from the Z Value Extraction

section.

7. Digitize the pipeline as shown below.
8. From the Well Planning window, select Tools > Geoshapers to

Targets.
The Extract Polygonal Targets from Geoshapers dialog box
appears.
9. Select the Convert check box.
10. Select the Hazard option.
11. Enter Hazard for the Prefix option.
12. Set the Buffer size option to 150.

13. Click the Apply button and then the Close button.
14. Check buffer zone around the pipeline from target surface to rig
surface.

Using the Target Editor

In the DecisionSpace software, we define a target as a point in a
geological space that is used as an aiming point or volume for directing
wellbores. Use the Target Editor to define target location and shape, and
for managing several targets on a wellbore or a site.
1. In order to access the Target Editor, ensure you are in the Well
Planning window. Right-click a project or target and select the
Target Editor option from the menu. Alternatively, you can select
Tools > Target Editor.
This opens the Target Editor dialog box with our Boundary1 target
already loaded:
Within the Target Editor, you can edit, create, and delete targets for
your well plans.
2. Click the Create button to create a new target.

The Create a new Target dialog box appears. Here, you can enter
Target Name, TVD, and Map easting/northing.

3. Enter the following parameters:
Target name: DRAINAGE
TVD (subsea): 2950 m
Map easting: 420252 m
Map northing: 7244263 m
4. Click OK.
When working within the Target Editor, you can easily switch
between targets by selecting from the list in the Targets panel.
5. Ensure that the DRAINAGE target is selected.
7. We will be modeling a drainage area, so select the Rectangle

option. This reveals a new set of parameters to be defined.
8. Set the Height and Width to 1000 m each.
9. In the Thickness pane, change the Up distance to 25 m and the

Down distance to 25 m.

10. Set the value of the Orientation, Dip, and Azimuth fields to 0.
The Orientation field specifies the direction that the shape is facing,
while the Dip is the inclination of the target from the horizon.
Azimuth refers to the direction of the point of the maximum dip (in
degrees clockwise from North).
11. Set the X and Y offset to 0 m each. This indicates that the target is
set to penetrate the target in the center. In order to penetrate off-
center, you can change the values in these fields to reflect that.
12. Select the Name and Location tab. This tab is used to edit target
properties related to location, type, and color.
13. Ensure that the Type option is selected and change it to Target.
The Type option allows you to specify whether the target is a

boundary, target, hazard, or a user-defined type, such as producer or
injector. This option becomes important when filtering targets. In
addition, each type of target retains some of the same options, such
as target color, target prefix, spacing radius, etc. The Feature option
is used to specify additional reference information. This information
will not influence any calculations and will be displayed in the

Target Spreadsheet Editor (we will revisit the Target Spreadsheet

Editor later).
14. Next ensure that the Opt. align angle drop-down is set to
Unlocked, while the Movement drop-down is set to Locked.
If the Opt Align Angle is set to Locked, and the planning method is
set to Optimum Align, then the algorithm will force the well path to
intersect the target in a perpendicular manner. Otherwise, it will
intersect the target at an angle that points toward the next target (or
away from previous if it is the last target).
By locking Movement, the target will not be able to be moved. This

becomes significant when working will many closely spaced targets
because it eliminates the chance of accidentally moving a target
during editing.
Note
The Vertical Depth and Center Location panes are populated with the
parameters previous inputted.

15. Change the Color to dark blue.
The Name and Location tab should be as shown here.
Note
Changes made to targets in the Target Editor are automatically saved.
16. Now create another target with the following coordinates, by

clicking the Create button:

Create a New Target
Name: TARGET A1
TVD (subsea): 1500 m
Map easting: 420847 m
Map northing: 7243516 m

Name and Location Tab

Type: Target
Color: Green
Optimum Align: Unlocked
Movement: Locked

Geometry Tab
Shape: Circle
Radius: 50 m
X/Y offset: 0/0 m
Up distance: 0m
Down distance: 0m
Dip/Azimuth: 0/0 deg

In addition to the Target Editor, the targets and boundary appear in

the Cube view. Note that as you change the targets in the Target
Editor, they are automatically updated in the Cube view to reflect the
changes.

These also display in the Map view.
17. Close the Target Editor.
Creating a Well Plan to a Specific Surface Location

After creating a set of targets, you can create a well plan.
1. Right-click the Target Creation project and select the New Plan
2. Name the plan Odyssey and click OK.
3. Drag both targets into the Odyssey plan.

4. The boundary should remain a project property, and should not be

associated with a plan.

5. Extend the plan to the surface by selecting the Surface Well option
from the Plan type drop-down.
This reveals more options. Here, you can input the appropriate
parameters of your platform, including surface coordinates,
elevation, kickoff depth, and hold angle.
6. Input the following parameters to reflect the surface requirements.

This is where you can input the specific platform location, if
necessary.

The Cube and Map view, updated with the surface location
coordinates entered, are shown here.

Creating a Platform or Surface Well Using “Pick Site”

Note
The following information is for your knowledge only and is not included as a part
of this exercise.
When creating a well plan, it might be more efficient due to lease,

hazard, boundary, and topography concerns, to first pick a well site
location. That is, to place a pad or platform manually in Cube view. This
feature allows you to pick a site or surface well. However, in both
instances, a well plan will be attributed to but will be empty and have no
path until you add targets to it, and give it an extension or manually plan
it.
When the Pick Site option is selected under the Actions panel, the
options under the Basic and Depths panels update to accommodate
picking a site location.
Notice, the Basic panel now allows you to choose from placing a surface
well or a platform. The platform type can be chosen from the drop-
down. The basic panel is populated with the platforms defined in the
Platform Type Editor (described in later sections).
Additionally, in the Basic panel, the following options exist:

• Create Laterals – Use this option to create horizontal target stubs

in addition to the site. The parameters for the stubs can be chosen
from AssetPlanner > Targeting Module. Additionally, when
picking the site, click and drag to orient the laterals in the direction
of the drag action.
• Use Horizontal Positioning - If this option is selected, the user will

be unable to use the Use Platform Positioning option. When
manually picking sites, the application will use the positioning
options dictated in AssetPlanner > Targeting Mode > Horizontal
> Position. Also the Create pads option must be selected. If
picking a site using a surface grid, the user has the option to enter a
min and max grid elevation value and set slope limitations. Also,
boundaries can be used but is optional (AssetPlanner > Targeting
Mode > Horizontal > Type). If the options in this dialog box are
exceeded when manually picking a site, then the application will
adjust the platform to a suitable location based on the Maximum
movement field. A prompt will then appear for the proposed
change and the user can approve the change, reject it or cancel the
operation.

• Use Platform Positioning – If this option is selected, then the user

will be unable to use the Horizontal Positioning option. When
manually picking sites, the application will use the positioning
options dictated in AssetPlanner > Planning Mode. If picking a
site using a surface grid, the user has the option to enter a min and
max grid elevation value and set slope limitations. Also, boundaries
can be used but is optional. If the options in this dialog box are
exceeded when manually picking a site, then the application will
adjust the platform to a suitable location based on the Maximum
movement field. A prompt will then appear for the proposed
change and the user can approve the change, reject it or cancel the
operation.

The Depths panel allows you to specify the rig floor height using a fixed
depth or relative to a surface. In addition, you can specify ground level
or water depth, depending if the well is onshore or offshore.
When referencing to a surface, you can specify a relative depth above or

below the surface using the Offset field.
Flip Surface allows you to change the sign of the vertical component of
a surface grid (depth or time).
Note
This function becomes available when you select “Relative to a Surface.”
The Pattern panel allows you to set a pattern of sites in the same way
done for targets.

The Cube view will reflect the site or surface well that you have picked.

Creating Intercepts to Targets

When drilling, many times MD is not reliable or accurate enough to
describe a surface for well planning purposes. In this case, we can create
a target from an intercept of a well plan to a geological feature. This
allows us to define an accurate TVDSS for the intersection between a
surface and a proposed well plan.
1. In the Well Planning tool, select Tools > Intercepts to Targets.
2. Select the OW UNKNOWN test_contour_grid surface and the

Odyssey plan, and set the Height and Width to 100 m.
3. Leave the other entries as default. Your parameters should match

what is shown here.

4. Click OK.
The intercept is now portrayed as a green target in the Well Planning

hierarchy under the Odyssey plan. In addition, it is shown in the
Cube view.
5. Open the Target Editor and navigate to the intercept target.
Here you can read the TVD (Subsea) for this target, indicating that
this is the depth at which the well plan intersects the geological
feature of focus. In our case, this depth is 2450.29 m.

Using Wellbore Analyzer to Create Picks and Log Curve Intersections

The Wellbore Analyzer (WBA) tool computes the intersections
between wells and well plans with various data types to create
surface picks or log curves. It supports detailed well position
analysis by extracting geophysical attributes along a wellbore from
3D seismic or 3D grids. In addition, it uses geological data, such as
surface grids or horizons to create surface picks.
These outputs are valuable pieces of data used in well prognoses and
other reports. This tool allows you to rapidly calculate this
information for many wells and well plans and easily export them.
The WBA workspace is divided into two parts. The upper panel is
reserved for selecting the desired wells or well plans to include in the
tool’s analysis. The bottom panel allows you to select the desired
data type to use for the analysis.
There are options for geophysical data (the 3D Surveys and 3D Grids
tabs), as well as geological data (the Surface Grids and Horizons
tabs).
The upper portion displays the Wells tab by default. When selected,
the Select wells panel is revealed, containing the Well List drop-
down menu and a space to display the wells attributed to a selected
well list.
Note that the Well List drop-down menu in the Wells tab, and the
Well Planning Project drop-down menu in the Well Plan tab
contain only data loaded in the session. This is also true for the
geoscience data in the tabs below them.
The Well Planning Project option can be used to generate well

prognoses of surface intersections with either grids or horizons.
Note
In order to incorporate well plans into the analysis, they must first be saved as
OpenWorks wells by clicking anywhere within the Well Planning tool hierarchy and
then selecting Data > Save as OpenWorks wells. Then select the wells of interest
and a well list if preferred, and click OK. If not saved to a well list, the well plan(s)
will be included in the ALL_WELLS well list.

We will first create a log curve for a set of wells based upon the
geophysical data from a 3D seismic volume:
1. Access the Wellbore Analyzer tool by selecting Tools > Wellbore

Analyzer.

The Wellbore Analyzer dialog box appears:
2. Select the following information in the Wellbore Analyzer dialog

box:
Well List: demo wells
3D Surveys: fusion
Survey table: full_offset.cmp_depth
3. Click the Select All ( ) icon to select all the listed wells.

4. Select the Use check box and click Apply.
A progress bar indicates that the software is performing the analysis

calculations.
The Wellbore Analyzer Status Report window indicates if each well

or well plan crosses the data selected and whether or not the
intersection was successful. If the well intersected the selected data,
the status will display as a success indicated by a Green check mark

icon. If it did not intersect, the status will display as a No Intersection

X icon.
Clicking on a Green check mark in the Wellbore Analyzer Status

Report window will launch the Log Curve Intersection Report
window, which depicts a table view of the curves or picks for that
particular well or well plan.
After calculating is complete the software creates amplitude log

curves derived from the selected wells and seismic volume. The log
name, found in the Log Curve Name column is
full_offset.cmp_depth.
The tabular results of every well in the report can be exported to

either a .csv file by clicking the icon, or a .las file by clicking the
icon.

5. Click on a Green check mark in the Wellbore Analyzer Status

Report window to view the seismic log curve generated:
Alternatively, view the log in the Curve Dictionary of the

OpenWorks software (Right click the full_offset.cmp_depth log in

the Inventory and select the Curve Dictionary option).:
View the logs against the actual wells, snapped to the seismic, in
the Section view:

Creating Surface Picks for Multiple Wells from Surface Grids

(Geological Data)
Now we will create a surface pick based on well plans using the same
Wellbore Analyzer (WBA) tool. This process is very similar to the one
above, but instead uses geological surface grid data and planned wells,
rather than existing wells, to produce surface picks.
1. In the Wellbore Analyzer workspace, click the Select All icon.

The well intersections with the 0_DEMO_TOP_RES_DEPTH
horizon has yet to be interpreted on these wells.
2. Select the Horizons tab.
3. Make sure to select the option to create a new surface in the Surface
column.

4. Click Apply.
This creates surface picks for the selected wells. A Wellbore
Analyzer Status Report appears once the task is complete.
5. Click on the Green check in the Wellbore Analyzer Status Report

window by the surface pick name to display the picks created using
the WBA tool.

6. You can also view the wells, in the Cube view:

Importing Targets
1. If not already open, launch the Well Planning software by selecting
Tools > Well Planning.
2. Select Data > Import Targets to import user-defined target lists.

Before you import the.csv file, make sure you know the format so
you can correctly set your column order.
3. Select the Nor_point_targets.csv file. Your instructor will tell you

the file location.
Based on the format of the Nor_point_targets.csv file (shown

below), you can now build the import format.
4. Using the column heading as a guide, set the following:
Map East (Easting): 2
Map North (Northing): 3
VSS (TVDSS): 4
Target name: 1

5. Select the Positive Down check box.
6. Enter the following parameters:
Target Shape: Point
Delimiter: User Defined ( ,)
Lines to skip: 1
Delimiter refers to the character or space that marks the beginning

or end of a data element and is used to separate different data
elements.

7. Click OK.
The Target Import dialog box appears, describing the number of
targets that will be loaded.
8. Click Yes.
The targets are imported and displayed in the Cube view and Map view.
In the Map view, the surface grid and fault were set to invisible to aid in
visibility.


Exporting from Target Parameters Dialog Box

This dialog box displays all the calculated parameters for all targets in a
sortable spreadsheet format. Parameters may be toggled, sorted, filtered,
reordered, and exported. Using the Target Parameters Controller
button it is possible to control whether values are updated in real-time as
targets are moved, or update after a move is completed.
New columns can be created, allowing external data to be imported and

tied to a target set, and potentially used for automatic target
prioritization using AssetPlanner or ScenarioPlanner.
1. In the Well Planning tool, select Edit> Target Parameters or click

the icon.
2. Click Parm. Controller. This opens the dialog box that controls the
target parameters displayed.
Each parameter has a drop-down list with the following options:
• Inactive: The parameter will not be calculated
• Evaluate Once: Computes the parameter one time when OK is

selected
• Evaluate After Move: Computes that parameter when OK is

selected, and then recomputes the parameter each time there is a
change to the target

• Evaluate While Moving: Computes the parameter when OK is

selected and also dynamically updates the computation as the
target is moved, which significantly will slow down target
moving (dragging)
3. Select the Evaluate After Move option for the following

parameters:
• Northing
• Easting
• TVD-RKB
4. Leave all other parameters Inactive and click OK.
Note
You can drag the columns to the desired order. In addition, after selecting
cells, you can press Ctrl+C and then paste into Microsoft® Excel.

5. Select the icon at the top of the dialog box. This opens the
Column Management Tool, where you can select desired columns
to be displayed.
6. Select the following columns and then click Close:
• Target
• Northing
• Easting
• TVDSS

Note
You can search for specific targets and/or their attributes by typing in the Look
for field at the top of the dialog box. Use the picklist next to the field to
indicate which attribute you are searching in. The items in this picklist will
reflect which columns you have chosen to be displayed. Click the search
icon or filter icon to see results.
The parameters shown can be edited by clicking the Parm.

Controller or Filter buttons.
Only the activated columns appear in the Target Parameters dialog

box.
7. Click the Export button and save to the computer desktop. This
saves the parameters as a.csv file that can be imported into other
applications, such as Microsoft® Excel.
8. Close the Target Parameters window.
Using the Target Spreadsheet Editor

Like the Target Parameters dialog box, you can view information about
the targets; however, in the Target Spreadsheet Editor, you can edit the
information as well. You can also export target information in a .csv file.
You can also delete plans from the Spreadsheet Editor.

The Targets tab supports polygonal targets. You cannot edit the
polygons within the spreadsheet but you can change the target shape-
type (e.g. from polygonal to rectangular).
Use this spreadsheet to simultaneously edit all target data for selected
targets. Once an edit is made, it can be applied to all selected targets.
This spreadsheet is very useful when editing entire groups or types of

targets with the same changes. For example, changing the color of
Producers to yellow or all targets deeper than 4000 m into rectangles.
Note that this feature does not allow this functionality with multiple
hazards, boundaries, or polygonal targets.
The filter and column selector are used in the same manner as in the
Target Parameters dialog box.
1. In the Well Planning tool, select Tools > Spreadsheet Editor to

view information about the targets, such as locations and depths.
Note
Your spreadsheet will be slightly different from the one below.

2. We are only interested in seeing the targets that are deeper than
2500 m. In order to do this, we must open the Advanced Search
and Filter feature by clicking the icon. This opens the
Advanced Search/Filter dialog box.
3. In the TVD row, select the greater than option from the picklist
and enter 2500 (m) in the Value column.
4. Click the Filter button, and click Close.
The Target Spreadsheet Editor now only displays targets that are
deeper than 2500 m.
Now we will change the color of all these targets to red.

5. Change the first target color to red by clicking the Color box and
selecting red.
6. Select all the targets displayed in the Target Spreadsheet Editor and
click the Apply Last Edit to Selected button. This applies the red
color to all of the targets that are deeper than 2500.

The Cube view reflects the changes.
Note
You can only edit one cell value at a time. If you want to change more than
one value to apply to all, you must repeat the steps.
Exporting Polygons
When creating lease boundaries or other hazards, it might be beneficial
to export that polygon.
1. Select Data > Export Polygons.
This opens a basic Save dialog box, except with two additional
options:
• Include center point

• Comma separated
2. Select the Comma separated check box and save to the computer
desktop.
3. Open the file with a program like Notepad to see the results.
The resulting data is organized first by Target Name, then Easting,

then Northing, then TVD. The first and last rows contain the same
information because the software uses the same point to close the
polygon.
If you select the Include center point check box, the center point
will be exported as the first point.
4. Save your session.


Chapter 3
AssetPlanner
Field Development Planning
Landmark's AssetPlanner application enables asset teams to generate field development
scenarios; including target generation, path planning, platform requirements/positioning, and
perforation intervals; automatically in the 2D and 3D visualization environment of the
DecisionSpace software.
The AssetPlanner software, using designated sets of targets supplied by an asset team, generates
time and cost information, including contingency costs, for individual plans as well as for the
entire development prospect. Users can quickly determine if development plans are within budget
or if they meet economic and time thresholds. Development scenarios can be quickly regenerated
based on planning or requirement changes, enabling asset teams to iterate rapidly through
planning scenarios and fine tune them to meet geologic, engineering, and economic objectives.
This application is invaluable in the early stages of offshore platform development and
unconventional development planning.
In addition to using AssetPlanner with imported target sets, Classic Targeting and Basic Planning
options were created with the goal of providing well paths that hit the high pay spots within the
3D reservoir models. These can be used for simulation purposes. They are not really suitable for
doing actual field development work, but may help to organize practical platform positioning for
the highest density of targets and aid in selecting actual target locations.
Using Classic Targeting, you will learn how to perform automatic target generation in 3D seismic
or reservoir models, automatic well planning to hit those targets, cost estimation, general
configuration of sites, platform, plan types, and other parameters needed to execute the rapid field
development planning workflow.

Chapter 3: AssetPlanner Field Development Planning
Overview
In this chapter, you will learn about:
• How to define set of targets on 3D objects using the automatic

targeting tool
• How to create an optimized set of platforms and well plans
• Perforation length calculation based on reservoir model properties

filtering criteria
• Field development cost estimation

Auto-Targeting
The first tab in the AssetPlanner software application is the interface

used for the auto-targeting function. It consists of two modes: Classic
and Pattern.
Targeting - Classic
Use Classic mode for auto-targeting. Targets can be created from
seismic location data or from a 3D grid with rock properties. To use this
functionality, the user will need to have seismic data or a 3D grid loaded.
The example below shows a 3D grid file that contains rock properties
such as porosity, permeability, oil saturation, and water saturation.
Auto targeting in the Classic tab

In the previous image, a 3D model has been loaded from a vdb file. The
Objective Property is phie2_1 (Porosity). There are two filters used to
generate targets that will honor those formation properties values
constraints, phie and KLayer.
The following options are managed in this tab:
• Honor existing plans avoids new targets intercepting existing

wells or plans. This is usually selected, as most people do not want
to target in areas where wells have already been drilled, or there are
currently plans for wells to be drilled.
• Sum prop. across spacing radius considers the size of the target in
AssetPlanner software with respect to the property to be
maximized. If deselected, there may be targets that have a high SO
value at the center, but very poor SO values towards the peripheral
of the target. If you are simply looking for the highest values, leave
this unchecked. If you want to consider the value across the entire
target geometry, check it.
• Honor existing targets positions new targets so that they do not

overlap current ones. This option is similar to Honor existing plans.
If targets are hand-picked and present, select this option to ensure
that new targets will not overlap.
• Flip property sign tells the AssetPlanner software that a higher

negative value is better than a lower negative value because, when
targeting against seismic, the property being maximized may be
negative. If checked, -100 is better than -50. If unchecked, -50 is
the better value.
• Spacing radius determines the minimum distance between the

centers of two targets. Since it is a radius, the value entered here
should be half the distance between the centers. If you want the
target centers to be 1000 m apart, enter 500 m in this field.
• Target radius sets the radius of the generated targets.
• Vertical offset determines the distance (if any) of the target offset
from where the AssetPlanner software positions the target in TVD.
Negative offsets are above and positive are below. You may want to
use Vertical offset if targeting against an OpenWorks software
contact.

• Max. # of targets determines the maximum number of targets to

generate.
— Percent of possible targets restricts the number of possible

targets. AssetPlanner software will compute the total number of
targets and then use this percentage to determine how many
targets to create. If both Max # of targets and Percent of
possible targets options are selected, whichever option results in
the least number of targets will be used.
— Target prefix specifies the prefix for each target created.
— Color specifies the color of the targets generated.
— Filters assist target picking. When picking targets, the value to

be maximized is not the only criteria used in deciding where
targets should be placed. Other properties, like porosity and
permeability, come into play. Any parameter contained in the
grid can be used as a filter, in addition to TVD, Northing, and
Easting.
Note
Auto-targeting can be done in phases. If you want to change the filter criteria and
regenerate the target set, you must use the Undo feature to remove the current
targets for that type prior to regenerating them.

Targeting - Pattern
Use Pattern targeting to create a pattern of multiple targets for standard
producer/injector patterns. This feature does not use an inverted pattern
for injectors. Instead, it uses the Primary Target tab for one target type
and the Secondary Target tab for another target type. The targets created
using this tab are intended for single target vertical or S-shaped wells
rather than for horizontal wells.
Auto-targeting in the Pattern tab
More details about this targeting method will be provided in the exercise
section.

Planning
Once you have created or imported a set of targets, the next step is to
create the well plans. In the Planning tab, there are two sub-tabs: Sites
and Plans. The Sites tab specifies the platform requirements, while the
Plans tab specifies the plan requirements and constraints.
Sites Tab
In the Sites tab, you specify pad/platform requirements. The tab has sub-
sections where you specify different requirements.
The Planning tab - Sites

These sub-sections are described below:
Site Section
The four options available in the Site section are:
• Use surface wells tells the AssetPlanner software to generate

surface wells with optimal surface locations based on the trajectory
constraints.
• Use existing platforms tells the AssetPlanner software to use

existing platforms, if present. You can limit which platforms the
AssetPlanner software uses by selecting or clearing them in the
tree. Only selected platforms will be used. The AssetPlanner
software attempts to add plans to existing platforms only if slots are
available. If a slot template is not present, it will use the number of
slots specified for the platform type used (defined in the Platform
Type Editor).
• Select from suggested tells the AssetPlanner software to use

available platforms that you have specified. This is useful when you
know where you can or cannot put platforms. You can input
platforms that are in visible locations and then let the software
choose from those. The software takes the existing platforms as
suggestions, clears the ones it does not need, and plans from the
rest. This option was available before hazard avoidance was
introduced.
• Calculate platforms tells the AssetPlanner software to compute

platforms. Even with this option selected, it will attempt to plan
from existing platforms. If this is not the behavior desired, you will
need to clear the existing platforms in the tree before running the
analysis.

Number and Type of Platforms Section
The available options are:
• Fixed number of platforms sets the number of platforms if the

Calculate platforms option is selected. This number will include
the existing platforms and any calculated ones.
• Minimum targets per platform specifies the minimum number of

targets allowable for a platform. The AssetPlanner software
optimizes platform placement so that each platform has the
minimum number of targets.
• Platform coverage optimizes platform coverage based on a

percentage of targets hit. When it is set to 100%, it generates as
many platforms as are required for all of the targets.
• Override Targets per slot overrides the number of targets per slot
by the number entered. the AssetPlanner software has to estimate
how many targets each slot will use on average when trying to
determine how many targets each platform can hit.
If you have only one plan type with single target selected or multi-
target selected, it is straightforward.
If you have S-shaped wells and both single- and multi-targets are
selected, the AssetPlanner software will estimate 1.3 targets per slot.
The targets will almost never be lined up well enough to create
multi-target S-shaped wells. Use this option to indicate how many
targets per well you want to use. If this box is not selected, the
AssetPlanner software determines how many targets to allocate to a
slot. Use the Calculate button to view the targets per slot determined
by the AssetPlanner software. Also, if you know that there are very
few cases in which a target at the upper surface does not have a
lower-surface target directly below it in your dataset, you might
want to change the Override targets per slot option from 1.3 to 2,
as that is much closer to what you will actually get.

• Calculate shows what calculation the software will use before you
override it.
• Use boundaries places all platforms within the boundary targets

that are currently active. The Setback option can be used to put the
platform at a certain distance from the boundary.
Available Platform Types
There are numerous platform types available for use in the Platform
Type Editor. You should tell the AssetPlanner software what platform
type(s) you want to use in the analysis. Remember, this is critical from
a cost perspective as well as from a capacity standpoint with respect to
how many plans can be drilled from the platform.
You should always make sure the parameters are set correctly in the
Platform Type Editor for the platforms you plan on using. In order to use
platform types, select them and move them to the Selected column.
You can specify more than one platform type and how many of each
should be used. If you are using different platform types, the order in
which the types are placed makes a difference. The planning starts at the
top of the selected list, then moves down accordingly. Since there is a
good chance you will not put enough platforms in the list to complete
the planning, the software assumes that the last platform type in the list
is to be used to fill out the remainder of the field regardless of the
number entered for that type. This means any number entered for the last
platform type is irrelevant.
So, if you request one Tension Leg Platform (TLP), four Mini-TLPs, and
Subsea Tiebacks (in that order), the AssetPlanner software first creates
a TLP. If that is sufficient for the number of platforms or percentage of
targets to cover, nothing else is created. If that is not sufficient, it will
create up to four Mini-TLPs. Then, if more platforms are needed, it will
create as many Subsea Tiebacks as needed until either the fixed number
of platforms or the platform coverage has been reached.

In the given example, if the project required about 50 slots, it could

probably be planned with just the TLP and the four Mini-TLPs,
depending upon spacing and reach. So, about five platforms would be
planned. On the other hand, if the user had specified one TLP, one Mini-
TLP, and Subsea Tiebacks, it would need to create a large number of
tiebacks, since they do not have many slots.
Use Grid Options
The Use Grid option allows you to position a pad using grid information
(topographic grid or others). Based on your selection, the pad could be
placed above the grid.
If you select this check box to select a grid from the drop-down menu,
the drop-down list will be populated with surface grids you have loaded.
However, if you do not have any surface grids loaded, the drop-down
list will be empty.
Additional options include:
• Positive Up interprets the grid assuming positive numbers are up.
• KB elevation specifies the KB elevation.
— Fixed specifies the KB elevation relative to sea level.
— Above Grid specifies the KB elevation relative to the grid.
• Water Depth specifies the water depth.
— Fixed indicates that you are on land or that you do not have a
grid and are estimating the water depth. Use the associated field
to specify the water depth.
— From Grid indicates that the water depth should be determined

from the grid. The water depth will be displayed in the
associated field, but you will not be able to edit it.

• Minimum/Maximum grid value indicates the sections of the grid

that are used for site (platforms, pads) placement. You can use the
Minimum and Maximum grid values to indicate a range of
acceptable elevations in which to put a platform. You can also limit
the site placement to fairly level land.
• Maximum slope indicates the maximum allowable slope of the

land.
• Extent specifies the slope of the plan and the platform.
Plans Tab
After completing the site/platform requirements, the planning phase can
be started. The Plans tab is used to define what types of plans should be
designed both from a plan type perspective as well as the constraints
used in designing the trajectory.
There are two modes of operation available:
• Auto-planning Basic Mode
• Auto-planning Advanced Mode

Auto-planning Basic Mode

The Basic mode is used when specific plan types are not required, and
you want to quickly compute a trajectory type from a smaller number of
parameters.
The Planning tab - Plans (Basic mode)
The Basic mode has the following sub sections:
Basic Parameters Section:

• Single target wells indicates that single target wells are acceptable
(every plan will penetrate only one target).
• Multi-target wells tells the AssetPlanner software to connect as

many targets per plan as possible within the planning constraints
specified.

• Hold angle specifies the desired hold angle for plans.
• Dogleg severity specifies the desired dogleg severity for the plans.
If zero is entered, the values from the red line parameter set will be
used. This is useful if you want to vary the dogleg based on depth.
Remember, this is a desired dogleg, and the AssetPlanner software
will go higher if necessary to plan the well. On the other hand, if the
results in the plan turn too sharply or drop too fast, the plan will be
flagged and will not be computed.
• Maximum inclination specifies the maximum inclination for the

plans.
• Maximum turn rate specifies the maximum turn rate for the plans.
• Maximum drop rate specifies the maximum drop rate for the
plans.
Multi-Lateral Parameters Section:

• Multi-lateral wells tells the AssetPlanner software to attempt to
plan multi-lateral wells.
• Maximum multi-lateral reach specifies the maximum step- out

from the parent bore (from the KOP) a multi-lateral can reach.
• Minimum millout spacing specifies the minimum distance

required between laterals.
• Maximum laterals per well specifies the maximum number of

laterals allowed off a parent bore.
Drilling Restrictions Section:

• Maximum reach specifies the maximum reach from the surface to
the final target (that is, distance from surface to target in Plan view)
for any plan.
• Minimum kick-off specifies the minimum kickoff depth for any

plan.
• Drilling direction defines the direction to be drilled if borehole

stability issues are a concern and data indicates that drilling in a
certain azimuth or range of azimuths is preferred. If the

Bidirectional check box is selected, drilling at 90° azimuth will not

be different than drilling at 270° azimuth.
• Anti-Collision tells the AssetPlanner software to use a basic cone

of error to avoid other plans and wells contained in the Well
Planning tree. These must be loaded in the Well Planning
application to be used (just having them in Cube view is not
enough). You must specify the cone of error.
If any hazards are present, the AssetPlanner software automatically

avoids them. However, there may be times when a specified distance
must be maintained, from a fault, lease boundary, or other
geographic object. You would specify this value in the Hazard
Clearance field.
Miscellaneous Section:
• Value targets by ensures (in most cases) that the highest- ranked
targets are hit first. This is good for cases where all of the targets
might not be hit. When targets are auto-generated, they get an AWT
value (weighting) based on the properties used to generate the
targets. If you have created or imported a specified ranking criteria
in the Target Parameters dialog box, you may use those values as
well.
• Recolor targets based on the platform assignment. This will

override the color you originally assigned to the targets.
• Plan name specifies how the plans should be named (either

preceded with a user-defined prefix or by target name).
Auto-planning Advanced Mode

The advanced planning mode allows you to select predefined plan types
to use in the field development scenario. Like the platform selection, the
order in which these plan types are placed in the grid makes a difference.
The AssetPlanner software will attempt to design plans based on the
order in which they are represented in the grid and to create as many of
those plan types as possible. When it fails to generate any more, it will
move to the next plan type in the list. This becomes very important when

dealing with sidetracks as the results can be very different based on

whether sidetracks should be planned first or last.
The Planning tab - Plans (Advanced mode)
Since the majority of the planning parameters were defined in the Basic
mode section, only those specific to the Advanced Mode will be
discussed here. The main difference is the availability of different plan
types in the Available Plan Types section.
Available Plan Types

Below are graphical representations of the plan types available and their
available planning parameters. Click Edit to define the plan parameters
in the specified dialog box.
For the following sections, if any of the previously explained parameters

are repeated, they will not be explained again.

Straight Plan Parameters
• Target type defines the target type that will be reached by this
directional profile or plan type. This drop-down menu is populated
with the target types generated in the AssetPlanner software.
• Single target wells indicates that planning single target wells using
the plan type is acceptable.
• Multi-target wells indicates that planning multi-target wells using

the plan type is acceptable. If both the Multi-target wells and
Single target wells check boxes are selected, the AssetPlanner
software will plan both single and multi-target wells (if it can).
• Extension projects the plan a certain distance past the last target.
An example of this would be a rat hole.
In all cases, the AssetPlanner software will only attempt to connect

targets of the same type in multi-target planning scenarios.

Slant Plan Parameters
• Enforce DLS strictly enforces the desired dogleg severity selected

in the previous dialog (or plan parameters).
• Apply Kickoff DLS is used for plans with two build sections such
as S-Well and Horizontal wells. Allows the user to input an
additional DLS upon kicking off and the original Desired dogleg
severity field will then be used to hit the target. In the case of a
Slant well, only Apply Kickoff DLS will be used if it is selected.
• Apply maximum kickoff limits the depth of a kickoff. If this

parameter is entered, the AssetPlanner software will not attempt a
kickoff deeper than this value.
• Minimum target spacing defines the minimum target spacing

required between targets (planar x, y distance) before the
AssetPlanner software will consider connecting them in a multi-
target well when the Multi-target wells check box is selected.
• Maximum target spacing defines the maximum target spacing

(planar x, y distance) between targets above which the
AssetPlanner software will not attempt to connect them in a multi-

target well when the Multi-target wells check box is selected. This
parameter is useful in horizontal wells because you probably want
to keep the horizontal length between targets at a relatively low
value to prevent AssetPlanner software from creating extremely
long sections.
S-shaped Plan Parameters
• Maximum final inclination restricts the final angle on an S-shaped

well to a certain inclination. For example, if the well is going to be
fractured, you may want to constrain the final hold angle through
the completion interval to 10° or less in order to ensure a vertical
fracture.

Horizontal Plan Parameters
• Zone thickness/Lateral target width determines the geometry of

the horizontal target. When generating horizontal plans, the target
geometry changes to a rectangle with the zone thickness as the
target height and the lateral target width as the target width. The
generated target is snapped perpendicular to the plan.
• Fidelity determines the inclination flexibility for a horizontal well.

Essentially, it is used to determine which targets can be connected
in a multi-target scenario. The values in the drop-down menu are:
Loose (from 75 – 95°), Moderate (from 80 – 95°), and Stringent
(from 90 – 95°).

Sidetrack Plan Parameters
• Parent well type allows you to select what type of well should be a
candidate for sidetracking. Well types are stored in the OpenWorks
software. This list is populated with values from the wells that have
been loaded into Well Planning and plan types for existing plans in
the Well Planning project.
• Maximum sidetrack reach sets the maximum extension from the

parent a sidetrack can reach when looking down in Plan view.
• Maximum number of sidetracks sets the number of sidetracks

that can be present on a plan or well. This includes any manually-
planned sidetracks present on a well or a plan. It represents the total
number of sidetracks, not how many will be planned.

Horizontal Sidetrack Plan Parameters

S-shaped Sidetrack Plan Parameters

Dual-Opposed Lateral Plan Parameters

Radial Tri-Lateral Plan Parameters

Radial Tri-Lateral Plan Parameters Dialog Box

Radial Tri-Laterals and Radial Quadri-Laterals are based on a straight
well with sidetracks building horizontal wells in three or four directions.
When a straight well is planned from a platform that is not centered
above the set of targets, then it becomes an S-shaped well requiring a
drop-rate parameter.
Radial Quadri-Lateral Plan Parameters

Planar Offset Quadri-Lateral Plan Parameters
A Planar Offset Quadri-Lateral is based on a horizontal well with

sidetracks that offshoot from it laterally in one direction.

Planar Opposed Quadri-Lateral Plan Parameters
A Planar Opposed Quadri-Lateral is also based on a horizontal well, but

the sidetracks go off laterally in both directions.

Stacked Dual and Tri Lateral Plans Parameters

Planar Dual and Tri-Lateral Plan Parameters

Saving Plan Configurations

There are three useful buttons present in the Plans tab when setting up
plan types. They are:
• Save Plan Setup

• Delete Plan Setup
• Retrieve Plan Setup
Various planning templates can be configured and stored for later use (a
combination of plan types and parameters). Click the Save Plan Setup
button to name the planning set (conventional low angle wells, high
angle sidetracks) and store it as a template. When working in a different
project, retrieve templates by clicking the Retrieve Plan Setup button.
Auto-Planning Results
There are four different buttons you can use to generate results. They
are:
• Create Plans creates plans based on the parameters provided.
• Create Platforms only creates platforms based on the parameters

provided.
• Cull Platform removes one platform from the analysis. This option
can be used to identify the least valuable platform, adjust platforms
and plans when that platform is removed, and then analyze results.
Each time you click the Cull Platform button, a platform is
removed. Click the Undo ( ) icon to add the platform back to the
analysis. You will be prompted before continuing:
• Update Platforms applies a revised elevation or water depth to all

platforms highlighted in the project tree. You can apply changes
based on a grid or by revising the fixed elevation or water depth.

Results Panel
The results panel summarizes the plan’s statistics. The results are
displayed after you create the well plans.
The Results panel shows the planning scenario run. It includes details on
the number and type of targets hit, the number of wells, total footage,
and more.
• Refresh refreshes the results displayed. When you change a

parameter that impacts the results, the results are cleared. This
button recalculates the results.
• Diagnose provides an explanation of why all the targets were not

planned or why they were not planned using the first (second, third,
etc.) choice of plan geometry. Since any given target may be tried a
number of times, in different plan geometries, or in combination
with different other targets, the numbers will quite often add up to
more than the number of unused targets. Therefore, the numbers
should not be taken literally, but as a general idea of what is
occurring.
The Diagnose button is very useful when you try to alter the parameters
to optimize a given scenario. It shows you why the targets could not be

hit, so you have a better understanding of the parameters that need to be

changed.
Auto Planning Results Cube View
Automated Manual Planning in 2D Plan View

Until now, auto-planning has focused on generating multiple plans to
multiple targets. There is a more manual method that accomplishes the
same task. This is useful if you do not want to design all the targets, but
want the luxury of using the plan types defined in the advanced planning

mode. For instance, if you have 50 targets in the scene, you can
automatically plan just one of them.
To use this feature, you must have one or more plan types defined in
Advanced Planning mode, and the AssetPlanner software must be the
current application active in Well Planning. Use the Automatic Plans
( ) icon in the 2D view to accomplish this.

Perforations
After plans have been generated, perforations can be automatically

picked along the plans based on similar filtering criteria used to
automatically generate targets.
Perforations Mode
Perforations can only be created against a 3D grid, not seismic. If you

have multiple plan types (fractured and non fractured wells), these types
will be in the Type drop-down menu. Select the type of well to generate
perforations for, or select the All option to generate perforations for all
the plans. The Type drop-down list does not contain the filters used for
targeting. It is populated with the last filters used for perforating this
type of plan.
Connection type controls how the well is assembled when the data is
transferred to the Nexus™ software (Landmark’s reservoir simulation
software). If there are multiple completions, it could be assembled as a
Smart Well, where the different completion intervals are controlled
individually, get squeezed individually, and produced individually; or it
could be assembled as a regular completion where all intervals flow

together, and there are no extra valves or tubes. The Smart Well
completion is called Parallel, and the regular completion is called Series.
When a well is perforated, there is generally a minimum spacing length

between perforation intervals. This is entered into the Minimum gap
length field. Likewise, the perforation interval’s minimum length is
entered into the Minimum perforation length field. The Maximum
extension field is used to tell the AssetPlanner software how far below
the bottom of the plan should it look for perforations.
If perforation intervals are detected below the well, it will extend the
plan to that depth and include the perforations.
Perforation visual representation
The user can test the perforations, in which case it will list the number
of dry holes (i.e. non perforated wells) and the length of perforations on
the wells that are perforated. When the results are satisfactory, you can
generate the perforations by clicking the Create Perforations button.
Results are displayed in the Results panel.
Perforation Calculation Results

Costs
The AssetPlanner software generates basic development costs for the

scenarios that it plans. This includes most significant items like casing/
liner costs, perforation costs, operating day rate, platform costs, surface
well costs, and contingency costs.
There are two sub-tabs in the Costs tab. Base Costs and Contingency
Cost used for contingency cost estimation.
Base Costs
These are the definitions for each data input field in this screen:
• Operating day rate: Enter the day rate for surface wells in this
field. For platform wells, this value is specified in the Platform
Type Editor, and can be overridden on a per-platform basis from the
main TracPlanner window.

• Time per well: Enter any additional hours spent on the well in this
field. The day rate will be the only cost used to determine the cost
associated with this time. The base amount of time spent on the
well is derived using the TVD and ROP (rotating and steering)
table on this tab.
• Casing cost and Liner cost are computed as follows:
— The AssetPlanner software establishes a starting depth. This

will be 0.0 on a surface well, water depth for a platform well
(platform elevation plus water depth), and the mill out point for
a sidetrack.
— The AssetPlanner software establishes a depth for the start of

the production interval. This is the start of the first perforation if
there are any, or the first target if there aren't. In the case of a
sidetrack, it is the mill out depth.
— The AssetPlanner software calculates the casing cost down to

the start of the production interval. This gets added to the dry
hole cost.
— The AssetPlanner software calculates the liner cost from the

start of the production interval down to TD. This gets added to
the completion cost.
— The AssetPlanner software does not calculate casing for the

production interval.
• Perf cost is the cost per unit of length of the calculated perforation
intervals.
• Well cost is the cost associated with putting in a pad, roads, surface
hookups, etc for a single surface well. This cost is not used for
platform/pad wells as these costs are included in the platform cost
specified on the Platform Type Editor.
• Sidetrack cost: Applied only to sidetracks. Generally, there is an

incremental cost associated with sidetracking (i.e., plug back,
milling a window, etc.) That amount is entered here.
• Default reservoir penetration is used to determine completion

length for single target plans. If a plan hits two targets, the distance
between the two targets is used for this value.

• Include OpenWorks wells: Select this option if you want to

include the OpenWorks software wells in cost calculations. The
user can select which ones are not to be included in the cost by
clearing them in the Well Planning tree.
• Calculate cost automatically upon changes to plans: Select this

option if you want to recalculate well costs every time a well plan is
changed. If this option is selected, costs will not be calculated until
you click Apply.
• Rotating ROP, Steering ROP: Enter values for time estimates in

these sections. The AssetPlanner software uses steering ROP for
curved plan sections and rotating ROP for straight plan sections.
Contingency Costs
You can define contingency costs for both water depth and inclination.
With contingency costs in place, wells that exceed the values specified
in the tables above will be penalized by the percentage increase entered.
The percentage is tacked on to the total computed costs. This is useful
when comparing scenarios that have drastically different plan types.
Once all the cost information is in place, click the Apply button to
compute the total costs and display them in the Results panel.
Contingency Costs sub- tab

Exercise 3-1. GIS Integration
Integrating GIS
The DecisionSpace Geoscience suite can display and manipulate
Geographic Information System (GIS) data through the DecisionSpace
GIS tool. The DecisionSpace GIS tool gives you access to the
OpenWorks software data, such as wells and seismic navigation, to
create layers or to select data to send to DecisionSpace Geosciences.
The GIS tool also provides access to shape files, raster images, and
graphic databases to generate MXD layers in DecisionSpace and allows
correlation and interpretation of these data.
Files with the MXD extension can contain map descriptions, map
layouts, and embedded objects saved as maps. MXD files are used by
the ESRI company’s ArcMap, as well as other GIS software. The file
format indicates how the map should be displayed in a Cartographic
Reference System (CRS).
Initializing DecisionSpace GIS

You must enable the DecisionSpace GIS module when you initialize a
new session. If you do not select the module when opening
DecisionSpace, you must exit and start again.
1. Launch DecisionSpace software.

2. Select the New Session ( ) tab.

icon.
Click Select All to activate all licensed modules.

populate with the session parameters drop-down
menus.

4. Select the following from the Selection drop-down lists in the

Project: MARCELLUS
Measurement System: US Oil Field
Domain: Depth
Interpreter: LGC
5. Click OK to start the new session.
6. Select File > Select Session Data and under Mapping locate the
following three surface grids:
Surface Grid Name ID
Ground Elev Elderton: 88
Base Marcellus seismic 93
Predicted Top Marcellus: 96
7. Click the Add data to session button.

8. Click OK.
The three surface grids are now loaded in the Cube view.
3 Surface Grids that represent the

Surface Elevation, Formation Top
and Formation Bottom.

9. Right-click the Predicted Top Marcellus surface grid in the

Inventory or within the Cube view and select the Display
Properties option from the menu.
The Display Properties dialog box appears.
10. Using the Opacity drop-down menu, change the opacity of the grid
to 0.5 in order to better visualize lateral sections and targets planned
within the formation later.
11. Click OK to exit to the main session window.

Importing Data Using the GIS Tool

We will now use the GIS tool to import GIS data into our session.
1. From the main DecisionSpace window, select Tools > GIS...
The DecisionSpace GIS window appears:
2. Right-click the World data layer and select the Remove Layer
option from the menu. This is done to scale the GIS image down, so
it can be used in this project.

Once the layer is removed, the GIS project is empty and we can add
data.
3. Click File >Add Data to add the Raster file named

GR_Elderton_cropped_HD1.tif
Note
For the next step, you may have to navigate (change directories) to find the file
requested. The Add Data dialog box may open in your home directory or other
location. Your instructor can help you find the file.
4. In the Add Data dialog box, click the Rasters ( ) icon, then select
GR_Elderton_cropped_HD1.tif and click Open.
5. A CRS Warning message box will appear because the Raster file
does not have a CRS. However, we know that the CRS of the image

file matches that of our DecisionSpace Session, so we will accept

the warnings.
6. Select Map > CartoSnap or click the CartoSnap ( ) icon. Then,

from the GIS top menu bar, select Map > Broadcast Map
Document to send data into DecisionSpace.
Note that the image may not appear until you select CartoSnap.
This is due to the image changing locations, because it has now
been attributed a different reference to its coordinates. Broadcast
Map Document allows you to send an image of an MXD file to
DecisionSpace. CartoSnap allows you to set the CRS and Area of
Interest (AOI) of the map file to match that of the DecisionSpace
Session. You should now see the satellite image in the GIS window.

The Inventory displays the newly broadcasted image data in the

main session window:
7. Select File > Exit from the DecisionSpace GIS tool.

Draping an Image on an OpenWorks Surface or GIS Grid

1. In the main session window, ensure the visibility for all data is
toggled On in the Inventory in order to display the data in the active
(selected) viewer. Recall that to toggle visibility On and Off, simply
click the circle next to the data element of interest. It will become
green when visibility is toggled On and gray when toggled Off. Your
Cube view may not look like this, unless the Z value is the same.
Input of 2 values allows you to see the GIS surface and large surface
without scrolling.
Broadcasted Satellite
image is flat.
The broadcasted satellite image is flat because no elevation

properties have been attributed to it. We can change this via the
Display Properties by attributing the elevation properties of an
OpenWorks surface or GIS grid to it. In other words, we will drape
a satellite image onto a surface with elevation properties, allowing
for a much more useful surface for planning.

2. In the main session window, right-click on the imported MXD file

(not the imported GIS image), and select the Display Properties
3. In the Display Properties dialog box, select the Surface option for
the Grid Type field.
We selected the Surface option since we are draping the image onto
the Ground Elev Elderton surface grid.
4. Click the icon adjacent to the Grid field, to open the Surface
Grid Pick List dialog box.
The Surface Grid Pick List dialog box appears.

5. Select Grid ID 88 and click OK to drape the image and return to the
Display Properties dialog box.
Note
The selected Show only currently loaded grids check box indicates that only
surfaces previously brought into the session are listed. If the check box is not
selected, it will cause the window to populate with all surface grids contained within
the OpenWorks project.
6. Verify that the check boxes for Visible, and Use Grid are selected.
Do not select the Invert Z check box. Enabling Invert Z causes the
elevation (z-values) to become positive values if previously
negative and vice-versa. Doing so here would render the elevation
values inaccurate.

Note
This allows for cross-disciplinary teams who use different depth value conventions
to work in the same space easily.
Selecting the other three checkboxes allows the satellite image map
to display in the viewers (Visible) over the same area as the target
surface (Clip to AOI). In addition, the elevation attributes from the
Ground Elevation surface grid have now been merged with the
image (Use Grid).
7. Click OK to exit the Display Properties dialog box.

In the Cube view, the Elevation Grid and GIS Grid merge:
The merged image is now an MDS-type map

file but appears grainy.
See below for more information.
Note
Your image should be similar, but might vary according to the Z value.
The image layer is on the same plane as the elevation layer in the

Cube view. This causes them to compete for the display if both are
visible in the session, which gives you the pixelated effect seen
above.
8. Toggle Off the visibility for the Ground Elev Elderton target
surface.
9. Return to the session data by selecting File > Select Session Data
or by clicking the icon.
The modified MXD map is now displayed in the lower portion of the
Select Session Data window, under the Maps tab, and you can see
the properties you attributed to it.

Loading and Viewing GeoShaper Files

A GeoShaper is a simple drawing easily created to enhance
interpretation. They can be lines, points, or polygons that can be
connected to form a 3D surface. We will load two GeoShapers into the
session and then later designate them as hazards to avoid during field
development.
1. Add the following GeoShapers to the session in the Select Session

Data window:
• lake
• school
2. Click OK.

The loaded data appears in the Cube view:
The View From Top ( ) icon is located in the icon menu bar
between the Inventory and viewing space in the main session
window. Clicking this icon changes the orientation of the Cube view
so that we can view the data from the top and still rotate if desired.
Right-click the View From Top icon to reveal quick-reference
views:

Saving the Well Planning Project and the DecisionSpace Session

You will often revisit Sessions for further visualization and updating.
Therefore, it is important to save your Sessions for quick future access.
Saving a Session will ensure that all the loaded Session data and display
properties, and even the exact perspective of each viewing box, will
remain intact for future reference.
1. Select File > Save Session As from the main session window.
Sessions are saved to the computer, not to OpenWorks. Note the file
save location for future reference. This location is modifiable and
located directly below the Available Sessions title.
2. Enter EldertonFieldPlan_SatelliteGIS_SchoolLake in the

Session Name field. and click the Save button.
The file name indicates that this session is intended for field
planning purposes in the Elderton lease, using the satellite image
and school and lake hazards from the GIS tool.
Change the target

save location by
Enter session name in clicking this icon.
this field.
Note
Ensure that every session saved is given a unique and identifiable name, especially
when different parameter combinations are being tested for the same field.

Exercise 3-2. Designing Optimal Pads, Slot

Templates, and Horizontal Laterals
Now that we have leveraged GIS to incorporate cultural data in
reference to the geoscience data available, we have the tools to constrain
our field and determine what locations are feasible to place pads; where
targets should be placed; and finally how to design our pad types with
accompanying slot templates to define well surface locations.
Upon completion of this exercise, you should be able to:
• Access sessions and see associated parameters and data
• Convert GeoShapers to targets, hazards, or boundaries
• Draw polygon hazards and boundaries within the Map view
• Determine and create pad locations and horizontal laterals

simultaneously
• Align pad locations in reference to facilities information
• Manually pick pad locations and how to create laterals in

conjunction
• Design pad type with respect to analytical and display

parameters
• Define slot locations and create slot templates
Opening an Existing DecisionSpace Session

To open an existing session, select the Existing Sessions tab in the
Session Manager. The Existing Sessions dialog box appears.
When you restore (open existing) sessions, you restore both the previous
data source connections and the data objects. Sessions are restored with
their frames recreated in their most recent state and location.
Note the Available Sessions panel. This lists all sessions in the text field
specified above the table. The table lists the sessions by Session Name
and Last Opened Time, with the last opened session listed first. When

you click the Browse ( ) icon, the Open dialog box appears, allowing
you to browse and select a path where the sessions are stored.
1. If you closed the EldertonFieldPlan_SatelliteGIS_SchoolLake

session, reopen the DecisionSpace software.
The DecisionSpace software will open to the Existing Sessions tab
by default.
2. Under the Available Modules section, select the

EldertonFieldPlan_SatelliteGIS_SchoolLake session.
When selected, the Session Parameters and Session Modules
chosen upon its creation are displayed in the lower portion of the
window.

3. Click OK to open the existing session.

You will often see sessions that are with the prefix backup. When the
software or operating machine is forced to close or shutdown, a
backup file of the session is available in order for you to resume
work immediately.
By default, sessions autosave every 15 minutes, and without

interference with application performance. Each autosave
overwrites the last and when exiting the software normally, the last
autosaved session is deleted.

Incorporating Surface Hazards and GeoShapers into the Field Plan

1. Select Tools > Well Planning in the main DSG window to open the
Well Planning tool.
2. Select File > Open Project from > OpenWorks, to open an

existing OpenWorks project with the lease boundary already
imported.
The Well Planning Projects dialog box appears.
3. Select the Eld_Lease_Road project and click OK.
The Well Planning project opens and contains three boundary

targets, representing the overall lease boundary and the east and west
portions of the lease, created in order to avoid planning directly on
the lease road.
Although the GeoShapers are loaded into the Inventory and are
visible in the viewer, we must specify them as hazards.
4. Select Tools > Geoshapers to Targets in the Well Planning

window.
The Extract Polygonal Targets from Geoshapers dialog box
appears.
5. Select the check boxes adjacent to school and lake to convert the
Geoshapers to hazards.

6. Select the Hazard option.

This will load the GeoShapers as hazards into the Well Planning
tree.
When shapefiles are converted to GeoShapers in the GIS module,

attributes from the shapefiles are captured and stored in the
GeoShapers. The Geoshapers to Targets option now contains the
Select Attribute drop-down menu that lets the user specify which
attribute will be displayed in the new Attribute Value column.
In addition, you can select any of the attribute values to be used for
the target name prefix or suffix. Attaching attributes to GeoShapers
to include distinguishing attributes makes target hazards or
boundaries, particularly complex lease lines, easier to identify.
7. Once the parameters are populated, click Apply then Close.

The imported GeoShapers do not have any attached attributes for
identification. In order to distinguish between the two GeoShapers,
they need to be renamed.
8. Right-click Hazard-1 and select the Rename option. Rename the

hazard to Lake Hazard and press the <Enter> key.
9. Right-click Hazard-2 and select the Rename option. Rename the

hazard to School Hazard and press the <Enter> key.
Since the imported GeoShapers are flat files, once converted to
hazards, their depth is only a function of the differing elevation
between points that make up the hazard polygon. County
regulations state that plans or pads cannot violate the hazards on the

surface or subsurface. Therefore, the depth of each hazard needs to

be extended to total depth.
10. Right-click the target and select the Target Editor option.
The Target Editor opens to the Name and Location tab by default.
11. Select the Locked option from the Movement drop-down for both
hazards, to prevent any accidental movement of the hazards.
Note
Use the Targets panel beneath the schematic to easily move between targets.
13. Enter 8000 in the Down distance field. Do this for both the Lake
Hazard and the School Hazard. This defines the hazard depth

interval for the two converted hazards as extending from the

surface to 8000 ft below the surface.
14. Click Close to exit the Target Editor and return to the main session
window.
We now have completed the setup of our field in order to design sites,
laterals, and complete field plans.
Below is the 2D Plan view of our field, showing all targets thus far. The
hazards are pink, the boundary portions yellow, and lease line blue.

The space between the boundaries that represents the east and west lease
portions is the lease road. You can see this road in the Cube view by
zooming in on the satellite image we previously merged.
lake hazard.
Lease Road.
School hazard.
Creating Custom Pads Types

The Well Planning tool allows you to design custom pad types for use
in well planning. You can create pads based on slot number, costs, or
display properties, and attribute a Default Template to it, provided at
least one template has been created. You will design a slot template at
the end of this exercise.
1. Select Tools > Platform Type Editor from the Well Planning
window to create custom pad types.
In the top pane exists a list of the current pad and platform types with
their associated properties. The bottom pane shows the display
layers attributed to the selected site type in the top pane.

2. Click the New button located at the bottom of the top pane. By
default, this creates a new line in the type list with the pad type,
new.
3. Create a slot with the following parameters:
Type: Elderton 8 Slot
Category: Onshore
Number Slots: 8
Cost: 300,000
Day Rate: 50,000
Since we are operating onshore, this pad is not designed for water
immersion.

4. In the bottom pane, Delete all rows except for the top one. Design
the pad to be depicted as a Triangle with the parameters shown
here.
5. Click Save, then Close to exit the Platform Type Editor. We have
designed the pad type now.
This is half of the full design of a pad; the slot design is the other
portion.
Note
In order to plan laterals, best practice is to, at minimum, define the number of slots
on a pad so that the software can calculate the optimal number of pads needed
accommodate laterals in a field plan. The slot design in the template editors dictates
the size of the pad for analysis, as well as slot location for plan allocation.

Creating Optimal Pads and Laterals for a Field Plan

In order to plan our field, we will first create pads and laterals
simultaneously using the Create Pads option.
1. Change the Module to AssetPlanner and the Mode to Targeting in

the Well Planning tool.
You should see the well planning hierarchy with two Hazards,
represented by red triangles and three Boundaries, and represented
by red squares.
2. Select the Horizontal tab to reveal the options for creating laterals,
or stubs. Laterals consist of a heel (landing point) and a toe (bottom
hole location).
Note the 6 sub-tabs that appear in the Horizontal tab. When a

stacked lateral field plan is chosen, the Secondary Heel and
Secondary Toe tabs will become active to accommodate the extra
laterals. For our purposes, we will populate the Type, Position,
Primary Heel, and Primary Toe tabs for lateral creation and
optimization.
3. In the Type tab, select / enter the following parameters:
Profile:
Not Stacked: Select
Targets per lateral: 2
Pattern:
T-H H-T: Select

Spacing:
Well spacing: 500 ft
Heel heel spacing: 1000 ft
Toe toe spacing: 500 ft
Minimum lateral length: 3000 ft
Maximum lateral length: 5000 ft
Preferred lateral length: Select, 4000 ft
Lateral length Increment: 1 ft
Avoid hazard by: Select, 200 ft
Limits:
Process boundaries together: Select
Use all boundaries: Toggle Off
Available boundaries: Eld_Lease_East

Eld_Lease_West
Lease line setback: 250

Do not click the Create Targets button or the Create Pads only
button.
4. Select the Position tab and select / enter the following parameters:
Orientation:
Options: Fixed Azimuth
Fixed Azimuth: 295 deg
Positioning:
Create pads: Select, Elderton 8 Slot
Minimum coverage: 40%
Maximum movement: 500 ft

Row/Column scheme: Fixed Row/Column
Exhaustive search: Select
Surface Elevation:
Use grid: Select
OW_Ground_Elevation
Positive up: Toggle Off
Kb elevation: Above grid, 15 ft
Water depth: fixed, 0
Maximum slope: Select, 5 deg
Extent: 200 ft
Note that selecting the Exhaustive search check box can result in
longer than usual times to produce results.
button.

The Primary Heel and Primary Toe tabs will look almost identical.
These tabs define the end points of the lateral, also known as the
landing point (heel) and the bottom hole location (toe).
5. Enter the exact values in the Primary Heel tab, as shown in the
image below in order to define the field plan’s primary heels.
button.
6. In the Primary Toe tab, click the Copy from Heel button to auto-
populate the data fields with the same values from the Primary
Heel tab.

7. Change the Color to Red, rename the Target prefix to PRIMARY

TOE, and click the Create Targets button.
It may take a moment to calculate the results.
Because laterals and sites need to be planned with respect to each

other for optimization purposes, it is necessary to complete all
required lateral and site parameters found in Targeting mode.
Now that these parameters have been inputted, we can calculate pad
and lateral locations to determine the best method to use to align
optimal pads with the surface facilities contained on the lease road.
8. Click Yes when the software requests to turn off unused locations.
Doing so will give you more accurate Result tables.

Note
The site and lateral positions were calculated based upon their respective
parameters as well as the other’s parameters. This greatly aids optimization when
pads are optimized to targets while targets are optimized to pads simultaneously.
Ensure that when creating sites or laterals, the parameters for both have been
inputted.
9. Review the Results panel on the right side of the Well Planning tool
and observe your lateral and site positions in the Map and Cube
views.
In your workflows, if the results are undesirable, you can click Undo
and modify various parameters to better optimize your lateral field
plan. The AssetPlanner module gives you the ability to generate and
view field plans quickly with many iterations in order to create an
optimized field plan based on your specific needs.
Map view with all Inventory items toggled Off

Saving the Well Planning Project

1. Select File > Save Project as from the Well Planning window to
save the project.
There are two options (tabs) to choose from when saving a project.
— The OpenWorks tab allows you to save a version of the Well

Planning Project in the OpenWorks software database.
Note that the naming field in this tab automatically populates
with the name of the project in the Well Planning tree.
Conversely, whatever name is chosen for the project to Save As
will become the name of the project in the Well Planning tree.
— The WBP File tab allows you to save the Well Planning project
to the computer as a .wbp (wellbore planner) file. When saved
to the computer, the Well Planning project consists of two .xml
files and a .wbp file. You will need all three when transferring
from computer to computer.
2. In the OpenWorks tab, save the Well Planning project as
Eld_BasicMethod.
3. Click OK.
If there is any data in the Well Planning tree that is not selected, you
will be prompted to either Save All Data or to Save Visible Data
Only.
4. Click Save All Data.

Defining Pad Size and Optimizing Slot Locations via Templates

Now that lateral and pad locations have been determined, we must
define the slot locations of the wellheads in order to allocate slots to
future well plans and existing wells.
We will use the Template Editor, which allows us to design templates

for slot locations and assign them to pads on an individual level. Having
completed our steps within the Platform Type Editor, this tool will finish
our pad design so that we can begin optimizing plans to our pads.
1. In the Well Planning tool, open the Template Editor by returning to

the TracPlanner module in the Manual Planning mode and selecting
any pad in the Well Planning tree. This reveals options, including the
Edit Template(s) button.
2. Click the Edit Template(s) button to open the Template Editor.
3. Select the Geometry tab and name the template Elderton 8 Slot.
The drop-down menu above the tabs contains the names of each
active slot template for the selected pad. You can select Add
Template from the menu to create a template to apply in addition to

the templates previously applied to the selected pad. The purpose of

this menu is to allow the user to switch between slot template
designs for editing, but only when there have been multiple
templates assigned to a pad.
In order to save the entire slot template setup, you must use the Save
Setup feature in the Slots tab, as outlined later in the exercise. Note
that once the template is saved, the drop-down menu remains
populated with each individual template applied to the selected pad
when the overall template was saved.
4. Enter ELD in the Short name field.
— Use Short Name to specify the name used to precede the slot
number in a regular pattern. Therefore, ELD- would lead to
automated slot numbering that started with ELD-1, ELD-2, etc.
— Use Center N/S and E/W to specify the starting reference
coordinates for the template relative to the site center. This
location will become the center of a circular pattern or the top-
left slot of a rectangular pattern.
5. Leave the Center N/S and E/W field at 0 ft.
6. Select the Rectangle option for Layout.

This will give us a grid of slots as we move along. Different options
appear for different Layouts selected.
7. For the other parameters in the Geometry tab, enter the following:
— Use Start Number to specify the number that you want to

begin slot numbering with. The default is 1. We will leave as the
default.
— Select the Row option for Number by to indicate the slots are
numbered based on rows.
— Do not select the Use letters for slot labels. This check box is
selected to use letters rather than numbers as slot labels.
— Leave 0 ft as the value of the Position of top left slot X-axis
and Position of top left slot U-axis fields. Use Position of top

left slot X-axis and Y-axis for the X and Y coordinates of the
top left slot.
— Enter 4 in the Number of rows field. This is used to specify the
number of rows the template has.
— Enter 2 in the Number of cols field. This is used to specify the
number of columns the template has.
— Enter 65 ft in the Y – spacing field. This is used to specify the
distance between the slots in the direction of the Y-axis.
— Enter 30 ft in the X – spacing field. This is used to specify the
distance between the slots in the direction of the X-axis.
— Enter 45 deg in the Rotation angle of Y-axis field. This is used
to indicate the template rotation.
Note how the schematic on the right changes as you enter in

parameters. This schematic helps you determine if you are entering

in the correct Geometry information, but comes very useful in the

next tab.
8. Select the Slots tab. Here we can see each slot we created in the
Geometry tab, along with its associated offsets and coordinates.
Your coordinates may be different than the image below, due to
differing pad locations and pad selected.
Note the options to Add and Remove. You can click these to add a
slot to enter the coordinates and type or remove one if needed. We
have created slots using the Geometry tab. Therefore, they are all
grouped as one singled entity. In order to edit individual slots, you

can use the Split button, but do not click this now.
Note
When you click Split, you convert a multi-slot template into a group of single-slot
templates that can be edited individually.
Caution: There is not an un-split option, so, if you do a split, Undo is the only way
to get back to the single multi-slot template. Templates are defined by a description
of the geometry (3x4 rectangle, etc.) rather than by a list of individual slots.
Sometimes, the geometry does not exactly describe the scenario that you have in
mind. One of the slots may need to be moved a bit or several of them (but not all)
may need to be reserved for a particular type of well. In such a scenario, Split
enables you to achieve this objective. In addition, Import can import a group of slot
locations that form an irregular pattern.
Auto-assign refers to automatically assigning plans to slots. It

honors the Plan Types and Slot Types (i.e., not assigning a Producer
plan to an Injector slot). It attempts to prevent plans from crossing
or, at minimum, puts the plan with the deeper kickoff to the inside of
the template to minimize anti-collision issues. Note that auto-
assignment works with plans that have already been created, not
targets, so we will not use it now, but in another tool, later in the
exercise. You can also use Unassign to remove slot assignments
from the plans.
9. Click the Save Setup button in order to apply this template to

future planned or imported pads.
The Save Template Parameters dialog box appears:
10. Select the Save as Default check box, save the template setup as
Elderton 8 Slot Template, and click OK to exit back to the
Template Editor.
We have just saved this template to the OpenWorks database and can
use the Retrieve Setup button to use it in the future on other pads.
However, by selecting the Save As Default check box, any new
pads created will automatically be assigned this template. To delete
a setup, click the Delete Setup button and select the setup you want
removed from the list of templates. You should only see the

Elderton 8 Slot Template in the list of templates when you click

Save Setup, Retrieve Setup, or Delete Setup.
The schematic on the right allows you to see more than just the
location of the slots. The colors indicate different things. For
example, if a slot is red, this indicates it is selected. Since we used a
geometry to define our template, the slots are grouped together and
selecting one slot selects all slots. If we had selected to Split or Add
slots, we could have selected an individual slot. This would change
the color of the other slots to green, or unselected.
Once plans are assigned to slots, they turn black, indicating that it is
occupying the slot location. Hovering over the slots will reveal the
slot name and plan assigned. Plans can be moved to another slot
location by dragging it from one slot location in the schematic to
another. Similarly, you can switch the slot allocations of plans by
dragging a plan on top of the plan to be switched.
11. Exit the Template Editor to return to the Well Planning tool.
Note the values located next to the Edit Template button. The
numbers below indicate that this pad has 8 slots assigned to it, with
0 wells currently planned or existing from that pad. The Type drop-
down menu refers to the pad type and contains all pad types listed
in the Platform Type Editor. Do not change the Type attributed to
this pad. Leave as the Elderton 8 Slot pad type.
12. Select File > Save Session to save your session and Well Planning
project.

Exercise 3-3. Methods and Applications of Creating

Field Plans
In the previous exercise we created the horizontal section of the well
plans and picked the surface locations of our rig sites based on geologic
data. Next we will determine how to connect the subsurface to the
surface with inputs from the Drilling and Completions Engineer. Once
wells are drilled, completed, and come online, we gain new insight
about various characteristics of the field. We will learn how to re-plan
and optimize the asset based on inputs from Land Management,
Reservoir, and Production.
At the conclusion of this exercise, you will be able to:
• Define maximum parameters for well plans based on inputs from

Drilling, Completion, and Production
• Create well plans to connect the subsurface to the surface
• Visually compare the results of the well plan to the preferred

drilling redline parameters
• Refine the rig and slot templates used based on the well plan results
• Quickly orientate slot templates based on unique surface obstacles
• Optimize slot assignment based on anti-collision considerations
• Create and rapidly assign statuses such as Planned, Permitted, and

Drilling
• Quickly re-plan wells based on their current status
Setting the Field Site and Plan Parameters

The Targeting and Planning modes are interactive. It is very important
to note that the calculated locations of laterals and sites created in the
Targeting mode are influenced by the parameters inputted in the Sites
and Plans tabs in the following exercise.
In addition, in the later portions of this exercise, pay special attention to

how the changes can affect the lateral and site placement when we use
the Re-Plan feature.

1. In the Well Planning tool, switch back to the AssetPlanner module

and select the Planning mode.
The Sites and Plans tabs appear. The Sites tab determines the
information used to create the sites (platforms, pads, etc.). The Plans
tab is used to enter information about well trajectory over a field
level.

2. Ensure that the Use existing platforms option is selected in the Site
section of the Sites tab.
3. In the Plans tab, select the Advanced Mode option and verify there
are two rows of Horizontal Plan Types in the Selected column.

4. Click the Edit button adjacent to the first Horizontal Plan Type and
enter the following parameters :
Horizontal 1
Target type: All
Single target wells: Select
Multi-target wells: Select
Desired dogleg severity: 8 Deg/100 ft
Extension: 0 ft
Desired hold angle: 20 Deg
Zone thickness: 50 ft
Lateral target width: 50 ft
Minimum target spacing: 0 ft
Maximum target spacing: 20000 ft
5. Leave all other fields as default and click OK.

6. Click the Edit button adjacent to the second Horizontal Plan Type
and enter the following parameters:
Horizontal 2
Target type: All
Extension: 0 ft
Zone thickness: 50 ft
Lateral target width: 50 ft
7. Leave the Min reach = 0 and Max reach = 20000, which are the
extremes of the program. This will allow the software the greatest
freedom in well planning output. Leave all other fields as default
and click OK.

8. In the Drilling Restrictions section, enter the following parameters:
Maximum reach: To Heel - 2000 ft
Minimum kick-off: 5000 ft
Hazard clearance: 200 ft
9. Retain the default values in the Miscellaneous section as shown

below:
10. Click the Create Plans button.

Plans are created and displayed in the Cube and Map view of
DecisionSpace.
Note
Your results may vary slightly.

Cube view

Map view
11. A detailed report is shown in the Results panel on the right-hand

side of the Well Planning tool.

Note that if your parameters are set up such that the results exceed
your Redline Parameters, the well trajectory will be highlighted in
red as shown in the example here.
Note
This is an example of changing your Redline Parameters. You may not need to do
this in your own workflow.
12. Select Window > Redline View... in the Well Planning tool.
The Red Line View dialog box appears with the View tab selected by
default.

13. Select the Parameters tab.
14. You were previously working in Grid North. Change this to True
North. You can switch between these options at any time. To
visualize this, select a well path, and go to the TracPlanner
module.

15. Change the North Reference to True and see the differences in the
Azimuth and Local coordinates.
Note
Changing the North Reference affects the current display and any future
calculations performed. Previously generated calculations are not affected. Your
results may vary slightly due to variations in parameters.
16. Select File > Save Project to save your project.

Field-Level Optimization for Pads, Templates, and Nudging
Note
1. In the Well Planning tool, click Tools > Field Level Template.
The Field Level Template Management dialog box appears.
2. The Pad Types tab is used to refine the Pad type based on the
number of slots used.
No changes will be in the Pad types tab. The well plans will be
modified later as more information becomes available.
3. Select the Assignment tab and assign the Elderton 8 Slot Template
to the Elderton 8 Slot Platform Type.
4. Click Apply.
5. Select the Orientation tab. Here we will orient the wellheads to

avoid surface obstacles.

6. Select the OW Ground Elevation Ground Elev Elderton option

from the drop-down menu and click the Compute from Grid
button.
7. Select the Optimization tab and select / enter the following

parameters:
Nudge if needed: Select
Avoid hazards: Select
Build/drop rate: 2 Deg/100 ft
Initial Kickoff Range: 300 ft

1000 ft
Maximum nudge inclination: 5 deg
Maximum azimuth change: 5 deg
Build/Hold: Select
Separation factor: 1 per 1000 ft
Final kickoff range: 2000 ft

5000 ft
Hold angle range: 5 deg

20 deg

Do not click Apply yet.
8. Click the Auto-Assign button to assign the well plans to slots.
9. Click the Evaluate button to analyze the separation factor for each
well plan.
The Current Optimization Results dialog box appears, displaying

which pads have anti-collision issues.

10. Since we want to minimize directional drilling, click Yes to turn off
the platforms that do not have separation issues.
Note
Note that the pads without collision issues are now cleared in the
Well Planning window.
11. Click Apply to nudge the pads with separation issues.
A confirmation dialog box appears, displaying the names of the

platforms that no longer have collision issues, and which do.
12. Click OK, since we have sufficiently increased the separation

factor for all wells.
Note that the DecisionSpace Well Planning software uses Error

Cone and Systematic Ellipse.

13. Select all the Pads in the Well Planning window to see the results of
slot allocation and nudging.

Cube view
14. Click File > Save Project to save the project.

Creating and Assigning Well Statuses on a Field Level

1. Select Tools > Status Editor in the Well Planning window.
2. Modify the table so that it matches the screen shot shown here.
For the purposes of this exercise:
• A Planned status signifies a well that is planned, but not officially

submitted to the local governing body for drilling. Therefore the
surface location can be moved and the well plan redrawn. Until
further information is available, however, we assume that it is going
to be drilled and the well plan should be considered for anti-
collision.
• A Permitted status signifies a well plan that has received a permit

to drill. Land surveyors have already staked the location of the
wellhead and the well profile has been submitted to the
government. However since drilling has not started, it is possible to
re-plan the well trajectory and resubmit for a new permit.
• A Drilled status signifies a well that has been spudded and

therefore cannot be moved. A rig that is able to skid has finished
drilling the surface and intermediate holes, and has been released to
another site. Operations have been halted until a larger rig can
move onto location to finish drilling the lateral portion of the well.
Since a large portion of the well has been drilled, we will not re-
plan the well trajectory.

3. Click Apply to save changes and close the window.
4. Select Tools > Spreadsheet Editor to assign statuses to plans.
5. Select the Plans tab.
6. Click the Name column header to organize the list by Plan name so
that plans are easier find.
7. Change the Status of the Pad 10 Plan – 2 well, or any other well plan, to
Drilled by using the drop-down menu in the spreadsheet.

Note that you can rearrange the column order by clicking and
dragging the column header.
8. Press and hold <Ctrl> and select each plan under Pad 13. When they are
selected, they will be highlighted in yellow as shown here.
9. Click the Apply Last Edit to Selected button to change all their statuses
to Drilled (like we did for Pad 12 Plan – 3).

10. In Pad 10, change the Status of Plans 1, 3, and 4 to Permitted.
11. Click Close to exit the Spreadsheet Editor.
12. In the Well Planning tool, right-click the Eld_BasicMethod project

and select the Project Properties option from the menu.
13. Under the Coloring section, select the By Status option for the
Plan coloring scheme drop-down menu.

Cube view

Map view
Note
14. Click File > Save Project to save the project.

Incorporating Well Statuses to Re-Plan Fields

In the previous exercise, we created three statuses for our well designs:
Planned, Permitted and Drilling.
Planned wells were conceptual and could therefore be re-planned and

moved if necessary.
Permitted wells had their surface locations staked by surveyors, but the
well trajectory could be re-planned as long as we re-apply for a permit.
Wells that are drilling have already received their permits and have been
spudded, so no changes could be made to surface locations. Changing
their trajectory would be difficult without considerable engineering
analysis.
In this scenario, Pad 13 wells have been rapidly drilled using a batch
drilling process. This is reflected by their red color and drilling status.
The purpose could be for determining if there is hydraulic
communication between laterals.

The Pad 10 Plan – 2 well has completed drilling, and has been fractured
to analyze two characteristics of the reservoir: fracture propagation and
drainage area. It revealed that the horizontal sections could be spaced
further apart.
Since the rig used to drill the well could skid, the wellhead locations of
the other wells on Pad 10 were platted by surveyors. This is reflected by
their purple color.
In this exercise, we will re-plan the entire field based on newly-obtained

information, while honoring the statuses of the wells already in place.
1. In the Well Planning tool, navigate to the AssetPlanner module and

Targeting mode.
2. Select Horizontal targeting mode.
3. In the Type tab, change the following parameters in the order defined
below, to reflect newly- obtained data:
Process boundaries together: Select
Use all boundaries: Toggle Off
Available boundaries: Eld_Lease_East

Eld_Lease_West

4. Select the Position tab and select / enter the following parameters:
Fized azimuth: 295 deg
Use Existing: Select
Infill: Select
Conventional buffer: 350 ft
Vertical buffer: 50 ft
Create plans: Select
Re-Plan: Select
Matching option: Moderate

Leave the remaining parameters as we have entered them in the

previous section.
5. Click the Create Targets button.

The Replanning results dialog box appears:
Note
6. Click OK.
The software attempts to retain plan names unless they are moved
beyond a certain distance.

Observe the results in the Cube view:

When looking at the Map view, note how wells that have a Drilling
status have not been re-planned. However, wells with a Permitted
status have had their lateral spacing changed from 500 ft to 800 ft.
7. Save your project to OpenWorks as Eld_RePlanMethod.

Modeling Well Drainage Areas

In order to better visualize the subsurface formation, particularly for
horizontal wells, it is useful to model the drainage area. To do this, we use
the Intercepts to Targets tool from the Well Planning window, and compute
drainage area reference targets for horizontal plans. These reference targets
can be created for either the overall plan drainage, or for individual fracture
areas spaced along the plan.
Recall that a reference target is a target that doesn’t control the trajectory
of the well, but rather is a marker of where a particular geological feature
crosses the well plan.
1. In Well Planning window, select Tools > Intercepts to Targets.

The Create Reference Targets from Intercepts window appears.
2. Highlight OW UNKNOWN Base Marcellus in the top-left section

of the dialog. Note that you can use <Ctrl> and <Shift> to select
multiple geologic features.
3. Select the Pad 10 Plan 2 well or the plan you worked with earlier
in the Target Spreadsheet Editor.

4. Select the Drainage area option.

The window options change:
5. Select the Overall option to model the full extent of the drainage,
and not limited to fractures-only areas.
6. Select the Drainage Area option from the Type drop-down list.
Because we model drainage areas for adjacent wells, we use Frac

half length (frac term) to specify how far the fracture area should
extend from the sides of the horizontal section of the chosen plan.
This way, the drainage areas do not overlap, giving false results.
Enter 500 ft.
It may also be necessary to use Frac H-T extension to specify how

far the fracture area should extend past the ends of the horizontal

section of the plan. This helps prevent overlap of drainage areas

surround nearby toes (bottom hole locations). Enter 250 ft.
Use Thickness to indicate how thick the fracture areas should be,
making them 3D. Enter 50 ft.
7. Once you have entered in the parameters for your particular plan,
click Apply or OK to create the reference targets, which are our
drainage area models.
Observe the drainage area reference targets.
the Cube and Map view
display the reference target
Area-1 that represents the
drainage area for Pad 10 -
Plan 2, as shown in the Well
Planning tree.

Estimating Costs
The AssetPlanner software generates basic development costs for the
scenarios that it plans. This includes the most significant items like
casing/liner costs, perforation costs, operating day rate, platform costs,
surface well costs, and contingency costs.
Calculating Base Costs of a Field Plan

In order to produce a cost analysis of a field plan, this tab must be
populated. It represents the most important items that impact costing for
a basic development.
1. Select the Costing mode within the AssetPlanner module.

The options for inputting costing parameters appears with the Base
Costs tab open by default.
Note the Contingency Costs tab. In this tab, you can specify
additional costs to be added to the costs presented in the Base Costs.
Before we enter the values for each of our costing parameters, you
must first determine which items in the Well Planning tree you
would like to have included in the cost analysis by selecting each
person’s Well Planning tree items.
2. Select all pads with well plans assigned to them and clear all other
data items.
3. If you are working in another tab, ensure you have returned to the
Base Costs tab. We will accept most of the default values.

Enter/select the information given below, in the Base Costs tab.

You may also refer to the screenshot at the end of this section for a
visual of these parameters.
4. Enter in the following cost parameters.
Operating day rate: Toggle Off

50,000
Time per well: 0 hrs
Casing cost / ft: 100
Liner cost / ft: 50
Perf cost / ft: 200
Well cost: 250,000
Sidetrack cost: 150,000
Default reservoir penetration: 50 ft
When Operating day rate is not selected, only surface wells will be
included in the analysis. The day rate for pad wells will be the value
specified for the pad type defined in the Platform Type Editor. For
the purposes of this exercise, the Elderton 8 Slot Pad was used and
created with a daily $300,000 rate.
Conversely, selecting this check box will incorporate both platform

wells and surface wells into the cost calculation.
For more information about how the costs for casing, liners, and
perforation are calculated, please refer to section titled “Costs” on
page 3-37.

The Include OpenWorks wells check box allows you to

incorporate OpenWorks wells into the total completed cost.
Note
OpenWorks wells or well plans must first be loaded into the Well Planning tree, and
not simply as a well list in the Inventory tree. Loading them into the Inventory tree
allows for visual referencing, while loading them into the Well Planning tool allows
for digital referencing and analysis. New plans and laterals will treat OpenWorks
wells as hazards to aid in anti-collision. For help on this process, refer to section
titled “Setting the Field Site and Plan Parameters” on page 3-81.
5. In case we choose later to include OpenWorks wells in our field

plan and cost analysis, we will select the Include OpenWorks
wells.
The other check box, Calculate cost automatically upon changes

to plans, will automatically analyze any changes in the field plan
with regards to the costing parameters and then recalculate the Total
completed cost—the value located at the bottom right of the panel.
6. Select the Calculate cost automatically upon changes to plans

check box.
The Total completed cost should not have changed from 0.0. In order
for any of these parameters to take effect, you must click Apply. Do
not click Apply yet.
Each time this check box is selected or cleared, Apply must be

clicked in order for the tool to automatically reflect that in the total
cost. You can try deleting a pad to see the automatic change.
Remember to click the Undo button to return to the previous plan.

7. Fill out the rotating and steering rates as shown below. Use the
Insert, Add, and Delete buttons if necessary. This table is read
exactly like the table from the Red Lines Parameters.
The Base Costs tab now looks like:
8. Click Apply.
Observe the newly calculated Total completed cost, as well as the

Results table located on the right of the Well Planning tool.

Incorporating Contingency Costs into the Cost Analysis

Use the Contingency Costs tab to include common unexpected
additional costs. For example, in high angle wells, you may frequently
allow for contingency costs. Use the tables in this tab to factor in
contingency costs as the inclination increases beyond certain levels.
Note that the top table is for offshore wells.
The bottom table is for deviated wells, and is used to create a percentage
increase based on deviation.
1. Within the bottom table, select the Interpolate check box to

interpolate calculations.
By default, error values are discrete. If the computations are

interpolated, survey points at intermediate inclinations are
calculated as intermediate values.
2. Input the inclination contingency cost percentages as shown below

and click Apply.
Note
The Apply button is not specific to each tab. That is, when clicked, it does not
matter which tab is in view. The parameters entered for both tabs will be included
in the cost analysis.
3. Observe your new Total completed cost by navigating to the Base

Costs tab. It will have become larger due to the fact that
contingency costs are always added to the base costs.

Best practice suggests that you not assume these cost calculations
are reliable predictions for field plan costs. It is much more useful to
use this tool to compare similar projects to determine if the cost-
benefit is worth a risk, or to simply choose the less expensive field
plan.
4. Save your Well Planning project and your DecisionSpace session.

Exercise 3-4. Advanced Applications of

Unconventional Field Development
Unconventional shale fields and sands containing tight gas are quickly
becoming key sources of hydrocarbons, globally. These formations are
often characterized by challenging reservoir properties that necessitate
intricate well plans. In order to successfully develop field plans within
these complex reservoirs, often advanced applications of field
development planning are needed.
By the end of this exercise, you should be able to:
• Utilize different methods for surface-to-subsurface planning in

areas with irregular surface or lease constraints
• Optimize target and pad placement with differing azimuth

orientations in one lease
• Alternate kickoff DLS points
• Manually drag and place laterals and assisted manual pad

placement
• Further optimize pad placement in acreages with low pad

placement feasibility or a need for surface facilities considerations
• Use the Approach Analysis tool to determine various information

from a wellbore referenced to selected wells, well plans, and
geoscience data
• Calculate the expected tops and surface grid intersections of wells

for a well prognosis report
Note
If you have run and saved previous sessions using a previous release, you may
receive a message indicating that the session is not compatible with the software
release. In this case, you should delete this session and create a new one using data
that is compatible with this version of the application. The quickest method of
reloading the appropriate geoscience data is to create an ISet from the Inventory.

Creating an Interpretation Set

There are two ways to create ISets – by saving a populated Inventory list
as an ISet; or by creating an ISet manually. The latter option allows for
more customizability with regards to how data is organized. The former
option is quicker and defaults to the same hierarchy structure as the
Inventory tree.
If we plan to reuse these surfaces and faults repeatedly but with varying
complementary data, then by saving the loaded data as an ISet, we can
then add these surfaces and faults quickly to other data that we load to
the Inventory in the future.
1. Continue in the same session you saved at the end of Exercise 3-3.
2. Click the Save ISet from inventory ( ) icon in the Inventory task
pane and save the ISet as MARCELLUS_Mapping.
You have just created an ISet. Now you will be able to load and
access that data very quickly when using other accompanying
geoscience and drilling data for various sessions.

Loading ISet Data into the Inventory

1. In order to view your new ISet, select the Tools task pane from the
left side of the main session window.
2. To access the ISet functionality, click the ISet ( ) icon at the top
of the Tools task pane. If there were any previously created ISets, they
would be visible:
Note the MARCELLUS_Complete ISet that was previously made,

using the same Interpreter ID. This indicates it is free to view and
manipulate.

In addition, by selecting either ISet, the Properties panel below

populates with its associated information.
The Edit/Browse ( ) icon activates the selected ISet and opens the
Edit/Browse tab of the task pane. You can create or add data to
folders in Edit/Browse.
3. Since the MARCELLUS_Mapping ISet is selected, click the

Edit/Browse icon to activate it.
This automatically takes you to the Edit/Browse tab where the ISet
tree is expanded. Note the ISet’s attributed data elements.
ISet created earlier

in the exercise
contains the two
Geoshapers and
three Surface Grids
previously loaded.

Using the icons beneath the tab name, you can add, delete, load into
your session or remove from your session accordingly.
Using the icons in the upper, horizontal icon menu of the task, you
can deactivate, create, and delete ISets, as well as load and unload
the Session data associated with the selected ISet.
Picking “Dummy Sites” to Customize Lateral and Pad Placement

Now that we have our Interpretation Set customized to our needs, we
can easily access the geoscience data instead of manually picking it from
the Select Session Data window.
Recall the Elderton Lease from the previous exercises. It is a lease area
modeled by a surface elevation grid that has a satellite image attributed
to it. The satellite image indicates that there is a large road that splits the
Elderton Lease into Elderton West and Elderton East sections. Due to
the nature of the road’s central location and the lease terms, the decision
has been made to utilize the road for facilities placement. If we plan near
the road, our pads will be closer to facilities, thereby reducing our
facilities and production costs. Therefore, we will account for this need
and plan our sites accordingly.
Given the choice, The Well Planning software will often place the heels
of laterals central to the lease boundary to ensure setback criteria is met.
Since the pads are located above or nearly above the heels, we must plan
our heels to be close to the road, and we accomplish this with Dummy
Sites.
Dummy Sites are sites that you can manually pick in a viewer with the
intent of deleting them later. They will be used as brief references for
lateral placement. Using this method, we have more control over where
the software will place the laterals, while still being able to optimize site
and lateral placements. After the laterals are placed in more desirable
areas, we will remove the Dummy Sites and then optimize pad location
based on the new lateral layout and the slot template and pad type
designs that we created in the previous exercises.
1. With the Cube view open and active, navigate to the Inventory tree
in the main session window and toggle On the visibility of the
following three Surface Grids : Base Marcellus_Sesimic, Ground
Elev Elderton & Predicted Top Marcellus. Recall that to toggle

visibility On and Off, you must click the green or gray circle next to
the data item in the Inventory tree.
2. Select File > New Tab > Map from the main session window to
open the Map view.
This places a Map view tab next to the Cube view tab. To view side
by side press <Alt>+M, or right-click on any tab. This opens the
Tab Manager Menu, where the tab layout can be selected.
3. Select the Left-Right layout option.
4. Select Tools > Well Planning.
5. Select File > Open Project From > OpenWorks and open the
Eld_Lease_Road Well Planning project.

6. Select File > Save Project as ... and save the project as
Eld_DummySites, so that we do not accidentally save over our
previous planning methods.
7. In the Map view, toggle Off all data in the Inventory except the
Eld_DummySites Well Planning project.

8. With the AssetPlanner module selected in the Well Planning

window, use the Interpretation > Well Planning Options task
pane in the DecisionSpace Geoscience software to set parameters
for manually picking pad locations along the road.

9. Using the Map view, and in the Interpretation mode ( ), pick

several pad locations along the road.
10. In the Well Planning window, go to the AssetPlanner Targeting

mode.
11. Select the Horizontal tab and the Type sub-tab.
Most of the information will be the same as in the previous

Marcellus workflow, but changes need to be made to the following
parameters:
• In the Limits section, select the Process boundaries

individually option from the drop-down and clear the Use all
boundaries check box.

• Select the Eld_lease_East and Eld_Lease_West boundary

under Available Boundaries (press and hold the <Ctrl> key to
select both).
12. Select the Position tab and enter the following parameters:
• In the Positioning section, select the Use Existing option.

• Clear the Infill check box if it is selected.
13. In the Primary Heel tab, set the parameters as follows:

14. Select the Primary Toe tab and click the Copy from Heel button to
copy all the parameters from the Primary Heel tab.
15. Change the Target prefix to Primary Toe.
16. Click the Create targets button.

Your laterals should look something like this: (remember you
picked your own pad site locations, so lateral positions will vary
slightly too.)
17. Go back to the Well Planning window, select the Targeting mode
and go to the Type tab.
This time you will plan infill targets to fill out the lease. The only
change you will make is to ensure the following in the Limits
section:
• The Use all boundaries check box is not selected

• Eld_Lease_East and Eld_Lease_West are both selected

• The Process boundaries individually option is still selected
18. Select the Position tab and enter the following parameters:
• In the Positioning section, select the Create pads option

• Select the Infill check box
• Enter 500 ft in the Conventional buffer field
• Enter 500 ft in the Vertical buffer field
• Select the Reach check box and enter 2000 ft in the field
adjacent to the check box

19. Click the Create targets button.

Your laterals should infill similar to this:

20. Now select the Planning mode. The only change you should have
to make in the Sites tab is to select the Use Existing pads option.

21. Select the Plans tab.
Since the Horizontal Plan parameters have not changed, therefore if

the rest of your screen settings look like the image below, you do not
need to make any changes:

The Map view should look similar to:

And the Cube view:

Multiple Boundary and Azimuth options in Horizontal Targeting

1. Select File > New Project in the Well Planning window to create a
new project.
A warning dialog box will appear, asking if you want to leave the old
project open. Click Yes.
Right-click the New Project and rename it Azimuth_Variations.
2. In the Map view of DSG, use the Well Planning Options task pane
to digitize a new polygon with a marked angle on the Base
Marcellus grid, as shown below:
Actions: Draw Polygon
Basic: Boundary
Draw polygon
Depths: Free Form
Use Surface (OW Ground Elevation

Elderton)

3. Select Tools > Target Editor from the Well Panning window, to
view your polygon boundary.

4. Select the Geometry tab, and in the Thickness section, enter 8000 ft
in the Down Distance field.

5. In the Cube view, check if the lease boundary extends to the target
surface.
6. In the Well Planning window, select the Targeting mode within the
AssetPlanner module.
7. Enter/select the following parameters in the Type tab:
• In the Spacing section, enter 500 ft in the Well spacing field

• Enter 1000 ft in the Heel heel spacing field
• Enter 500 ft in the Toe toe spacing field
• Enter 3000 ft in the Minimum lateral length field
• Enter 5000 ft in the Maximum lateral length field
• Clear the Preferred lateral length check box
• Clear the Avoid hazards by check box
• In the Limits section, select the Break boundaries up option
from the drop-down list
• Select the Use all boundaries check box

• Enter 50 ft in the Lease line setback field
Note
The Break boundaries up (into smaller pieces) option is used when you have
complex shaped boundaries and plan to orient wells for maximum fill. This option
is best combined with the Azimuth Range and Defined by boundary shape
orientation options defined on the Position tab.
8. Select the Positions tab and enter the following parameters:
• In the Orientation section, select the Defined by boundary

shape option from the Options drop-down list

• In the Positioning section, select the Not Site based option and
the Center option
Note
Azimuth options have been consolidated into a drop-down menu:
• Fixed Azimuth
• Azimuth Range
• Line up on Well
• Defined by boundary shape
• Max fill local
• Use grid as azimuth
• Use grid upslope- All laterals < 90o
• Use grid downslope- All laterals > 90o
• Azimuth from boundary parameters (available for third party plugin tools,
exposed for utilization.)

9. Both Primary Heel and Primary Toe should look like:

Now view your laterals in your irregular lease. Note the different

azimuths in different sections of the lease.
Note
Your lateral arrangement and number will vary depending on the size and shape of
the boundary which you drew. Also, if you do not get differing azimuths, then re-
draw the boundary with more angular irregularity (not 90o angles).
11. Save your well plan as Azimuth_Variations. You will continue to

use the same plan in the next workflow.

Alternate Kickoff Dogleg

1. Select the Planning mode in the AssetPlanner module, and enter /
select the following parameters in the Sites tab:
Site: Calculate platform
Platform coverage: 100%
Setback: 50 ft
Use boundaries: Select
Setback: 50 ft
Platform type: Elderton 8 Slot
Use Grid: Select
Grid: Ground Elev Elderton
KB elevation: Above Grid, 15.0 ft
Water depth: Fixed, 0 ft
Maximum slope: Select, 5

2. Select the Plans tab:
3. For the first Horizontal plan, change the following parameters and
click OK:
Enforce DLS: Select
Apply Kickoff DLS: Select, 3 Deg/100 ft
Minimum target spacing: 0 ft
Maximum target spacing: 20000 ft

The rest of the parameters are unchanged from the previous

AssetPlanner well plans you created.
4. For the second Horizontal plan, change the following parameter

and click OK:

The rest of the parameters are unchanged from the previous

AssetPlanner well plans you created.
5. Enter the following parameters in the For Drilling Restrictions

section of the Plans tab:
Maximum reach: To Heel, 5000 ft
Minimum kickoff: 300 ft
Hazard clearance: 150 ft


Check your plans in the Cube and Map views.

7. Go back to the TracPlanner mode and view one of the planned

wells. Notice that the kickoff dogleg angle is selected in the
TracPlanner window and can be also be modified here.
8. Save your well plan as Alternate Doglegs.
Laterals Placed with Drag action and Assisted Manual Pad Placement
1. Create a new project named Drag_Assist.
2. Toggle On the Base Marcellus grid so that you know where the
field limits are.

3. Create a new boundary polygon, referenced to the Ground Elev

Elderton grid.
4. In the Well Planning window, select Tools > Target Editor, and
from the Geometry tab change the Thickness Down distance to
8000 ft, in order to project the boundary to the target surface.

5. Click Close.
6. In the Well Planning window, select the Targeting mode from the
AssetPlanner module.

8. Enter/select parameters in the Type tab as shown in the image:

9. Select the Position tab and enter/select parameters as shown in the

image:
10. Parameters in the Primary Heel and Primary Toe tab remain
unchanged.

11. Do not Create Targets.
12. In the Map view, select the Interpretation > Well Planning Options
tab.
13. Select the Pick site option from the Actions section.
14. Select the Create laterals check box from the Basic section.
15. Select the Use Platform Positioning check box and set a
Maximum movement for assisted manual pad placement of 500 ft.

Note
If your selected location doesn’t meet your site placement rules, it will adjust to a
suitable location within your maximum movement and prompt you the proposed
change. The user can approve, reject or cancel the site placement.
16. In the Well Planning window, select the Planning mode from the
AssetPlanner module. Highlight the Sites tab and switch back to
the main DSG session.
17. In the Map view, and in the Interpretation mode, with all the
above parameters selected in the Well Planning window, click and
hold the location where you want the pad site to be. While holding
the left mouse button, drag the cursor from the pad site, in the
direction that you want the laterals to run. Then release the left
mouse button.
The laterals will be oriented in the direction of your drag. The pad
will be located at the first click of the left mouse button.

18. In the Well Planning window, make no changes to the current

project parameters in the Planning mode of the AssetPlaner
module and click the Create Plans button.

19. Save your project as Drag_Assist.

Creating Perforations during Frac Target Creation

1. Continue using the Drag_Assist project, but rename it Frac_Perfs.
2. In the Well Planning window, select Tools > Intercepts to Targets.
The Create Reference Targets from Intercepts dialog box opens.
3. Select the parameters in the Create Reference Targets from

Intercepts dialog box as shown below. Note that the plans you
created will vary. Select a plan close to the listed plan. Make a note

of the plan you select, so that you can see the added parameters of
the plan, in the Well Planning Inventory tree:

4. Click OK and view the results in the Map and Cube views.
5. Save your project as Frac_Perfs.

Radial Targeting
1. Continue using the Frac_Perfs project. In the Inventory, toggle On
the Base Marcellus grid so you know the area of the field.
2. Select the Interpretation tab.
3. Select the Pick a Target option from the Basic section of the Well
Planning Options task pane and enter / select the rest of the
parameters shown below:
Type: Target
Color: Pink
Prefix: BOUND
Shape: Circle
Radius: 50 ft
Surface: Ground Elevation


4. In the Well Planning window, select Tools > Target Editor and
input parameters as shown below:
Radius: 5000 ft
Targets: Bound 1
5. Select Tools > Spreadsheet Editor.

6. Find BOUND 1 in the Spreadsheet Editor dialog box and select the
check box in the Boundary column.
The Map view should look like this:

7. To place a pad in the circular boundary, use the Well Planning

Options task pane to pick a site:
Actions: Pick Site
Site Platform type: Elderton 8 Slot
Prefix: Pad
Create laterals: Toggle Off
Use Platform Positioning: Toggle Off
Depths: Relative to surface
Offset: 15 ft
Surface: OW Ground Elev Elderton

8. Select the AssetPlanner module and Targeting mode in the Well

Planning window.
10. Select the Not stacked Profile and Radial Pattern in the Type tab
and enter / select the following parameters:
Heel heel spacing: 500 ft
Toe toe spacing: 500 ft

Maximum lateral length: 5000 ft
Lateral length increment: 1 ft
Target for positioning: BOUND 1
Lease line setback: 50 ft

11. Select the Position tab, take the defaults, but notice the Infill option.
Initial plans are for 4 laterals, but you can elect to create infills. We
will not do so for this exercise.
12. Use the same parameters for the Primary Heel and Primary Toe
tabs as in previous exercises.


View results in the Map and Cube views:
14. Save your project as Radial_Targeting.

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DecisionSpace Well Planning:

Part Number 220064 Revision C April 2015

Chapter 1: Introduction to DecisionSpace Well Planning . . . . 1-1

DecisionSpace Well Planning Software Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Chapter 2: TracPlanner Optimized Well & Pad Planning . . . . 2-1

Creating Pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1 i

Slot Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

Manual Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Site Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24

Plan Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-26

ii DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1

Recommend Surface Location and Recommend Kickoff Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-79

Chapter 3: AssetPlanner Field Development Planning. . . . . . . . 3-1

DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1 iii

Available Plan Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16

iv DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1

DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1 v

vi DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1

DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1 1-1

In this course you will learn about:

• Using the DecisionSpace Cube view to create 3D visualization

• Using the TracPlanner™ software to manually plan directional

• Simultaneously planning multiple wells and surface locations for

• Using AssetPlanner auto targeting to identify targets based on

• Quickly developing plans for sidetracks.

• Project wellpath proximity and avoidance of other wells and of

• Integrating GIS into planning to avoid surface hazards and cultural

• Managing wellbore position uncertainty and the driller's target

• Generating and evaluating field development scenarios using

• Designing pattern targeting for efficient primary recovery and for

• Completely updating field drilling and development plans and

1-2 DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1

The complexity of drilling and completions increases every day. Ultra

The solution represents an accelerated field planning enabler that

• Optimizing field development planning.

Quickly create and review multiple field planning scenarios with

• Enhancing asset team collaboration.

Plan wells in the context of geological, geophysical, and reservoir

DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1 1-3

• Compressing well-planning cycle time.

Integrated workflows leverage multidisciplinary data, asset team

Common results for this integrated workflow include: safer well

• Leveraging your asset team's expertise.

• Creating flexible workflows for complex environments.

DecisionSpace Well Planning arms asset teams with tools that

For instance, in deepwater, finding and hitting relatively small targets

Workflow tools include 3D visualization of data from multiple

The following products enable the well planning workflow:

• The TracPlanner software—for wellpath manipulation

• The AssetPlanner software—for target generation and multi-well

• The ScenarioPlanner software—for creating and managing multiple

1-4 DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1

DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1 1-5

DecisionSpace Well Planning Software Basics

DecisionSpace Well Planning is the suite of applications related to well

Creating and Working with Projects

Start New Project

Project > Pad > Well > Target

1-6 DecisionSpace® Well Planning: Onshore Methods – Volume 1

The Project is at the highest level in the hierarchy, and if there is a

The following image is an example of a Well Planning well or plan that

Targets assigned to a well