Shale Drilling and Completions William Fleckenstein, P.E. BP Adjunct Professor Colorado School of Mines PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Shale Drilling and Completions Vertical vs. Horizontal Drilling PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

United States Current Rig Count (Baker Hughes) and Completions Breakout Information   This Week +/- Last Week Year Ago Oil 718 22 696 386 332 Gas 955 -12 967 221 734 Miscellaneous 10 1 9 -2 12 Directional 218 220 32 186 Horizontal 943 24 919 436 507 Vertical 522 -11 533 137 385 PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Drilling Rigs are Differentand Completions PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Shale Drilling and Completions Why not just a horizontal well? PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Demand for more fracsd Completions PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

The Reservoir Contact Is Even Better!! Drilling and Completions PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Each Fracture Stimulation Creates a Complex Fracture Network Drilling and Completions PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Microseismiclling and Completions Maps the fracture growth Identifies azimuth Requires observation well PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

SMicroseismic Barnett Shale Horizontal and Completions PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Prop the Fractures OpenDrilling and Completions PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Horizontal Completions with Mechanical Packers Allow multiple stimulations along horizontal interval

Horizontal Completions Frac Baffles or Frac Sleeves Diversion with Expandable Packers Sleeves are actuated with balls

Coiled Tubing with Sand Plugs

Horizontal Completions Cemented Perf and Plug Annular Isolation (and diversion accomplished with cement) Frac stages initiated through perforations isolated with bridge plugs Bridge plugs are removed with coiled tubing drilling. Plug and Perf Method

Size of Fracture Stimulationsand Completions PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Well Costs (Range Resources)Completions PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Lots of Water in “Water Fracs” Drilling and Completions PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Horsepower to pump those water fracsDrilling and Completions PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Protection of Groundwater Drilling and Completions Getting a good cement job means: Centralization Pipe movement and fluid velocity (looking for turbulence) Spacer design Rheology properties of mud Other specific issues to a cement job. PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT