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

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

3. 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

4. Drilling Rigs are Differentand Completions
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ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT

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

6. Demand for more fracsd Completions
PETROLEUM
ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT

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

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

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

10. SMicroseismic Barnett Shale Horizontal and Completions
PETROLEUM
ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT

11. Prop the Fractures OpenDrilling and Completions
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ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT

12. Horizontal Completions with Mechanical Packers
Allow multiple stimulations along horizontal interval

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

14. Coiled Tubing with Sand Plugs

15. 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

16. Size of Fracture Stimulationsand Completions
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ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT

17. Well Costs (Range Resources)Completions
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ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT

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

19. Horsepower to pump those water fracsDrilling and Completions
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ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT

20. 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