Application of New Fracturing Technique Improves Stimulation Success for Openhole Horizontal Completions

Abstract

Application of New Fracturing Technique Improves Stimulation Success for Openhole Horizontal Completions Loyd East; Loyd East Halliburton Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Ron Willett; Ron Willett Halliburton Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Jim Surjaatmadja; Jim Surjaatmadja Halliburton Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar B.W. McDaniel B.W. McDaniel Halliburton Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the SPE International Symposium and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisiana, February 2004. Paper Number: SPE-86480-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/86480-MS Published: February 18 2004 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation East, Loyd, Willett, Ron, Surjaatmadja, Jim, and B.W. McDaniel. "Application of New Fracturing Technique Improves Stimulation Success for Openhole Horizontal Completions." Paper presented at the SPE International Symposium and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisiana, February 2004. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/86480-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE International Conference and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control Search Advanced Search ProposalA relatively new technique for applying fractures (both proppant fracs and acid fracs)1–3 in horizontal openhole and uncemented liner completions is giving operators a more effective method for stimulation of underachieving wells. The process incorporates the known technologies of hydrajetting and fracturing in a novel way to achieve individual fracture placement at several selected locations along the lateral without the need for mechanical isolation methods, usually with only one service trip to the location. Depending on the number of fracturing stages desired, most job times vary from 6 to 12 hr if there are no hole-entry, tool, or logistic problems.Use of this new stimulation process continues to expand in the USA and Canada, and during the fourth quarter of 2002 and the first half of 2003, application of this process was successfully expanded beyond these original development areas to include offshore South America and a region of northern Asia. Before the end of 2003, numerous other locations around the globe are also planning to implement this stimulation technology on underperforming horizontal completions.Although this stimulation technique can also be used for cemented liners, its unique ability to control fracture placement in openhole and uncemented liner applications will be the focus of this paper. Only a brief review the basic technology is presented here, as numerous earlier publications provide more detail. New case histories will be presented wherein the application of this process has provided the operator with a distinct improvement in well completion economics.BackgroundWhat are the possible reasons for a horizontal well completion to experience lower than expected production? As with vertical wells, in some horizontal completions, a lack of data will result in a dry hole, but this should represent only a small percentage of economic failures. More realistically, the greater number of underachieving horizontal completions is probably attributable to one or more of the following circumstances:4–9Lower permeability than anticipatedPermeability anisotropy (especially vertical permeability limitations)Skin damage or near-wellbore plugging of a natural fracture networkIneffective stimulation techniquesIn horizontal wells, conventional waterfrac treatments have been preferred in a number of reservoirs for many years. In additional to often disappointing production response, fracture-mapping techniques applied during some of these treatments have demonstrated the inefficiency of this treatment method when attempting to create multiple fractures along the entire length of the wellbore.10–12 Most often, the simultaneous creation and extension of multiple fractures in openhole horizontal completions results in at most two dominant fractured zones commonly referred to as heel-toe fractures (Fig. 1). Even more disconcerting is the fact that there is very little control over the placement of these fractures, which could mean that many of the more prolific intervals contacted by the wellbore will remain unstimulated and possibly also with skin damage. Keywords: directional drilling, openhole horizontal completion loyd east, stimulation, fracture, exhibition, lbm gal slurry 0 1, placement, horizontal completion, spe 86480, wellbore Subjects: Drilling Operations, Hydraulic Fracturing, Directional drilling This content is only available via PDF. 2004. Society of Petroleum Engineers You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.