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Event
SPE-PB Completions and Operations Study Group- On-Site Registration Only
Engineered Diversion: Using Well Heterogeneity as an Advantage to Designing Stage Specific Diverter Strategies.
Speaker: Kevin Wutherich, Drill2Frac
Abstract:
When hydraulically fracturing a horizontal wellbore with multiple perforation clusters, the fluid being pumped into the reservoir will preferentially take the path of least resistance which is to say that perforations which are located in the lowest stressed rocks will take a disproportionately large amount of fluid, and those perforations located in highest stressed rocks will receive the least amount of fluid if any. One of the ways that engineers are trying to overcome these differences is the use of diverters. A fluid diverter is typically inserted at some point within a hydraulic fracturing pump schedule to seal off dominant fractures, allowing fluid to flow into under-stimulated fractures.
The problem with this methodology is that without reservoir knowledge, operators typically have to use rules of thumbs to determine when to insert diverters and how much diverter to use. A previous paper (Ugueto, Huckabee, Molenaar, 2015), showed how this methodology can be ineffective leaving some clusters over stimulated and others under-stimulated. Anecdotal evidence also supports these concerns as equally sized diverter slugs do not always have equal pressure response.
This paper will present a methodology being applied which examines well heterogeneity, and designs the diversion strategy based on actual reservoir properties. Estimations of minimum insitu stress at each cluster are combined with estimates of stress shadow effect both from previous stages and between treatment clusters, to determine at which pressure each cluster will accept fluid. This data is then used to bin clusters into the ones which will be treated first, followed by a diverter slug, then second and potentially third. The volume of diverter slug used will be proportional to the number of clusters within the previous bin.
In addition to this, an engineered diversion strategy will look at the perforation design, fracture treatment design and pump rate. The result of this workflow is a tool that will maximize the effectiveness of diverters which ultimately will result in better producing wells at lower completions cost. This paper will also present case studies of this technique showing validation of its success.
Bio:
Kevin has 18 years of industry experience as an operator and in the service industry. Before joining Drill2Frac, he was the Director of Completions at Rice Energy where he ran the completions department. Before that he held multiple positions including Stimulation Domain Expert over a twelve-year period at Schlumberger. He is the lead inventor on six patents related to fracturing procedures and tools. He has authored many SPE papers and contributed to several industry publications primarily focused on shale completions. Kevin received a Bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Canada.
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LocationMidland Petroleum Club (View)
501 W Wall St
Midland, TX 79701
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 21 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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