Completion and Artificial Lift Strategies for the Life of the Well

William Lane
Overview
 Unconventional production challenges
 Current best practices
 A better way forward

© 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved. 1

 Challenges
UNCONVENTIONAL PRODUCTION

CHALLENGES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved. 2

 Rapid Decline Rates
Metric Barnett Eagle Ford Woodford Haynesville Marcellus Bakken
Thickness (ft) 100-600’ 23-183’ 70-290’ 200-350’ 45-225’ 10-40’

Typical TVD (ft) 6,000-8,500 6,000-13,000 10,000-16,000 10,000-13,500 4,000-8,000 7,450-11,100

Typical MD (ft) 11,500 16,800 14,400 16,500 11,500 20,000

Typical Lateral (ft) 3,500-5,000 3,500-5,000 4,000-5,000 4,000-7,600 4,000-5,500 4,000-10,000
Permeability <5µd 1µd <1µd <1µd 20µd 40µd
IP Rate (MMCFD) 2.5 19.3 5.1 14.3 3.5 791 BOEPD

EUR/Well (BCFE) 2.8 5.9 4 6.5 4.5 400-700 MBBL

Avg Decline Year 1 65% 75% 59% 81% 64% 80%

Avg Decline Year 2 34% 43% 41% 35%
Avg Decline Year 3 19% 32% 26% 21%
Decline Out Years 6% 6% 5% 5% 5%
Water usage1 4 MMGal 5 MMGal 4.5 MMGal 6 MMGal 5 MMGal 4 MMGal
Water flow-back1 5% to 30% 1 MMGal

1Per total frac job, Techno-economic Assessment of Water Management Solutions, Gas Technology Institute. July, 2011.

CHALLENGES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

Long, slender well geometries

4” ID1 ¼” straw
5,000’ lateral = 104 yards

1Assumes 4” ID for 4½” casing.

CHALLENGES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

“Horizontal” wells

CHALLENGES Courtesy of Marathon Oil © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

 Complex Well Geometries

Ref: Sutton, R.: “Wellbore Geometry Effects on Well Production Performance,” SPE
Liquids Rich Shale Conference, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA (May 2013).
CHALLENGES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.
Turbulent Slug Flow

Liquid/gas separation?

Video Source: Tulsa University Horizontal Well Artificial Lift Project (TUHWALP).

CHALLENGES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

Turbulent Slug Flow
Superficial Liquid Velocity (fps)

Superficial Liquid Velocity (fps)

100 1° Toe Up 100
1° Toe Down
BUBBLE BUBBLE
10 SLUG 10

ANNULAR
ANNULAR
1 1

STRATIFIED
STRATIFIED SLUG
0. 1 G 0. 1 G
OIL A OIL A
S S
0.01 0.01
Superficial Gas Velocity Superficial Gas Velocity
(fps) (fps)
Source: TUHWALP simulations.

CHALLENGES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

Uncertain Inflow

GAS

WATER OIL

CHALLENGES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

 Current Best Practices
UNCONVENTIONAL PRODUCTION

BEST PRACTICES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved. 10

Well Preparation
 Fracturing fluid recovery injected
Jet pump @ 2000 bpd
power fluid
 Gas well unloading
 Initial production comingled
return fluids

produced
fluids

BEST PRACTICES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

Early Production Practices
 Back-pressure management (chokes)
– Avoid formation damage from excessive drawdown
– Stabilize production (less slugging, flatter decline curve)

Graphical reference: ”More Production on Smaller Choke”, Ayman Gazawi, Pioneer Natural Resources, SPE Workshop: Horizontal Well
Completions in North American Shales, June, 2013.

BEST PRACTICES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

Early Production Practices

–
–

 Artificial Lift systems

– Gas lift where possible
– Jet pumps for initial high rates
– Rod pumping for GVF < 1000 to 2500 SCF/bbl
 Pumps landed in vertical or near vertical

BEST PRACTICES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

Later Production Practices
 Lift systems
– Rod pumping
– Plunger lift
– Hydraulic piston pumps
– Capillary foam
Sweep liquids through laterals
– Velocity enhancement
 Gas injection: 𝐹𝐵𝐻𝑃<𝑃(𝑖𝑛𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑔𝑎𝑠)<𝑆𝐵𝐻𝑃
FBHP - flowing bottom-hole pressure
SBHP – static bottom-hole pressure

BEST PRACTICES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

Deliquification of shale gas wells
• Deliquify 4000 foot laterals.
Challenge • Varying water inflow.
• Capillary tubing to crossover at 70° deviation.
Solution • 2-3/8” tubing to toe, annular foam return.
• Sustained foam & dewatering along laterals.
Results • Increased gas production.

Crossover @ 70°

BEST PRACTICES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

Later Production Practices
 Recommended Practices
– Build sections and tubing sizes to accommodate lift pumps
– Pumps landed <70° deviation in straight tangent sections
– Construct straight laterals where possible, minimize undulations
– Deviation ≥ 91°

FBHP - flowing bottom-hole pressure

SBHP – static bottom-hole pressure
BEST PRACTICES © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.
 A Better Way Forward
UNCONVENTIONAL PRODUCTION

A BETTER WAY FORWARD © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved. 17

Planned phasing of lift systems
Jet Pump
Gas Lift
ESP
Rod Pump
Production

Well Hydraulic Piston Pump

Prep Plunger Lift
Foam
Early
Production Later
Production

A BETTER WAY FORWARD © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

Hybrid lift systems

Jet Pumps Gas Lift

Initial unloading Production
& frac flow-back

Change between lift systems

without rig intervention
A BETTER WAY FORWARD © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.
Optical permanent monitoring
Temperature, pressure, acoustic
 Seismic stress monitoring
 Zonal inflow contribution
 Multiphase flow measurement
 Slug flow advanced warning

© 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

Production Optimization
Starts with integrated planning
 Well-construction geometry
− Lateral drainage
− Pumps landed in straight tangents
 Completions
− Plan for lift systems
− Subsurface sensors
 Production optimization systems
− Reservoir monitoring
− Analyses and controls
− Data management
A BETTER WAY FORWARD © 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.
Questions?

© 2015 Weatherford. All rights reserved.