Événement

SPE-PB Completions and Operations Study Group

Making Real-time Decisions to Improve Completion Performance in the Delaware Basin: Protecting Parent Wells and Increasing Cluster Efficiency

Speaker: Allie Garcia, Reveal Energy

Abstract:

Surface pressure data can now be used in real time to improve the completion design and cluster efficiency of child wells while protecting nearby parent wells.
This study involves three parent wells and ten child wells, landed horizontally in the Wolfcamp A and B reservoirs in the Delaware Basin. An integrated real-time analysis of surface pressure acquired from parent and offset child well completions enabled informed decisions regarding pump rate, fluid volume, frac stage sequence, and diverter schedule on subsequent stages. Results included the mitigation of frac-hits at the parent wells and improved fluid distribution of the child wells.
Real-time monitoring indicated significant fluid communication during treatment between child and parent wells. Under these conditions, the order of operations and completion design were changed to reduce the risk of adverse effects on both well types from frac hits. By changing the treatment design, the magnitude and characteristics of pressures observed in the parent well showed significant reduction in the intensity of fluid communication. It also improved cluster efficiency of the nearby child wells, with no indication of damaging frac hits occurring.
Pressure-based fracture mapping was used to supplement observations from the parent well. These pressure responses, recorded from an isolated stage on an offset well, were applied to compute fracture geometries and growth rates of the stimulated fractures. The fracture height of the child wells decreased after adjusting the order of operations and completion designs during stimulation, indicating fracture containment within the target zone. These results validated the improved cluster efficiency findings. The differences in geometries and growth curves are interpreted as improved fracture quality near the wellbore, with no damaging frac hits from the completion stages.
Real-time pressure monitoring and analysis provides immediate, accurate feedback during stimulation. Data-driven decisions enabled optimizing the frac design and pump schedule (slurry rate, slurry volume, proppant volume, proppant concentration, etc). Improved understanding of the fractures supports more informed decision-making during the execution of a well stimulation program, mitigates parent well damage, and enhances child well production.
SPE-199705-MS