Chevron Energy Technology Company

Abstract:

Drilling activities continue to be extended into harsher and more challenging environments. In addition, directional drilling, with its increased activity level, has also become more complex. These conditions have escalating effects on operational costs. Performance drilling is universally accepted as an enabler in operational costs reductions, through improvements in drilling efficiency. However, achievement of these expectations continues to fall short, while also lacking consistency in most instances. These conditions are primarily due to the industry’s different positions on what constitutes performance drilling. In most situations, the use of new technology, sophisticated tools, or expensive drive systems, is classified as performance drilling. Primarily, this lecture will challenge and move away from such positions. Most importantly, it will present new definitions, concepts, and processes that facilitate consistent achievement of performance drilling’s intended objectives and benefits.

In addition to establishing how performance drilling should be executed, a new benchmarking process which focuses on how and why events occur will be discussed. Additionally, clear distinctions between project success and efficiency as they relate to operational costs will also be established. The challenges posed by specific applications, which need performance drilling focus, will be identified and discussed.

Global projects in different applications, where challenges continue to be turned into opportunities, will be presented and supported with the appropriate data and discussions.

Biography:

Graham Mensa-Wilmot is a Sr. Advisor, Drilling Engineer in Chevron's Energy Technology Company. Graham is the MAXDRILL (Performance Drilling) project leader. He has more than 28yrs experience in drilling applications research, downhole tool development, drilling vibrations identification and remediation, drilling mechanics, drilling system design and analysis, and drilling performance improvement. He has authored 42 technical papers and also holds 34 patents on same disciplines.

Graham is a recognized industry leader on performance drilling. He serves on the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference Program Committee, and the SPE Drilling and Completions technical review committee. He previously served for 6 years, on the JPT Editorial committee, as technical editor for the Bits/BHAs and Performance Drilling. Graham also served as a distinguished lecturer on the Petroleum Network Educational Courses series. Graham holds an MS degree in Drilling Engineering from Romanian's University of Petroleum and Gas in Ploiesti.

Society of Petroleum Engineers

Distinguished Lecturer 2016-17 Lecture Season

The Role of Natural Fractures in Shale Gas Production: What Does Production Data Tell Us?

Ian C. Walton

Energy & Geoscience Institute, University of Utah

Abstract:

Natural fractures are very common in shale gas plays. It is often presumed that because the formations are so tight gas can be produced economically only when extensive networks of natural fractures exist. The creation of large fracture surface area in contact with the reservoir is regarded as essential to commercial success. This is facilitated by multi-stage hydraulic fracturing of long horizontal wells using large volumes of low-viscosity (low-cost) fracturing fluid. The fracture systems that are created by this process are indeed large and often complex, due essentially to intersection of the hydraulic fractures with the natural fracture network. However, the efficiency of this process in terms of water usage is now coming under close scrutiny, not least because of growing environmental concerns.

The success of these operations is beyond doubt, but what can be inferred about the accuracy of this conceptual picture in light of many years’ accumulated production data? What does production data tell us about the role of natural fractures, whether initially closed (mineralized) or open, in the production process? This presentation addresses these issues by using a semi-analytic shale gas production model to analyze and interpret production data from many shale gas wells across several different plays. Among the many inferences that can be drawn from the results of this investigation is a fresh appraisal of the role of natural and hydraulic fractures in the production process.

Take-away message: natural fractures may not, after all, be essential for economic shale gas production and may even be detrimental.

Biography:

Ian Walton is a Senior Research Scientist in the Energy & Geoscience Institute at the University of Utah and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Manchester. Dr. Walton has more than 25 years of petroleum industry experience, most recently as a Scientific Advisor for Schlumberger and more than 15 year’s university teaching experience. He has published many technical reports and papers and has been awarded eight patents. He has made many technical presentations at industry conferences, forums and workshops. Current research centers on modeling and forecasting gas and oil production from shales.