New Technology in the Bakken Play Increases the Number of Stages in Packer/Sleeve Completions

Abstract

Abstract The Bakken, one of the last giants to be discovered in North America, extends from Montana through North Dakota and into Saskatchewan and Manitoba provinces in Canada. The USGS, in its latest study published in April 2008 (USGS 2008), estimates that the undiscovered US portion of the Bakken Formation holds 3.65 billion barrels of oil, 1.85 trillion cubic ft of associated gas and 148 million barrels of natural gas liquids. Being classified as an oil play dependent on full well-cycle margin efficiencies to increase profitability, technology will be a main driver in the success of the development of the Bakken. Two technologies that have been critical to the current success of the Bakken are: horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Operators typically drill on 640 or 1280 acre spacing. Typical 1280-spaced lateral lengths are over 9,000 ft, at a total vertical depth (TVD) of 9,000 ft (Miller et al., 2008). Once extended reach horizontal drilling was proven reliable, attention was turned to optimizing production from these laterals. This paper will present an enhancement to an existing technology that enabled the operator to vastly increase the effective flow area created by staged hydraulic fracturing. In the process of bringing this technology to market, both the service company and the operator agreed that the true value-adding function was the process that enabled an expediting of the product from concept to implementation. The development of new technology by service companies is critical for operators to expand their operations, drive operational efficiency, and work profitably in ever harsher environments that are lower on the resource triangle (Fig. 1) (Masters and Grey 1979). Product development is sometimes performed by service companies with requirements gathered from several operators, while at other times service companies will develop products specifically to meet the needs of a single operator. This paper will describe a synthesis of these processes, and the design and testing hurdles encountered, for a project that met the needs of both a single operator and the service company. The product is expected to provide continued benefit throughout the Bakken drilling and completion campaign for this operator, as well as provide a solution for the broader market for the service company. As a result of this collaborative effort, a new product was conceptualized, developed, lab tested, field tested, and taken to market in an accelerated time frame. Fig. 1 Resource Triangle.