Fracturing 30,000 ft Wells in Deepwater, Planning and Execution Learnings from the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Abstract As shallower reservoirs deplete, the search for hydrocarbons is going deeper in the Gulf of Mexico. These reservoirs generally have lower permeability than many of the shallower reservoirs and require massive hydraulic fractures to reach economical production rates.1–4 The reservoirs are generally over-pressured and can require heavy weight drilling and completion fluids for well control. Fracturing fluids are often weighted, with viscosity and friction that require customization to the long work strings to permit sufficient rates to effectively fracture the formation. The lower permeability in these reservoirs require massive volumes of proppant to achieve the desired fracture lengths and conductivities, which can lead to erosional and logistics issues. As drawdowns greater than 10,000 psi are planned early in these wells’ lives, the pumping schedules need to consider the effects of increased stress on the proppant and possible future fracture conductivity loss. Descriptions of these issues along with discussions of current and proposed future solutions are provided.