Description
Multi-stage horizontal well stimulation treatments have been the key completion approach that has driven the recent US shale revolution. This approach has transformed the industry, making it possible to economically stimulate reservoirs that were previously deemed uneconomic. In attempting to deploy such multi-stage fracturing treatments, several tools and processes have been employed during the completion phase. Most popular among these approaches has been the ‘plug and perf’ technique, which permits multiple treatments to be performed along a horizontal wellbore. This widespread approach has allowed these operations to be rapidly executed, but with the short elapsed time between stages and wells, it has become increasingly challenging for the completion engineer to effectively close the evaluation cycle.
As many of these plays have now become mature, it has become increasingly apparent that the majority of these wells have not been effectively stimulated. With fracture interference and cluster efficiency being among the key concerns with these types of treatments, high efficiency is rarely being achieved, along with only partial zonal coverage. In fulfilling the intent to complete these wells in the timeliest manner possible, it has become apparent that there is likely a significant portion of unstimulated pay in a typical well. This presentation will not attempt to address the “optimized completion design” itself, but will instead explore techniques that can be used to recomplete some of these wells and recapture a portion of the previously bypassed pay.