Northside: Observation from an Underground Laboratory: An Integrated Approach to Unlocking Performance in the Niobrara

In 2012, Noble Energy designed and built an in-situ underground laboratory in Wells Ranch Section 25, Weld County, Colorado.  The essence of the design includes nine horizontal wells demonstrating 660’ and 330’ well spacing with two different placement patterns, BBB and BCB.  Thirteen plus independent surveillance technologies were overlaid in the section to directly observe as many G&G, reservoir, stimulation and production characteristics as possible for the Niobrara. 

               

Observations obtained during the well stimulations are summarized including the DTS waterfall plots, packer isolation failure statistics and causes, the number of fractures initiated per stage, real-time stimulation execution troubleshooting, samples of underground DAS sound files, RA tracer correlations as a function of vertical well placement azimuth, number of pressure events observed relative to Sh-min,  examples of dynamically changing hydraulic well connectivity vs. time, micro seismic elliptical analysis, micro seismic events relative to observed pressure and temperature events and there lack of correlation, and DTS production logging with the associated statistics per stage on productivity.

Location: Greenspoint Club
16925 Northchase Dr.
Houston , Texas 77060

Date: Oct. 14, 2014, 11:30 a.m. - Oct. 14, 2014, 1 p.m.