American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 69

SpecialReport: Hydraulic Fracturing Technology

Diversion Improves Completion Results
By Kumar Ramurthy,
Mark Brown,
Joe Richardson,
Neha Sahdev,
Jack Wiener
and Mariano Garcia
DENVER-Advanced horizontal
drilling and multistage completion technologies, along with state-of-the-art 3-D
seismic and 3-D well pad/well placement
design, make the multi-bench Niobrara
formation in the Denver-Julesburg Basin
one of the most economical plays in
North America.
The Wattenberg Field in the heart of
the DJ Basin is among the largest overpressured, basin-centered fields in the
Rocky Mountain region. The field's structure is dominated by a series of northeast-trending wrench faults associated
with Precambrian basement tectonics.
Deep within the section, these faults are
vertical with strike-slip motion, but split
into an increasingly complex polygonal
system of listric normal faults within the
Cretaceous section, including Niobrara
chalks and the Codell sandstone.
This structural complexity can make
Niobrara horizontal drilling quite difficult
in regard to remaining within the zone.
Precise well designs and 3-D seismic
data are significant for imaging this complex fault pattern, accurately placing horizontal wells, managing drilling costs,
and effectively producing Niobrara targets.
In addition to the horizontal drilling
challenges, Niobrara completions are not
yet optimized. Operators continue to experiment with higher stage counts and
tighter spacing, which increases costs.
Consequently, an optimization study was
conducted on a Bayswater Exploration
& Production LLC-operated pad in the
Wattenberg Field to demonstrate that
spacing can be optimized with low-cost
and environmentally friendly diversion
technology that yields equal or better
production with fewer stages, thereby
lowering costs.
The five wells drilled on the Weld
County, Co., pad-wells I, J, K, L and M-
were oriented from north (heel) to south
(toe). Four of the wells have normal
lateral lengths of ~4,300 feet, but Well
M is an extended-reach lateral of ~9,500
feet. All wells in the pad were cut by

east-to-west faulting within the Niobrara,
which created a central graben in the
middle of each of the laterals. As shown
in Figure 1, fault throws encountered
were on the order of ~50 feet. The primary
target for all five was the Niobrara "C"
chalk bench.
Wells K and L were selected for the
optimization study. The wells are located
next to each other and both were completed
using perf-and-plug multistage fracturing
methods. Well trajectories and landing
points must be accounted for when comparing production.
Figures 2A and 2B depict the Niobrara
structural cross-sections along both wells'
directional surveys. As can be seen, Well
K landed in the middle C bench and
stayed flat in the middle of the chalk
until the graben, where it faulted into the
"B" chalk. The toe-up design then moved
back into the upper C chalk before ending
up in the lower B marl. Well L also followed a toe-up design, with the heel landing in the lower C chalk, followed by
faulting into the B chalk and then back
into the B marl before ending up in the B
chalk again.
Well K was completed with 28 stages
geometrically spaced at 153 feet, while
Well L was completed with 20 stages

geometrically spaced at 215 feet. Well L
was stimulated utilizing an intrastage diversion process and pumped 404,169
fewer pounds of proppant than Well K,
which was completed without the diversion
technology.
Following stimulation and flowback,
coiled tubing-deployed fiber optics distributed temperature survey (DTS) and
distributed acoustic survey (DAS) diagnostic tools were used in both wells to
evaluate treatment effectiveness. The results show that Well L with less dense
stage spacing and intrastage diversion
had 80 percent fracture initiation, compared with 60 percent for the limitedentry Well K. The production results are
very encouraging. The 180-day cumulative
oil production for Well L is almost similar
to Well K, with only a 3 percent difference
in the normalized barrels of oil equivalent
per foot.
Stimulation Treatment
Both wells were treated with a low
gel-loading carboxymethyl hydroxypropyl
guar (CMHPG) hybrid fluid system and
used 30/50-mesh white sand as the main
proppant. Well K's 28 stages had three
perforation clusters in each stage (84
total clusters), while Well L's 20 stages

FIGURE 1
Five-Well Pad with Central Graben in Weld County, Co.
5-Well Pad

Central Graben
Faulting

AUGUST 2016 69



American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016

Contents
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - Cover1
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - Cover2
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 3
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 4
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - Contents
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 6
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 7
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 8
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 9
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 10
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 11
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 12
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 13
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 14
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 15
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 16
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 17
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 18
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 19
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 20
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 21
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 22
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 23
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 24
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 25
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 26
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 27
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 28
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 29
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 30
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 31
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 32
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 33
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 34
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 35
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 36
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 37
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 38
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 39
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 40
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 41
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 42
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 43
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 44
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 45
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 46
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 47
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 48
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 49
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 50
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 51
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 52
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 53
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 54
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 55
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 56
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 57
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 58
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 59
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 60
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 61
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 62
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 63
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 64
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 65
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 66
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 67
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 68
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 69
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 70
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 71
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 72
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 73
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 74
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 75
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 76
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 77
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 78
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 79
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 80
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 81
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 82
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 83
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 84
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 85
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 86
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 87
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 88
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 89
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 90
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 91
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 92
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 93
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 94
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 95
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 96
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 97
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 98
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 99
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 100
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 101
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 102
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 103
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 104
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 105
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 106
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 107
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 108
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 109
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 110
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 111
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 112
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 113
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 114
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 115
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 116
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 117
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 118
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 119
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 120
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 121
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - 122
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - Cover3
American Oil and Gas Reporter - August 2016 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/pbios_202310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/pbios_202110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/202001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/pbios_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/pbios2016_programguide
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/pbios2014_programguide
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/2012_pbios
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/demo/aogr_clone
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aogr/201112
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com