Application of horizontal multiple stage fracturing is becoming the standard completion technique for oil and gas developments both in Shale and Tight Sand. This technology has proven to be a game-changer for the United States oil and gas industry to the point of creating an oversupply of gas in United States. Predictions indicate that the supply of oil related to this technology could allow the United States to become self-sufficient within this decade. Globally, shale and tight sand exploration activities are also increasing. This concept was successfully suited to one of the Russian Tight Oil plays within the Em-Yoga license area in Western Siberia.
This paper provides the case history of how horizontal multiple fracturing completion methodology helped to unlock the potential Western Siberian Em-Yoga Tight Oilfield. This very heterogeneous and lenticular sand oil play was known for years for its complexity and arduous nature to extract oil from. The completion technique employed the proven North America multiple stage fracturing using a combination of swell-able packers and sliding sleeve frac ports. The fracturing design for the Em-Yoga field will be discussed in this paper. This design is an adaptation of an alternating hybrid fluid system composed of proppant slugs during the pad stage and a high concentration proppant ramp in the main frac stage.
The well is currently flowing at commercial rates synonymous with early production time in a typical North American oil shale well. In this paper, the authors describe the various monitoring techniques of how fracturing efficiency was measured. Earlier production allowed providing of fit curve production analysis to evaluate how the project is being commercially realized.
