A study evaluating production performance of 120 Spraberry Trend wells fractured with different quantities of sand is described in this paper. The analysis is based upon Locke and Sawyer's type-curve which was developed for wells with infinite conductivity, hydraulic fractures and constant wellbore producing-pressure. History matching actual rate-time data with the type-curve provides calculated formation permeability, hydraulic fracture half-length, and estimated future recovery.

It is concluded that low permeability Spraberry Trend wells fractured with 300,000 to 320,000 pounds of sand will produce an average of 49.0 MBO and 129.1 MMCFG. When fractured with 400,000 to 450,000 pounds of sand, the average production is increased to 76.2 MBO and 190.6 MMCFG.

It is further concluded that:

  1. Each Spraberry Trend well has a unique decline curve which is strongly influenced by the hydraulic fracture.

  2. The product of reservoir permeability and propped fracture height is the most significant factor in determining the ultimate recovery from each well.

  3. A significant difference in monthly production rates from wells fractured with unequal quantities of sand is not observable until after 3 to 5 years of production.

The application of the type-curve is demonstrated by an example.

Keywords:
fracture, group 2, production data, fracture half-length, fracture length, upstream oil & gas, drillstem/well testing, group 1, locke, drillstem testing
Subjects:
Hydraulic Fracturing, Well & Reservoir Surveillance and Monitoring, Reservoir Characterization, Reservoir Fluid Dynamics, Reservoir Simulation, Formation Evaluation & Management, Flow in porous media, Pressure transient analysis, Drillstem/well testing
Copyright 1992, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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