Abstract
Advanced Multi-Stage completion methods are game changers for oil and gas companies, turning previously uneconomic formations into attractive investments. The challenge in the Spearfish formation is generating and propagating the size of fracture required to maximize oil recovery, while avoiding penetration into an underlying water zone.
In the Spearfish formation the typical completion methods use pre-installed burst ports or pre-perforated zones, where each are isolated using a straddle system and then treated individually. These methods have shown to be especially effective; however, complications with burst ports not opening or not being properly located downhole have resulted in significant downtime and additional cost. Pre-perforated intervals have resulted in difficulty achieving breakdown and have also shown more communication issues to other zones. Additionally, these methods fix the depths at which treatments can be placed before the job begins, resulting in missed pay if unplanned events occur.
This paper introduces a new coil tubing deployed system which uses Hydrajet Assisted Fracturing (HJAF) technology to lower treatment pressures and optimize fracture extension in the zone of interest. This process offers a low-risk, operationally flexible, and efficient multi-stage stimulation method designed to reduce the time between stages and minimize the total fluid pumped into the reservoir. Also included is a detailed case history in the Spearfish that demonstrates how this process can maximize return on investment (ROI) for the operator.
