The Montney resource play covers 57,000 square miles from west-central Alberta into northeastern British Columbia. In recent years, the Montney has emerged as one of North America's top resource plays. Since 2008, there have been more than 3,200 horizontal, multi-stage wells drilled and completed targeting the Montney. As development proceeds, operators are beginning to realize that heterogeneities in the Montney require variable approaches to completions to achieve optimal results within each region of the play.
In the vast majority of resource plays, the initial production rate (IP) is a key proxy in the estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) and, therefore, forecasting the economics of individual wells. Using the optimum completion design is critical for getting the optimal IP and economics, particularly in a stressed pricing environment.
