A couple of days ago "anonymous" wrote to me about a well that he/she felt had not been fracked yet because there was no pump on the well.
At least that's what I understood the comment to be. I could have misread it.
But if that's what was being assumed ("that a well that did not have a pump yet was not fracked"), I thought it was an opportunity to explore.
I replied that just because a well did not have a pump, that did not mean it was not fracked yet.
I wanted to find an example of a fracked well that was not yet on a pump, so I went to my database to find a well that had reported an IP, that had been fracked, and was still flowing without a pump.
HTG, I went to my 2010 database and randomly chose a well with an IP of 1,427. It turned out to be a Slawson well:
- 18574, 1,427, Slawson, Mole 1-20H, Big Bend, Bakken
- Spud date: 8/23/10
- IP test date: 12/10/10
- Fracked with 19 stages (the fracking was most likely completed just prior to the test date)
- Status: F
I got a kick out of the fact that, literally, the very first well I checked, had been fracked and was still flowing without assistance of a pump.
So, just because one sees a well without a pump, one cannot conclude that it has not yet been fracked. It is true that most (?) Bakken wells are put on a pump within the first year, but some can go a very long time without a pump.
By the way, it is my understanding that a pump/no pump means absolutely nothing with regard to EUR of that well for oil. (Obviously if the well needs a pump, it needs a pump, but a pump doesn't mean the well is going dry. It will be interesting to get feedback on that.)
I do not know if all, most, or some Bakken wells will have a huge flare with/without man-made (artificial) fracturing.
Hello , Just wanted to add that the reason a well flows and is eventually put on artificial lift is because of the high pressure gas. When a well is drilled (Bakken) the gas pressure is usually great enough to overcome the hydrostatic load and lift the fluid to the surface. after a while the gas pressure is not great enough to move the fluid and artificial lift is needed to move the same amount of fluid./ Ernie
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteA lot of folks appreciate this information. It may not affect their royalty checks, but it helps alleviate anxiety they might have when their well "needs" a pump.