From a reader, December 21, 2020:
It may bear close watching to ascertain whether those extraordinarily low numbers for water to frac the Topaz wells are, indeed, accurate.
While you may well be correct that it is incomplete data, it actually MIGHT prove to be the actual numbers.If so, another step change/milestone will have been achieved in fracturing technology.Long story short (I am poor in explaining this stuff), the water used in fracturing is the medium by which elevated pressure 'opens up' the pre-existing microfissures. In addition, it transports the proppant (sand) which maintains the fissures in an open state.We all know this already.However, the incentive for years has been to accomplish these twin goals with as minimal amount of water as necessary.
The biggest reason - of many - is that the expanding 'tip' of the frac might encroach offset wells (horizontally) and/or potentially go 'out of zone' vertically which invites much higher volumes of unwanted produced water which is already in the rock.If operators - and the Bakken boys are absolutely out front - technology-wise in these matters - have been able to control/contain the fracture geometry to the extent only 2 and a half milluon gallons of water are needed, that would be an incredible achievement.Through the use of diverters (temporary blocking plugs), close real time monitoring of frac propagation, and precise pressure and volume management of the pumped water/frac fluid, these guys may have been able to maintain an elevated 'pressure bubble' of, say, >500 psi, by which the micro fissures will open but the fluid will NOT expand outside the desired geometry (horizontal and vertical) due to diverter/pressure/water volume being tightly and effectively used.Essentially, WPX may have been able to create an environment wherein a high degree of fracturing and proppant placement has occurred while avoiding a 'too big' an area where frac fluid/water has traveled.If this has taken place, it will be a HUGE advancement in field development.
Key will be observing future amounts of water used in completions.
I think every previous "might be a data mistake or might be a new breakthrough" has been a data mistake. This is not to say innovation does not occur. It coes. But in a gradual fashion. Not the order of magnitude data mistake fashion. Just...seen this movie so many times before on this blog.
ReplyDeleteYes, there have been some big mistakes (that's why I remind folks of content and typographical errors; and, provide the links, in most cases), but the completion strategies have changed significantly in a very short period of time. Regular readers remember the fracks using massive amounts of proppants which now seems to be less common. Some of the operators are really starting to use significantly smaller amounts of proppant and most interesting is the significantly less water being used.
DeleteThese changes in completion strategies are tracked at the sidebar at the right: http://themilliondollarway.blogspot.com/2020/03/fracking-question-now-that-were-in.html.
It's pretty shallow. I'd want to spend most of the trip surfaced or at PD (but at PD, you're not very maneuverable and any collisions are your fault). Lot of shipping traffic and reefs too.
ReplyDeleteThis comment refers to the US sub in the mideast in the photo at this link: http://themilliondollarway.blogspot.com/2020/12/merry-christmas-december-21-2020.html.
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