Extreme Multistage Fracturing Improves Vertical Coverage and Well Performance in the Lost Hills Field

Abstract

Abstract In an attempt to improve production response, fracturing designs in the Lost Hills field went from a standard 3 to 6 stage design to an extreme 15 to 18 stage design to stimulate approximately 1000' of net pay. The previous standard designs were becoming borderline economic and if development was to continue then either production response had to improve or costs had to be reduced. Previous emphasis was placed on reducing fracture treatment costs by pumping fewer stages and lower proppant volumes, but the cumulative production response decreased as a result. Previous tests using an increased number of fracture stages did not improve economics because of the increased fracturing costs and minimal production increases. When a new coiled tubing fracturing technique was implemented to perform multi-stage jobs at reduced costs and the stage count per well was increased, production response and economics improved. This paper will discuss the differences in job execution, analysis of vertical fracture coverage using surface and downhole tiltmeter data, and cumulative production response from the different designs tested. Both treatment and stage design with this fracturing technique are being further refined as performance and statistical analysis of previous design changes is completed.