Granite Wash Optimization - Validating Completion and Production Techniques

Abstract

Abstract The Granite Wash continues to be a prolific hydrocarbon producer, with over 1600 wells drilled during the last 10 years. During 2012 and 2013 an extensive development program was initiated by one operator in which 144 wells were drilled and completed with multi-stage hydraulically stimulated horizontal wells. Many of these wells utilized various types of completion diagnostics to: (1) evaluate vertical and horizontal communication within the Granite Wash, (2) identify potential horizontal loading problems and (3) diagnose long-term fracture fluid movement. This paper reviews more than two years of water-based frac fluid tracer data. It details how the individual tracers were used to quantify communication between various layers of the Granite Wash and between nearby completed offset wells. Also, toe stage frac fluid recoveries were compared to identify wells that appeared to be constrained. Data will be presented documenting specific cases of inter-well and inter-zonal communication. This will include both offset wells that had been on production prior to the fracturing treatment and offset wells that had been recently drilled. Extended sampling of individual fluid tracers can be an extremely useful tool in explaining production anomalies as they occur. On this project, the operator was able to identify the source of production changes and determine the best well intervention technique to economically increase production.