Infill Drilling Using Horizontal Wells: A Field Development Strategy for Tight Fractured Formations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Gas production for a 10-year period was simulated for 16 vertical shot wells located in a 2,066-acre (8.36 × 106m2) area containing seven active vertical wells. The performance of several horizontal wells was simulated and the results were compared with that of the 16 vertical wells. Finally, the horizontal and vertical wells were compared to determine the best method for developing a virgin reservoir. As few as four unstimulated 2,000 ft (610 m) horizontal wells were found to produce 1.5 times as much gas as 16 vertical shot wells, and only two hydraulically fractured horizontal wells were needed to almost match the production of the four unstimulated horizontal wells. In a virgin reservoir, four unstimulated horizontal wells accounted for 95 percent of the total production from 23 vertical wells.