Reduced-Emission Completions Improve Safety, Decrease Footprint

Abstract

Green completions In its proposed New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) established in August 2011, the EPA estimated that, of the 25,000 new and modified fractured gas wells completed each year, approximately 3,000 to 4,000 currently employ reduced-emission completion (REC). Once finalized, the new rule will increase this number to more than 21,000 RECs annually as operators comply with the proposed NSPS. By 2015, every hydraulically fractured well will be required to use a green completion to capture and measure all oil and gas released during the flowback and drillout phases. Typically, the gas/liquid separator installed for normal well flow is not designed for the high-rate, four-phase (gas, hydrocarbon liquid, water, and sand) flow of a typical shale well. A common practice for the initial well completion has been to produce the well to a pit or tanks where water, hydrocarbon liquids, and sand are captured and slugs of gas vented to the atmosphere or flared. Completions can take anywhere from one day to several weeks, during which time a substantial amount of gas may be released to the atmosphere or flared. Green completion equipment is only necessary for the time it takes to complete the well. Operators typically transport this system from site to site to be used in a number of well completions, often on a truck-mounted skid. Don Atencio, manager at Fracmaster, said, “The setup for a green completion depends on the area and the type of well you are completing.” There is no set amount of equipment that is required. An REC can be performed with one self-contained unit, or it can be set up using individual components. Each job is based on need, the volume of gas and fluids being produced, and the size of the pad. For a multiwell pad, the equipment set up can be extensive. “Some of the work we are doing in New Mexico involves three major pieces of equipment that are too big to load onto one skid,” Atencio said.