A Rapid and Efficient Method To Identify Underperforming Stripper Gas and Oil Wells

摘要

Stripper gas and oil well operators frequently face a dilemmarnregarding maximizing production from low-productivityrnwells. With thousands of stripper wells in the United Statesrncovering extensive acreage, it is difficult to identify easily andrnefficiently marginal or underperforming wells. In addition,rnthe magnitude of reviewing vast amounts of data places arnstrain on an operator's work force and financial resources.rnSchlumberger DCS, in cooperation with the NationalrnEnergy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and the U.S.rnDepartment of Energy (DOE), has created software andrndeveloped in-house analysis methods to identify remediationrnpotential in stripper wells relatively easily. This software isrnreferred to as Stripper Well Analysis RemediationrnMethodology (SWARM).rnSWARM was beta-tested with data pertaining to two gasrnfields located in northwestern Pennsylvania and had notablernresults. Great Lakes Energy Partners, LLC (Great Lakes) andrnBelden & Blake Corporation (B&B) both operate wells in thernfirst field studied. They provided data for 729 wells, and wernestimated that 41 wells were candidates for remediation.rnHowever, for reasons unbeknownst to Schlumberger thesernwells were not budgeted for rework by the operators.rnThe second field (Cooperstown) is located in Crawford,rnVenango, and Warren counties, Pa and has more than 2,200rnwells operated by Great Lakes. This paper discusses in depthrnthe successful results of a candidate recognition study of thisrnarea.rnWe compared each well's historical production with thatrnof its offsets and identified 339 underperformers beforernconsidering remediation costs, and 168 economically viablerncandidates based on restimulation costs = $50,000 per well.rnFrom this data, we prioritized a list based on the expected incremental recoverable gas and 10% discounted net presentrnvalue (NPV). For this study, we calculated the incrementalrngas by subtracting the volumes forecasted after remediationrnfrom the production projected at its current configuration.rnAssuming that remediation efforts increased productionrnfrom the 168 marginal wells to the average of their respectivernoffsets, approximately 6.4 Bscf of gross incremental gas withrna NPV approximating $4.9 million after investment, would bernmade available to the domestic market.rnSeventeen wells have successfully been restimulated torndate and have already obtained significant productionrnincreases. At the time of this report, eight of these wells hadrnenough post-rework production data available to forecast thernincremental gas and verify the project's success. Thisrnincremental gas is estimated at 615 MMscf. The outcome ofrnthe other ten wells will be determined after more post-refracrnproduction data becomes available. Plans are currentlyrnunderway for continued future restimulations.rnThe success of this project has shown the value of thisrnmethodology to recognize underperforming wells quickly andrnefficiently in fields containing hundreds or thousands of wells.rnThis contributes considerably to corporate net income andrndomestic natural gas and/or oil reserves.