Gas Factory: Operational Efficiencies in the Marcellus Shale Lead to Exceptional Results

摘要

The natural gas boom in Northeast Pennsylvania over the past few years is directly related to the ability of the petroleum industry to convert the once economically-challenged Marcellus Shale into a dynamic energy resource. Those who have realized the potential and positive impacts of Marcellus Shale gas have described this boom as nothing short of revolutionary. The development of this unconventional play has challenged operational thinking and created an opportunity to implement innovative solutions to a variety of logistical challenges. Many of the conventional paradigms have been adapted and refined to lower the unit cost and shorten the cycle duration time from permit to production. The quest has been to improve cost effective production while continuing a responsible regard for health, safety, and the environment. The effort has been multi-dimensional and the result of a cooperative approach by the producers, service companies, and every member of the supply chain. Once adopted, these operational efficiencies become standard practice and are repeated pad to pad and well to well. This repetitive “assembly line” approach used in high efficiency operations is now described as a “Gas Factory." In this paper we will present a case study with emphasis on operational efficiencies resulting in remarkable growth activity and production optimization in one of the premier gas plays in the world.