'Compartmental' Completions Among Factors Distinguishing Top-Producing Bakken Horizontals

摘要

The Bakken Shale is a continuous oil accumulation that the U.S. Geological Survey estimates contains up to 4.3 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil, 1.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 148 million barrels of natural gas liquids. But completing Bakken Shale wells presents options that are as varied as they are complex, and the "best" completion practice has been a topic of debate among operators in recent years.rnTo achieve optimum recovery, the Bakken formation is drilled horizontally and then hydraulically fracture stimulated. If the well bore is drilled in the orientation to achieve a longitudinal fracture treatment, only one fracture treatment is needed and frac stage isolation is not an issue. However, if the stress orientation is unknown, or the well bore is drilled in the orientation for transverse-oriented hydraulic fracture direction, then frac stage isolation is an important decision.