Considering Time and Space in Drilling and Completion Can Reduce Well Interference

摘要

Development of organic shale reservoirs with large hydraulic-fracture treatments not only poses challenges to the completion of a single well,but also to interference with surrounding wells.A direct consequence of interference is production loss.Therefore,the drilling and completion schedule for field development must be 4D in time and space to account for interaction in between wells.The complete paper describes a physics-based model of interference and a sensitivity study to propose guidelines for well spacing and a drilling timeline for multiple horizontal wells in the Vaca Muerta shale.Effective field development relies on the tradeoff between the capital expenditure(CAPEX)and the production profile generating cash flow.Both CAPEX and the production profile are directly controlled by the number of wells and the pace at which these wells are tied in to the production facilities.With respect to tight rocks,the need for horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing adds a layer of geometrical complexity to unlock such resources.