W.E. Baumgartner; Jacob Shlyapobersky; I.S. Abou Sayed; R.C. Jacquier
Paper presented at SPE Offshore Europe, Aberdeen, United Kingdom, September 1993
Fracture Stimulation of a Horizontal Well in a Deep, Tight Gas Reservoir: A Case History From Offshore The Netherlands
Abstract
AME-204 is a horizontal well with two hydraulic fractures draining a Rotliegendes sub-block of the Ameland East reservoir located offshore the Netherlands. The reservoir in this part of the field is of poor quality, with a strong diagenetic impairment caused by kaolinite leading to low matrix permeability (0.2 – 1 mD). Economic development of this pm of the field is hampered by the low well productivities. This paper outlines the screening process which led to the decision to develop this sub-block with a multiple-fractured horizontal well and describes the well configuration chosen. Completion and stimulation designs in discussed in some depth, including selection and laboratory testing of fluid systems and fracture initiation. Additionally, the use and design of pre-stimulation injection tests and proppant pills to reduce near wellbore restrictions are shown. Practical considerations in the execution of stimulation treatments in horizontal wells ire covered. Actual and predicted production performances are compared. The actual productivity improvement achieved over a deviated unfractured well is estimated a minimum factor of 4 at only 30% higher cost. The paper concludes with recommendations for similar projects in the future and also looks at the impact on the development of hitherto economically submarginal fields.