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Permalink Reply by Aubrey C. Sanders, Jr. on June 23, 2011 at 11:36

king john,

Thank you for posting this paper. I learned a lot and was most impressed with XTO. I have WI in several Smackover    wells which XTO drilled and have observed drilling and fracking onsite. I have not done so on a horizontal well. i hope i live long enough to see them drill horizontal Smackover on my land.

Thanks again.  Sorry we did'nt get to make trip to South LA last year.

 

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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on June 25, 2011 at 9:01

kj, perf clusters are groups of perforations in the well bore.  The number, size and orientation of the individual perforations in a cluster can be designed in a myriad of ways.  And the number of clusters and their spacing within a frac stage likewise. The "standard toe frac" is a new one on me but it would make sense that it would be designed differently as it should direct it's hydraulic stresses in a manner as to not only propagate a perpendicular frac zone but also a parallel zone extending out from the "toe" to the limits allowed under well spacing.  In other words, a company would not drill to a unit line or too close to an adjacent well spacing.  They stop 330' short with the intent that the frac zone for that well will not extend beyond the spacing for the well.  I'm fast exceeding my pay grade here and hope that some of the other members with expertise will pick up the ball from here and run with it.  I'd certainly be interested to hear more along these lines.

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