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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on December 21, 2011 at 14:55

The lateral axis in a horizontal well is critical.  In the Haynesville Shale laterals are oriented north-south.  The same appears to be the case in the LSBD. The interval of the Haynesville targeted is generally less than 300' in thickness.  Same with the LSBD. The frac zone around a HS lateral is approximately 300', thus the 330' setback from unit lines.  There are only two directions that a lateral can go, north or south.  Horizontal wells are very expensive and technically challenging.  It would increase the expense and chance of mechanical failure to attempt to drill a north and a south lateral at the same depth off the same vertical wellbore. That doesn't take into account the challenges with executing hydraulic stimulation on both. Screw up a typical HS horizontal and you loose the ~$10,000,000 well cost plus the 300' section occupied by that wellbore, about 5 bcf of recoverable gas.  Try to drill two horizontals and you stand to loose ~$17,000,000.00 plus one of the eight lateral sections of a one governmental section unit.  It may be possible but no Haynesville operators are attempting it.

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Permalink Reply by dbob on December 22, 2011 at 3:35

Also, in theory at least, you would need to frac them in the same completion process - 2 long laterals at high pressure, with essentially double the flow of gas from a single well gets pretty hard to control.

 

However, I think in the James lime, which is shallower and not under the same pressure, multiple laterals from a single well is pretty standard

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Permalink Reply by Les Bamburg on December 22, 2011 at 3:53

Herman, a typical horizontal Haynesville Shale well will drain a footprint of ~ 660 ft by 5280 ft (80 acres).  So multiple wells are required to develop an entire 640 acre section.  There are limits to the distance that can be drilled from a single pad so 4 to 8 wells would be reasonable.

 

Regarding the second question, it is not feasible to drill multiple horizontal laterals from a vertical if the completions involve multi-stage fracture treatments.  Of note, the vertical section is not a significant portion of the overall drill and complete cost.  

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Permalink Reply by Herman (Chuck) Plonnigs, III on December 22, 2011 at 12:19

As per usual with this site a guy ask a question and gets the question answered…and a class explaining the answer…amazing.

 

Thank your guy’s very much!!

 

One more quick question…I understand the perforation process is, in fact, explosive. Would the fracing process be a “high pressure over time” procedure or another explosive “to the second” thing? And did I understand correctly in the HS the depth from core end product w/re to the frac is 300' (from either side of the wellbore). Man that’s some potent/dramatic stuff!

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Permalink Reply by Bubba Smith on December 22, 2011 at 18:33

All above is true and super info. But just to put something else out there is the cost saved from doing the work from one pad. It cost just under a million to build the pad itself, plus moving the rig in and out with is 200K. And lots of other clean up and environmental impacts down to a water well. This is a big money saver also.  (Just another angle to view from)

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Permalink Reply by Les Bamburg on December 23, 2011 at 4:17

Herman, each fracture stimulation stage is pumped over several hours and involves sub-stages as described at the following link. 

 

The actual fractures may not extend completely to 330 ft since they will drain gas for a short distance beyond the end of the fracture.

 

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/oilgas/new_forms/mar...

 

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Permalink Reply by Herman (Chuck) Plonnigs, III on December 23, 2011 at 6:58

I certainly hope I am not duplicating myself…this is the third time I’ve tried posting this but between continual interruptions (generally costing money) and a lack of coffee I’m just not sure…as of now it would appear nothing ended up being posted.

 

Let’s do this one more time.

 

Thanks so much Mr. Les B…your article has officially been posted in my oil & gas folder. The more I attempt to learn the more uninformed I become, I feel anyway.

 

“As exploration, development and production continues in the Marcellus Formation, the expectation is that both the fracing process in general and the additives employed in this process will be refined and enhanced to increase the availability of gas from the formation.”  

 

Given this quote and our current familiarity with the Marcellus Formation plus given the LSBD and our current lack of familiarity with…all we appear know now about the LS is apparently 99% conjecture. I am not at all being pessimistic just, for lack of a better more descriptive phrase, just realistic. It would appear to me any sort of economy/commerce w/re the LS could at minimum be years into the future. I know there will be several of you telling me “we’ve been telling you that all along”!

 

Well alllllrighty then, I’m a slow learned but I find this stuff fascinating. I especially like when you guy’s have dialogue between your selves…like sitting in on a class for free.

 

OK enough of this…again,

 

Thanks much for your time and insight.

 

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