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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on January 27, 2011 at 7:47

No horizontal wells in the play have been refraced as far as I know.  Some of the early verticals were refraced but they were never meant to pay out, only to HBP the leasehold.  The operator needs production in paying quantities to maintain the leases force pooled in the unit which may account for an attempt to refrac although most that I have looked at experienced a decrease, not an increase, in production after refrac.  To do so in a vertical well is nothing like attempting to refrac a multi-stage horizontal.  I doubt that horizontals will be refraced.  The operator knew the decline rate before they drilled the well.  Their capital is better invested in drilling additional wells.

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Permalink Reply by Les Bamburg on January 27, 2011 at 9:09

Gilbert, no operator has indicated any plans to attempt re-fracture treatments for Haynesville Shale horizontal wells.  Frankly, I doubt if it is economically justified or technically feasible for the Haynesville Shale.

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Permalink Reply by Gilbert Prudhomme on January 27, 2011 at 10:21

Any ideas why? Would seem necessary to reperforate. Gilbert Prudhomme

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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on January 27, 2011 at 11:34

If a new set of frac stages fracture the same area already produced, I don't think there will be much gas left.  The industry is concentrating on improvements regarding the orientation of the perf clusters in the initial frac operation.  Done properly the first time there is no need to refrac.  It wouldn't make economic sense.  When the operator wants more gas, they will drill the next well.

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Permalink Reply by Terry L. Antee on January 27, 2011 at 11:55

I went to a meeting and the prez of QEC ? was there and he said they had refracd a well and the frac did not go where they though it would but it had increased production and they were happy with it. He did not say which well just Haynesville.

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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on January 27, 2011 at 11:57

Did the prez of Quick Silver say it was a horizontal Haynesville well?

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Permalink Reply by George Lutz on January 27, 2011 at 13:14

Is 80% a normal drop rate regarding well production with all horizontal wells and if not, what is the normal drop expected rate and how long does a typical well produce?  An 80% drop rate the first year hardly seems like it would be worth the cost of the drilling and fracing.

 

Thanks,

george lutz

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Permalink Reply by Les Bamburg on January 27, 2011 at 13:23

George, 80% decline in the 1st year is about normal for wells produced in the traditional manner.  For wells produced on a restricted choke (~ 14/64") a 50% decline in the 1st year may be more typical.

 

Economics are based gas recovered over the life of the well (~ 6.5 Bcf) and justify the investment made by the operator.   

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Permalink Reply by Mac Davis on January 28, 2011 at 4:56

I believe Les is correct, but be careful how you interpret the info.  You get a lower "decline" rate but you produce less gas the first few months.  In theory, you get paid back over time because you haven't "overstressed" the fractured area of the formation.

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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on January 27, 2011 at 13:24

George, you can find a number of discussions on decline in the archives.  This subject came up early in the play and has been discussed numerous times over two plus years.  This is a cut and paste from one of the early ones.  Haynesville Shale wells produce huge quantities of nat gas.  If they decline to a point of production that is not economic in 12 to 15 years, the average well will have produced somewhere in the range of 6 to 10 bcf.  That's ~ 50 to 80 bcf per square mile section.  Many operators are now producing their wells on restricted choke setting that reduce the rate of decline.

 

Decline By Year:

1- Barnett - 56%    HS - 81%
2 - "          - 27%       " - 34%
3 - "          - 18%       " - 22%
4 - "          - 12%       " - 17%
5 - "           - 8%        " - 13%

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Permalink Reply by George Lutz on January 27, 2011 at 14:23

Skip,

Is there any information about the Fayetteville play regarding what I can expect from a well, both in the decline rate and the average well production over the life of the well?

 

Thanks for the information

 

george lutz

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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on January 27, 2011 at 14:36

George, the Fayetteville Shale play is sufficiently mature to have reliable data in regard to decline and EUR.  I'm not familiar with the answer to your questions as I do not follow that play.  Southwestern Energy was an early mover and remains one of the main operators in the Fayetteville.  I suggest that you look through their news releases and presentations.

 

http://www.swn.com/operations/Pages/fayettevilleshale.aspx

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