Hydraulic fracturing of a moderate permeability reservoir, Kuparuk River Unit

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:7256269

Niemeyer, B L; Reinart, M R

Sixty-five percent of the proven reserves in one of the United States' largest oil fields, the Kuparuk River Unit, are contained in the lower of two producing horizons. This zone, commonly referred to as the ''A'' sand, has a permeability of between 30 and 100 md. Unfortunately this interval is easily damaged during drilling and completion operations. Low initial flow efficiencies have been confirmed by numerous pressure transient tests. A program of hydraulic fracturing was initiated in March 1984 to overcome near wellbore damage and provide stimulation to more efficiently tap ''A'' sand reserves. More than 300 fracture stimulations have been completed to date in the arctic setting of the Kuparuk River Unit. These jobs have used a variety of fluids, proppants, and pumping schedules. The current hydraulic fracture design was evolved by continual interpretation of field results and related data from these previous stimulations. Success of the overall program has been impressive. Average post-fracture flow efficiency has been in excess of 100%. Post-fracture rate increase has averaged approximately 300%, accounting for a total rate increase of over 125,000 BOPD (19,900 m/sup 3//d). Based on these results, fracturing will continue to play an important part in future field development. This paper is the first review of the Kuparuk River Unit fracture program. It provides a case history of the development of a standard fracture design. In addition, the findings of this study would be applicable to reservoirs elsewhere with similar characteristics.

• Research Organization: ARCO Alaska Inc.
• OSTI ID: 7256269
• Report Number(s): CONF-861080-
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
030900 -- Natural Gas-- Artificial Stimulation
Plowshare-- (-1989)
ALASKA
COMMINUTION
DESIGN
DOCUMENT TYPES
DRILLING
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FEDERAL REGION X
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FRACTURING
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS WELLS
NORTH AMERICA
OIL FIELDS
OIL WELLS
PERFORMANCE
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PRODUCTION
PUMPING
RECOVERY
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RESERVES
RESOURCES
REVIEWS
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
STIMULATION
USA
WELL DRILLING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS