A Blueprint to Manage Large Scale Unconventional Multistage Fracturing Operations: A Case Study of Raniganj CBM Field.

Abstract

Unconventional oil and gas reservoirs are being explored significantly around the globe nowadays. The economical production of hydrocarbons from these unconventional oil and gas reservoirs like CBM requires very advanced and cost effective technologies. Hydraulic fracturing is such a technology which is being used in the oil and gas industry for many decades to create highly conductive channels in the formations having very low permeability values. Multistage hydraulic fracturing has been proved to be a great achievement in oil and gas industry to enhance the production from unconventional reservoirs. An effective hydraulic fracturing planning & execution is a key to achieve the expected results in terms of production from unconventional reservoirs such as tight gas, shale gas, coal bed methane or other very low permeability reservoirs. Unconventional reservoirs such as Shale & CBM require large scale hydraulic fracturing operations, where multiple frac fleets, wire-line units, coiled tubing units; work-over rigs & ancillary services are mobilized. A scheduling software based project management approach was followed at CBM Raniganj for planning & modeling of operations. This paper aims to study how the operational resource deployed in Raniganj field for hydraulic fracturing was optimized in terms of time, cost & load for fracturing operations. The approach of modeling & planning the hydraulic fracturing operations is based on project management & scheduling software. Assumptions were finalized based on experience. The loopholes, possible schedule slippages and other deterrents which could cause a lag in the hydro fracturing campaign aimed to pump over 1,600 frac jobs in CBM Raniganj field, over a period of 30 rig months, were identified clearly. The scope, time, budget & quality standards were clearly defined and a schedule was prepared with the help of the scheduling software to run the fleets in a clockwork manner. Activities like perforation, Acidizing, data fracturing, main fracturing, flowback, sand plug and finally sand cleanout were defined as series & simultaneous operation.