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4 Offshore Technologies in Practice
Pages 21-30

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From page 21...
... Gravel packs and frac packs can be used in unconsolidated sands for sand control; however, in consolidated sands, a fracture stimulation (i.e., hydraulic fracturing) is performed to aid production of oil or gas from the well (see Figure 4.1)
From page 22...
... A frac pack induces near wellbore fracture geometry that is then filled with proppant to bypass near wellbore damage from drilling and to extend the proppant pack a farther distance from the wellbore into the reservoir (approximately 10- to 60-foot fracture half-lengths1)
From page 23...
... Echoing what Evan Zimmerman, Offshore Operators Committee, said in a keynote address at the beginning of the workshop, McDaniel explained that concerns about implications for drinking water aquifers are not pertinent to offshore operations, and the remoteness of offshore operations ensures minimal public impacts from completion activities. Approaches in the Gulf of Mexico: Technologies, Operational Practices, Challenges, and Risk Exposures Michael Schexnailder, Halliburton Schexnailder provided an overview of land-based fracturing operations prior to discussing stimulation vessels and their operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
From page 24...
... Schexnailder emphasized the importance of communication paths; the stimulation vessel captain remains in constant communication with the drill ship captain regarding weather or dynamic positioning issues because vessel safety is their primary operational concern. Personnel on the stimulation vessel are also in constant contact with the drill ship, maintaining stability while as much as 25,000 pounds of material is moving per minute.
From page 25...
... Because these logistics are challenging, he suggested that companies mobilize modular components of a stimulation vessel and place them onto an offshore supply vessel with the dynamic positioning system already in place in order to fill a short-term demand for stimulation services. Approaches in the Offshore Pacific: Technologies, Operational Practices, Challenges, and Risk Exposures Mike Hecker, ExxonMobil Corporation Transitioning from a discussion of the offshore environment in the Gulf of Mexico to that in the Pacific, Hecker remarked that the rock formations are the main difference between the two.
From page 26...
... Because these drilling and completion activities are so different, unique decision-making processes are utilized in each. Grant explained that when there is a lack of permeability in unconventional formations or when it is important to move past the damage left behind by drilling to achieve better production, hydraulic fracturing is useful.
From page 27...
... Grant cautioned against using historical data when assessing risk: different safety measures apply to different places at different times. MODERATED DISCUSSION An online participant asked if there is consensus on the stimulation of near well fracturing with large bed proppant packs versus far field fracturing and partial layer proppant packs.
From page 28...
... Hecker explained that companies correlate core data with physical properties in a fracture model, which helps them to better understand the barriers and to keep the fracture in the appropriate zone. This also helps prevent wasting proppant, Hecker continued.
From page 29...
... He asked Grant what challenges would exist for well integrity if such a pinpoint fracturing tool was used for an offshore deepwater application. Grant noted that because increased sand production can lead to erosion, monitoring for potential integrity issues becomes even more important as new issues are introduced and boundaries are pushed.


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