FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

PETROLEUM PRODUCTION ENGINEERING II ASSIGNMENT

BY

ABDULAZIZ SHEIKHDON

21/224/BSPE-S

MAKE A SUMMARY ON COMPLETIONS AND FLOWBACK

DESIGN EVALUATION IN RELATION TO PRODUCTION.
Evaluating the completions design is one of the most crucial parts of completions optimization
when there is enough production data available for analysis. In unconventional reservoirs, an
average of six months to a year's worth of data is required to evaluate each completion test. A
variety of instruments are available for assessing a well's productivity in unconventional
reservoirs. The flow capacity and strength of a well are often determined by calculating the
estimated ultimate recovery using several forms of decline curve analysis or by employing rate
transient analysis in conjunction to relate back to the completions design.
Decline Curve Analysis DCA is a method used to anticipate a well's future performance by
analyzing its previous production data. In essence, it examines how the well's natural production
rate declines over time. Different DCA approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages,
but they all operate on the same fundamental tenet of fitting a mathematical equation to historical
production data. The estimated ultimate recovery, or the total quantity of hydrocarbons the well is
predicted to produce during its lifespan, may then be estimated using this equation, together with
the well's future production decrease. The three most often used decline curve models are as
follows:
1. Exponential Decline: This model postulates that production will decrease by a certain
proportion over time. Although basic, it might not adequately capture the intricacies of
reservoir dynamics.
2. Hyperbolic Decline: This more adaptable model takes into consideration a fluctuating rate
of decline. For many wells, particularly those with unconventional reservoirs like shale, it's
frequently a better fit.
3. Harmonic Decline: According to this concept, the rate of decrease will finally reach zero.
Wells that have artificial lift devices that may slow down the descent may find it handy.
While decline curve analysis offers a long-term perspective on a well's production potential, Rate
Transient Analysis (RTA) is a useful technique for assessing the short-term efficacy of the
completions design. Rate transient analysis does more than only examine the loss in productivity.
It concentrates on the well's transient behavior in the early phases of production, when data on
pressure and flow rate show notable fluctuations. Rate transient analysis of this data enables us to
comprehend the following:
1. Reservoir characteristics: Rate transient analysis gives us important information on how
easily hydrocarbons may flow from the reservoir to the wellbore by estimating the
reservoir's permeability, skin factor, and fluid properties.
2. Effectiveness of completion: Rate transient analysis is able to evaluate how well the
selected completion design promotes smooth movement. It can detect problems like
formation damage from finishing fluids or obstructions from incorrect wellbore placement,
for instance.

Landing zone refers to a variety of production performance metrics that are desired completion
and put into practice. Initial production rate, expected decline rate, and ultimate recovery are a few
examples of these indicators. In order to assess the completions design, one must forecast how
these metrics will be affected and make sure they fall inside the intended "landing zone." The
landing zone of a well is extremely important to evaluate in an attempt to find the optimum target
zone for each field, and the ideal landing zone should theoretically have the following parameters:
 1. High resistivity 2. Low water saturation

3. Low formation density 4. High total organic contents

5. Low clay content 6. High effective porosity

7. High Young’s Modulus 8. Low Poisson’s ratio

Another crucial completions design element that has to be assessed and comprehended from
production analysis and assessment is stage spacing. Stage spacing refers to the distance between
individual perforation clusters within a multi-stage fractured well, whereby maximizing surface
area contact within the clusters while reducing fracture interference is the goal. Like all other
parameters in unconventional reservoirs, stage spacing varies with area. And that means there are
some characteristics of unconventional reservoirs can influence optimal stage spacing, which are:
1. Reservoir thickness: In comparison to thinner formations, thicker shale formations could
provide a larger stage spacing. Wider spacing can still provide efficient drainage and
communication between cracks even with increased rock volume between phases.
2. Permeability: Wider stage spacing and less intense stimulation may be needed for more
permeable zones in a shale reservoir. On the other hand, narrower zones could benefit from
closer fracture spacing in order to produce a denser network for better drainage.
3. Inherent fractures: The reservoir's inherent fracture composition and distribution can
have a big influence on how quickly fractures spread. To take use of the current fracture
networks or stay away from regions with little to no natural fracturing, stage spacing may
need to be changed.
4. Stress variations: Changes in in-situ stress can affect how fractures develop. In places
with higher stress, tighter stage spacing may be required to overcome the early resistance
to fracture.

Sand and water per foot refers to the rate at which sand is produced along with hydrocarbons from
the wellbore. As well as refers to a combined measurement of water production and its location
within the wellbore. Other crucial design factors that need to be examined to understand their effect
on output and the economic feasibility of identifying the ideal sand and water per foot design are
the amounts of sand and water per foot. The sand-and-water-per-foot design, like the others, varies
according on location. A well's production performance may be enhanced by more sand and water
content per foot in regions with superior formation features and higher pore pressure. Nonetheless,
pumping large amounts of sand and water may not be the best way to increase output in regions
with lower pore pressure and worse formation qualities. Therefore, in order to identify the most
economically sound design for each location, a variety of sand-and-water-per foot designs need to
be examined.

Whether a well was drilled up dip or down dip is a significant factor to consider when examining
production statistics, particularly in fields with undulations that are rich in liquid. According to
Figure 1, a well that is inclined more than 90 degrees is referred to as an up dip and one that is
inclined less than 90 degrees is referred to as a down dip. While down-dip wells have produced
greater results in some fields, up-dip wells have produced better results in others. Because of
several additional completions design variations, it can be quite difficult to distinguish the
difference between the impact of up dip and down dip wells in particular fields. The distinction
between up dip and down dip inclination is seen in Figure 1.

Figure 1 up dip vs. down dip

Well spacing, or inter-lateral spacing, refers to the distance between each well drilled within a
reservoir. It's a critical component affecting the field's overall production efficiency as well as
the efficacy of the completions itself. The distance between wells might vary from 300 to 1500
feet, depending on the following rock characteristics:
A) Permeability
B) Fracture half length
C) Fracture conductivity
D) Gas pricing
E) Capital expenditure
F) Operating costs
The cost of gas has a significant influence on well spacing. Wider well spacing is indicated by
lower gas pricing, and tighter well spacing is indicated by higher gas pricing. Wider well spacing
is required with higher capital expense, and tighter well spacing is indicated with reduced capital
cost. The most advantageous well spacing for each region may be determined by running a variety
of analytical and numerical models. When testing wells with different completion designs, it is
crucial from a production standpoint to ensure that well spacing between all of the experimental
wells is taken into consideration. From the standpoint of completions design, well spacing ought
to directly affect completions design elements including stage spacing, cluster spacing, and the
quantity of sand and water/ft. Well spacing is designed by exploration and production firms for
each area based on reservoir modeling techniques like rate transient analysis (RTA), analytical, or
numerical simulators, as well as on real field testing.
More than any other completions design, flowback design is essential, especially in over pressured
formations. The intended method for retrieving fluids that are first injected into a wellbore during
stimulation is referred to as flowback design. It is incorrect to say that unconventional shale wells
can be produced in the same way as conventional wells since there is a chance the pumped prop
pant will lose its integrity due to number of reasons such as
  Prop pant crushing,
 Prop pant embedment,
 Geo mechanical effect
 Fines migration,
 Cyclic stress,
 Near-wellbore conductivity loss
 Non-darcy effects.

As a result, appropriate precautions must be taken to avoid prop pant degradation in the formation
and to preserve the well's performance integrity for many years to come. Following the completion
of hydraulic fracturing, the drill-out stage begins. Drill-out is a post-stimulation step that involves
cleaning the wellbore with coil or stick tubing prior to flowback and production. One rule of thumb
that can be used during flowback is to stay within the critical drawdown pressure limit. Critical
drawdown pressure is defined in figure 2

Figure 2 critical drawdown pressure

The transition of a well from a full column of fluid to a complete column of gas during the flowback
stage is the most significant event in a well's existence. Consequently, extra caution must be used
to prevent prop pant damage at this time by making sure that critical drawdown pressure is not
exceeded during flowback. Critical drawdown pressure is the difference between closure and
reservoir pressure; if this pressure is surpassed, tension will begin to be applied to the prop pant.
It is imperative to refrain from applying excessive strain on the prop pant during the flowback
phase, since several occurrences take place, such as the cleaning and prop pant flowback, as well
as the complete gasification of the water column. The casing pressure increases until it reaches its
peak when the well cleans up and the gas cut begins. As soon as the peak casing pressure, stable
water pressure, and tubing pressure are achieved, the critical drawdown pressure count starts. The
pressure must be drawn down in a way that is managed throughout time once the critical drawdown
pressure has been subtracted from the peak casing pressure.

A third-party flowback firm provides the flowback equipment, which is utilized during flowback.
When on fluid production and when the well is originally flowed back until the gas cut is reached,
some E&P firms have begun to flow back their wells through third-party equipment including sand
traps, choke manifolds, and gas buster tanks in order to save money. The well can be switched to
permanent production equipment when the gas cut is achieved. The following flowback equipment
are usually utilized in a routine flowback project with a third-party flowback business.
 Choke manifold
 Sand trap
 High stage separator
 Low stage separator
 Flare stack
 Oil tanks
A choke manifold provides back pressure, which is used to regulate a well's flow. Chokes are
utilized in flowback operations in two different sorts. An adjustable choke is the original kind of
choke and the most often used. The valve and seat are the two components that make up the
adjustable choke. When a lot of sand flows back into the well, the adjustable choke's valve and
seat wash out rapidly. Fortunately, they are relatively simple to repair by simply changing the
direction of the well flow. Furthermore, adjusting the choke size is a fairly simple process with
adjustable chokes, which are handled by a wheel. A bean choke is the name for the second kind of
choke. Bean chokes come in different sizes, and you have to change the insert within the choke to
get the desired size. The bean choke is made up of a steel insert that can be replaced; it's also called
the bean. The inserts come in a range of sizes and are made with varying hole diameters.
The purpose of the sand trap, which is often found on a multi well pad immediately after the choke
manifold, is to keep erosive substances like prop pant out of the machinery in an effort to stop
washout and equipment damage. Flowback fluid usually ends up in a sand trap after exiting the
choke manifold. Prop pant will sink to the bottom of the vessel due to its higher density. The vent
at the bottom of the jar is then used to remove the sand.

There exist three primary categories for high-stage separators. The three most common types of
separators used in a variety of activities are spherical, horizontal, and vertical. More frequently,
horizontal separators are employed in a range of processes. There are two, three, or four stages in
separators. The fluid from the wells is divided into gas and total liquids using a two-phase
separator. Water exits the vessel at the bottom whereas gas exits the separator at the top because
water has a higher density than gas. Oil, water, and gas are separated from fluid using a three-
phase separator. A three-phase separator's initial partition is employed to remove water. The
inclusion of barrier to a three-phase separator is one of the main distinctions between two-phase
and three-phase separators. Finally, a four-phase separator has the ability to separate sand, water,
oil, and gas.

A low-stage separator is required whenever the production of crude oil, condensate, or wet gas is
possible. To provide oil extra retention time before it reaches the oil tanks, the line exiting the
high-stage separator (horizontal separator) will pass through a low-stage separator.

In some situations, flammable gas is burned off using a flare stack. Here are a few specifications
for flare stacks:
 The flare has to have an auto ignition system and a check valve installed.
 The flare stack's diameter must be at least 6".
 Depending on the anticipated volume of gas released, the flare stack height must be at least
40 feet for safety reasons.
Oil tanks are utilized exclusively in situations where the potential for generating commercial oil
or condensate exists. The sole intention of installing oil tanks on site is to hold the generated
commercial oil or condensate. The expected production quantities determine the number of oil
tanks. Usually, the regular-size oil tanks may hold 250 or 450 barrels.
REFERENCES
Fundamentals of shale gas reservoirs. By John Wiley and Sons
Journal of petroleum technology
Annual energy review 2009
Hydraulic fracturing in unconventional reservoirs by Hoss Belyadi, Ebrahim Fathi,
and Fatemeh Belyadi