Onshore Unconventional Well Completions

The term “Unconventional Resources” cuts a wide swath and encompasses many different and unrelated hydrocarbon resources. They have constituted a small but relevant segment of the oil and gas industry for many decades. However, since only about 1998, with the development of shale drilling and completion methodologies, have Unconventionals become front page news. Although most relevant in North America, shale plays are being probed and tested in many regions of the world.

This skill module addresses both the completion process and the physical completion design of unconventional shale wells at the core level. The strongest focus of the skill module is on horizontal shale wells but also includes a section on Coalbed Methane and one on Heavy Oil as well.

See example online learning module

Target Audience

Petroleum engineers, production operations staff, reservoir engineers, facilities staff, drilling and completion engineers, geologists, field supervisors and managers, field technicians, service company engineers and managers, and especially engineers starting a work assignment in production engineering and operations or other engineers seeking a well-rounded foundation in production engineering.

You Will Learn

Participants will learn how to:

• Describe the purpose and basic operational aspects of wellhead and flow control equipment in wells in unconventional plays
• Describe the purpose of each of the major components used in a basic well completion in unconventional resources plays, and the impact that drilling practices have on reservoir productivity
• Describe the function and limitations of each surface and subsurface component of a basic onshore completion in unconventional resources plays
• Describe the basic properties of completion components materials and their limitations in unconventional resources plays
• Describe which fluid systems are the most important for implementing successful completions and workovers in wells in unconventional resources plays
• Describe the most relevant steps for implementing completion procedures in wells in unconventional resources plays, and the proper interaction with all parties involved required
• Describe the most common techniques used to drill, complete, stimulate, and produce typical wells in coalbed methane reservoirs

Product Details