Characterising the application of horizontal wells and indirect hydraulic fracturing for improved coal seam gas drainage
Raymond L. JohnsonA The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072.
B Strike Energy Limited, 1/31-35 George Street, Thebarton, SA 5031.
C Corresponding author. Email: r.johnsonjr@uq.edu.au
The APPEA Journal 61(1) 89-105 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ20122
Submitted: 13 January 2021 Accepted: 11 March 2021 Published: 2 July 2021
Abstract
Historically, horizontal wells in coal seam gas (CSG) producing areas of Australia have been limited in their ability to stimulate horizontal wellbores with hydraulic fractures, despite most basins being in favourable stress states capable of generating multiple transverse hydraulic fractures. In some cases, overlapping mining tenements limit the ability to effectively deploy steel casing completions to effectively manage multi-stage fracture stimulations along the lateral. In other cases, potential wellbore instabilities preclude the placement of laterals with adequate length to stage numerous fractures required to make a well economic. Strike Energy’s Jaws 1 well indicated well instability when drilling horizontally in the Patchawarra Vu Coal Seam in Petroleum Exploration Licence 96 of the Weena Trough in the Cooper Basin. To overcome this instability, Strike Energy introduced the application of an innovative process of deploying multiple, indirect hydraulic fractures in Jaws 1ST from a horizontal wellbore underlying the coal. Microseismic and surface deformation tiltmeter data acquired during the treatment confirmed the successful placement of fractures in the Patchawarra Vu Coal Seam. Further, chemical tracing and production testing provide further insight into the placement and effectiveness of the overall stimulation. Through analyses of data from the Jaws 1ST, we provide insight and recommendations regarding horizontal well placement to improve indirect hydraulic fracture effectiveness. These recommendations would be applicable for other Australian CSG basins where direct horizontal well drilling and fracture stimulation has been limited (e.g. overlapping mining tenements) or where horizontal well instabilities limit drilling within the seam (i.e. Cooper Basin, depleted coals).
Keywords: Indirect hydraulic fracturing, coalbed methane, coal seam gas, microseismic, fracture modelling, geomechanics, Cooper Basin, Patchawarra Vu Coal Seam, South Australia.
Prof Raymond (Ray) L. Johnson, Jr. is presently a Professor of Well Engineering and Production Technology, School of Chemical Engineering, and Energi Simulation Co-Chair in The Centre for Natural Gas, at The University of Queensland. He has a PhD in Mining Engineering, a MSc in Petroleum Engineering, a Graduate Diploma in Information Technology and a BA in Chemistry. Ray has been active in the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), past chair of the SPE Queensland Section, 2013 and 2015 co-Chair of the SPE Unconventional Reservoir Conference and Exhibition Asia Pacific, and the Technical Award Recipient of SPE Regional Awards in 2011 and 2017. He has been actively involved as an author and researcher in the areas of reservoir geomechanics; hydraulic fracture design, execution and evaluation; and unconventional resources estimation and development. |
Sharon Cheong is presently a Senior Reservoir Engineer at Strike Energy Limited with 15 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Sharon holds a BA in Chemical Engineering and MSc in Petroleum Engineering (University of Adelaide). She is an SPE member and past SPE committee member (South Australian Sector). Sharon began her graduate years in processing roles at BHP and ExxonMobil; however, the majority of her career was at Santos as a Development Reservoir Engineer and Fracture Stimulation Engineer working in conventional and unconventional Cooper Basin gas fields. Sharon joined Strike Energy’s subsurface team in 2019 and works mainly on field development and exploration activities in the Perth Basin as well as monitoring the Klebb/Jaws pilot program in the Cooper Basin. |
Andrew Farley is presently Exploration Manager at Strike Energy Limited. Andrew graduated from the University of Newcastle (Australia) in 2002 with a BSc in Geology. He has 18 years of experience working with onshore oil and gas operators on exploration and development projects in all five mainland states of Australia. Prior to joining Strike Energy in 2012, Andrew worked with AGL Energy in Sydney. Since joining Strike Energy in 2012, Andrew has held a number of technical positions, becoming Exploration Manager in September 2019. Andrew has been a key member of the Strike Energy team during the design and execution of the Jaws Project in the Cooper Basin and more recently the West Erregulla discovery in the Perth Basin. |
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