Frack Plugs Intro

As more shale players look to put more science into their operations, frack plug suppliers have improved designs by using shorter plugs with better composite materials and fewer parts with lower metal content.

In addition, manufacturers have added fluid propulsion rings to improve running times, minimize or eliminate presets and reduce drill-out time.

RELATED: Baker Hughes: Mysteries Of Permian Frack Plug Science

Most designs feature a high-strength dissolvable metal that will dissolve during completion or in formation fluid. When the plugs perform well, they dissolve within 72 hours, allowing longer laterals to be completed and eliminating milling.

Select dissolvable frack plug tech:

  • Baker Hughes’ (NYSE: BHI) product SPECTRE is advertised as easy to install and remove including the plug body, anchoring grip and packing element, which disintegrate fully at predictable rates when exposed to wellbore fluids;
  • Haliburton’s (NYSE: HAL) Illusion plug claims to be fully dissolvable and will reduce the time to production by eliminating milling after fracturing;
  • Magnum Oil Tools International said its Magnum Vanishing Plug (MVP) has been deployed more than 10,000 times since the product’s launch in 2014 and the company plans to expand the MVP’s operating temperature range making it applicable in shale plays such as the Permian’s Wolfcamp; and
  • Weatherford (NYSE: WFT) has the TrueFrac composite plug and said the device makes faster run-in time and reduced mill-out time—fusing a composite also limits metal debris in the well.

Permian Basin Activity Highlights

Permian Basin Activity Highlights Map

1. Canan Mowrey Operating: 6/8/17

Canan Mowrey Operating LLC, based in Wichita Falls, Texas, completed another Ace of Spades Field well in eastern Hockley County (RRC Dist. 8A), Texas.

The #1 Spade H was tested through acidized perforations at 10,101 ft to 10,106 ft in Strawn. It initially produced 110 barrels (bbl) of 45-degree-gravity oil, 74,000 cubic feet of gas and 20 bbl of water per day. The flowing tubing pressure was 205 pounds per square inch (psi) during testing on a 15/64-in. choke. The vertical well was drilled to 10,179 ft and was plugged back to 10,132 ft.

The 80-acre West Texas lease is in Lot 22, Section 16, Howard CSL Survey, A-13, and is on the Eastern Shelf of the Permian Basin.

2. Mercury Operating: 6/5/17

IHS Markit reported that Irving, Texas-based Mercury Operating LLC completed a Caddo reef oil well in Fisher County (RRC Dist. 7B), Texas.

The #1 Alldredge was tested flowing 32 bbl of oil and 19 bbl of water per day from fracture-treated perforations at 6,250 ft to 80 ft. During testing on a 1-in. choke, flowing tubing pressure was 75 psi. The Bud Alldredge Field well was drilled to 6,860 ft in Section 21, Block 21, T&P RR Co Survey, A-328.

The 138-acre West Central Texas lease is located on the Eastern Shelf of the Permian Basin along the western flank of the Bend Arch.

3. Rockcliff Energy: 6/2/17

Rockcliff Energy LLC, based in Houston, completed a test in an ongoing program on the Permian Basin’s Northwestern Shelf in Roosevelt County, N.M., according to IHS Markit.

The #1H Annapurna 20 flowed 310 bbl of 29.6-degree-gravity oil, 301,000 cubic feet of gas and 3,530 bbl of water per day. The 9,540-ft Milnesand West Field well is in Section 17-8s-34e and the horizontal lateral bottomed about one mile to the south in Section 20 with a true vertical depth of 4,587 ft. It is producing from acid- and fracture-treated perforations at 4,865 ft to 9,375 ft and was tested on a 54/64-in. choke with a flowing casing pressure of 111 psi.

4. Riley Exploration: 5/31/17

Riley Exploration LLC filed a permit to drill a horizontal San Andres test on the Northwestern Shelf of the Permian Basin in Yoakum County (RRC Dist. 8A), Texas, IHS Markit reported.

The #1H Huckleberry 730 will be in Section 730, Block D, John H. Gibson Survey, A-1789. The planned depth is 9,000 ft and it is on a 641.3-acre West Texas lease. A successful completion would extend Sable Field to the south.

Riley, based in Blanchard, Okla., is also underway at #1 Brushy Bill 707-730 in Section 707, which is located about one mile to the north – a horizontal leg expected to bottom a mile to the south beneath Section 730. The objective is the San Andres in Platang Field.

5. EOG Resources: 5/10/17

Houston-based EOG Resources Inc. (NYSE: EOG) announced two completions in Section 29-20s-34e in Lea South Field on the Carlsbad Shelf of the Permian Basin in Lea County, N.M.

The #602H Della 29 Federal Com was tested flowing 2,322 bbl of 43-degree-gravity crude, 2.634 million cubic feet (MMcf) of gas and 4,580 bbl of water. It was drilled to 16,059 ft, 11,260 ft true vertical. Production in the north trending lateral is from acid- and fracture-treated Third Bone Spring perforations at 11,463 ft to 15,949 ft.

An offsetting horizontal completion, #701H Della 29 Federal Com, was tested flowing 1,313 bbl of 43-degree-gravity oil, 1.509 MMcf of gas and 3,432 bbl of water per day. Production is from acid- and fracture-stimulated Wolfcamp at 11,510 ft to 16,061 ft. The well was drilled to 16,172 ft, 11,216 ft true vertical. It is in Section 29-20s-34e, and the horizontal leg bottomed a mile to the north.

6. Parallel Petroleum: 5/3/17

A horizontal San Andres producer was completed in Gaines County RRC Dist. 8A), Texas, by Midland, Texas-based Parallel Petroleum Corp.

The #1H Big Jake pumped 540 bbl of 32.9-degree-gravity oil, 198,000 cubic feet of gas and 2,013 bbl of water per day. Production is from acid- and fracture-stimulated perforations at 5,207 ft to 11,423 ft. It was drilled to 11,670 ft and is in Section 24, Block A22, PSL Survey, A-869, on the Central Basin Platform of the Permian Basin. The horizontal leg bottomed more than one mile to the southeast in Section 4, Block A34, PSL Survey, A-560 in Andrews County (RRC Dist. 8).

7. Burnett Oil: 4/12/17

Burnett Oil Co. filed permits to drill two vertical San Andres tests in Crane County (RRC Dist. 8), Texas, on the Central Basin Platform of the Permian Basin, according to IHS Markit.

The #1 and #2 McKnight B7 will be on a 480-acre West Texas lease in Section 7, Block B26, PSL Survey, A-1123. If successful, the completions would extend the C-Bar Field to the southwest. Burnett’s planned drillsites are in the vicinity of the Sand Hills Field, where the Fort Worth, Texas-based company currently operates McKnight, Tubb and Wichita-Albany wells.

Larry Prado, activity editor, can be reached at lprado@hartenergy.com.