By focusing on time, chemical usage, and effective proppant placement, IPT Well Solutions (“IPT”) delivered $230,000 in total savings for a small West Texas independent operator. On these two Wolfcamp zipper fracs with 53 stages, IPT achieved maximum performance without sacrificing safety, efficiency, or profitability.
The Challenge
When frac fleets are in high demand, operational efficiency is critical between all parties on the wellsite, requiring a concerted focus on working together as one team with the same goal.
Current stimulation company pricing models are configured to maximize return on investment for their equipment through operational efficiency and minimizing NPT (non-productive time). The operator also wants to minimize time on location while still stimulating the formation effectively to optimize production.
Working together as a team, the service companies and company representatives must optimize treatments through active management of fluid, proppant, and chemical usage without jeopardizing overall stimulation effectiveness.
The Approach
IPT’s approach is to treat each well like it is their personal asset and financial responsibility and use that mentality as the driver for recommendations based on what is best for the client. IPT works to optimize each additive to maximize the benefit relative to the volume utilized in the stage being pumped downhole.
As an example, it is common to utilize a 2,000-gallon acid stage as a lead-in fluid to help clean up near-wellbore restrictions early in the treatment. If there is no change in the pressure response when the acid enters the formation, that may indicate the acid stage needs to be reevaluated and possibly eliminated. This can save the operator financially due to lower chemical consumption.
The service company on location also needs to stress to employees the need to maximize efficiency and communication while effectively placing treatments. Good communication and a common goal allow each group to do their job and make the necessary real-time adjustments to the treatment while still effectively placing the proppant.
The Solution
This pad was the operator’s first attempt at using all 100 mesh in their completion program. The designed treatment schedule was configured to ensure at least one full wellbore volume of each proppant concentration was pumped before staging up to the next concentration.
This allowed IPT representatives to evaluate the real-time pressure response of the proppant hitting the formation before committing to a higher concentration. Based on the treating character of the early stages, it was apparent that proppant placement with the 100 mesh would not be problematic.
IPT identified an opportunity to modify the treatment schedule to reduce overall pump time along with fluid and chemical usage while still effectively placing the treatments. The new treatment schedule was effectively implemented and used for the remainder of the pad. In addition, active management of the HVFR (friction reducer) loading allowed additional savings to be realized.
These adjustments resulted in substantial savings for the operator compared to the original service company quote due to reductions in chemical usage and time savings. Through effective communication with the service companies and real-time monitoring of treatment pressure response, time and cost-saving adjustments to the pump schedule were quickly made.
The Results
The service company was able to place all treatments while minimizing downtime and placing the designed proppant volume two days ahead of schedule. Overall chemical usage was also reduced due to adjustments in the pump schedule and IPT’s active management of chemical additives during the treatments. Based on the initial production response and the $230,000 savings, the operator was satisfied with the current design and planned to continue evaluating the production response to ensure optimizations were realized throughout the company.
Project Highlights
- $230,000 savings
- 53-stage Wolfcamp zipper frac
- Reduced chemical usage and pump time
- Completed two days ahead of schedule
