Client Overview
A midstream company managing natural gas storage facilities needed to optimize well performance across multiple wells within a single field.
The client sought a pressure buildup analysis to assess skin, evaluate well damage, and prioritize stimulation efforts to ensure reliable storage capacity.
The Challenge
The client had previously engaged another firm to conduct pressure buildup tests to evaluate skin, a key indicator of well damage, and determine stimulation needs.
However, work performed based on that analysis failed to deliver meaningful production uplift after stimulation treatments were completed.
IPT’s Solution
IPT Well Solutions was engaged to reassess the pressure buildup data. During its review, IPT identified a critical error in the previous firm’s analysis: the exclusion of rate-dependent skin, which distorted the understanding of actual well conditions.
Using industry-standard software, Kappa’s Saphir, along with advanced numerical modeling, IPT conducted a comprehensive analysis that incorporated rate-dependent skin alongside traditional skin damage metrics.
By distinguishing between rate-dependent flow restrictions and true formation impairment, IPT uncovered critical insights that had been overlooked in the previous evaluation. This rigorous methodology provided a more accurate understanding of each well’s condition and redefined the urgency and necessity of stimulation treatments.
Results and Impact
By identifying and correcting the oversight in the prior analysis, IPT transformed the client’s stimulation strategy. The refined assessment reordered the priority list and eliminated unnecessary treatments on wells that had been incorrectly flagged for intervention.
This precision saved the client nearly $200,000 in unnecessary stimulation costs while preserving operational resources and maintaining field performance.
IPT’s proactive discovery process and rigorous analytical methodology delivered both operational efficiency and measurable financial savings.
Conclusion
IPT Well Solutions demonstrated technical expertise and problem-solving capabilities by identifying and addressing flaws in the previous firm’s analysis.
The integration of rate-dependent skin into a comprehensive pressure buildup study not only generated substantial cost savings but also reinforced IPT’s value as a trusted partner for the midstream client, balancing technical innovation with practical operational outcomes in the natural gas sector.
