SPE PERMIAN BASIN 
RESERVOIR 
STUDY GROUP

Unconventional completion methods have come a long way in the several decades our industry has been focusing on these resources. There is still much to be learned, however, and Permian operators are seeking to optimize each aspect of unconventional development with increasing scrutiny. This session will explore ways in which many operators are still using “brute force” completions methods more appropriate for conventional rock, while others are finding ways to make engineered completion design changes on the fly that are optimizing production and saving completion costs.

Ever-increasing production volumes, high water cuts, disposal costs, and demand for completions water have challenged the industry in the Permian Basin. Poor planning can add millions to lease operating expenses and flowback costs, where re-use programs serve to hedge this financial risk and increase business sustainability in a crowded market that is growing daily. This session will focus on water management and the logistics, disposal hurdles, re-use options, and treatment programs that go along with it.

Flowback programs are often undertaken and completed without sufficient understanding of how the flowback can affect well and reservoir performance. Aggressive flowback procedures are often focused on short term results, some based upon criteria unrelated to geology or sound engineering, and can be counterproductive. Accumulating data increasingly point to the sensitivity of unconventional completions. This session will focus on the various flowback procedures, types and extent of induced damage that can occur, as well as effective damage mitigation and optimization protocols.

Operators are always trying to optimize their artificial lift program to accelerate production and/or decrease LOE. Challenges include depth, temperature, pressure, corrosion, scale, sand production, high water volumes, increasing gas to liquid ratios, power supply, wellbore deviation, and more. The Permian has always been known for our sea of pumping units, but there is a continuous effort to optimize long-term well performance through a combination of ESP, gas lift, jet pump, plunger lift, and others. This session will focus on different approaches & experience in optimizing artificial lift in the Delaware & Midland Basins.