GTI is leading a high-profile program on Hydraulic Fracturing Test Sites (HFTS) in the Permian Basin, bringing together government and industry to improve recovery, continue enhancing environmentally responsible methods of optimizing production, and lowering costs in the Midland and Delaware Basins.
In January 2018, GTI was awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE/NETL) for cost-shared research and development on hydraulic fracturing efficiency.
Occidental Petroleum is the operator of the Delaware Basin site, where multiple experiments to evaluate well completion, optimize design, and quantify environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing are being carried out. To date, reservoir characterization has been performed and all production wells have been drilled and completed. A slant well has been cored through the stimulated rock volume to directly measure created fracture patterns, and the well has been instrumented with an array of pressure and temperature gauges.
The field-based project in West Texas will help optimize well spacing and mitigate environmental impacts as it advances understanding of the hydraulic fracturing process in shale reservoirs, enabling the design and execution of effective fracture treatments that significantly contribute to production. Improved design and execution of fracture stages will also reduce the number of future infill wells drilled and reduce water volume and energy input. Air and water samples from the site will be evaluated for environmental impacts.
GTI is utilizing the JewelSuite™ software courtesy of Baker Hughes to organize and perform its analysis of the sub-surface data.
Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site 2 (HFTS2) will conduct field-based hydraulic fracturing research in the Delaware Basin portion of the Permian Basin in West Texas. The project will advance hydraulic fracturing technology, optimize well spacing, and mitigate environmental impacts of shale development operations. The research will advance understanding of the hydraulic fracturing process in shale reservoirs, enabling the design and execution of effective fracture treatments that significantly contribute to production. Improved design and execution of fracture stages will also reduce the number of future infill wells drilled and reduce water volume and energy input. The effort will build upon the learnings from the HFTS1–Midland project and advance the understanding of hydraulic fracturing.
We’re excited to provide the location that will further this important HFTS project. Our industry is continually looking at ways to optimize its operations in a way that maximizes recoveries, while improving environmental performance.”
Chad McAllaster
Anadarko Vice President, Delaware Basin Development
“We are pleased to be joining with Anadarko as co-hosts in support of the HFTS project. This research project will help further advance efficiency in the development of oil and natural gas resources and will contribute to sustaining the U.S. as the world’s leading oil and gas producer.”
Amir Gerges
Shell General Manager for the Permian Basin