The Impact of Completion and Stimulation Activities on Gas Production in Marcellus Shale: Analytics in a Big Data Environment

Abstract

Natural gas produced from shale formations in the United States over the past decade have altered the oil and gas industry remarkably. The Marcellus shale was considered to be one of the highest producing natural gas fields in the United States. However, significant uncertainties are related to the completion and stimulation of horizontal wells with multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, and thus affect natural gas production and the economic performance. The objective of this study is to use data analytic methods to identify correlations between gas well performance in Marcellus Shale and its stimulation and completion treatments. To accomplish this, the geology, development history, and status of the Marcellus Shale were characterized through literature review. Then, the set of more than 10,000 producing wells were sorted and grouped. Both engineering and statistical analyses were applied to study the relationship between well performance and the stimulation and completion attributes. Important factors considered to affect gas production include lateral length of horizontal wells, fracture stages, proppant volume, proppant type, and proppant size. The results from this study help quantify the prospect of future completion and stimulation activities in the Marcellus. We conclude with a discussion of the trend in stimulation treatments and well completions and thus optimize recovery efficiency in the Marcellus, and other unconventional hydrocarbon formations.