Workflow Enables Simulation-Driven Optimization of Simultaneous-Fracture Strategies

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 230625, “Simulation-Driven Optimization of Simultaneous Frac-Execution Strategies: Tradeoff Analysis of Two- and Three-Well Simul-Frac, Cost Models, Operational Efficiency, Flow Rates, and Stage Lengths,” by Brandon Eidson, SPE, PrePad, and Luisa Porras, SPE, and Mike Zimmerman, SPE, Birchcliff, et al. The paper has not been peer-reviewed. _ This paper focuses on a replicable, quantitative workflow using completions-process simulation software. Simultaneous fracturing (simul-frac) operations can offer efficiency gains by distributing total flow. The need to maintain a minimum rate per cluster or perforation friction often requires reducing clusters per stage, however, leading to more stages for the same lateral length. These factors introduce a complex set of tradeoffs between energy-efficiency gains and operational penalties. The complete paper introduces a replicable, quantitative workflow using completions-process simulation software. The process transforms a traditionally experience-heavy domain with low-fidelity models into a structured, data-rich decision space applicable across operators and basins. Analysis Approach The analyses performed relied heavily on commercially available simulation software specialized in simulating the horizontal well completions process. The software includes physics-based models capable of predicting pumping pressures and flow rates under most circumstances, including tracking minimum flow rate per cluster so that design requirements can be upheld while optimizing lateral designs. Furthermore, the software includes a discrete event, completions-process simulator with an optimal-fracture-order optimizer scalable to the diverse, complex combinations of designs, well counts, and simul-frac scenarios. Finally, detailed contractual inputs are included so that precise, accurate cost effects can be predicted. The first three scenarios the authors offer in the paper represent operations constrained on maximum fracture-spread flow rate (because of single-blender limitations) and maximum sand consumed per day (because of sand-delivery limitations). The later scenarios significantly lift these constraints.