Lessons Learned in Vintage Bakken Vertical-Well Completions Provide Answers to Pay Location & Quality and Stimulation Optimization

Cramer, David
BJ Services Co, Denver, CO

     In the years before horizontal-well completion efforts (i.e., 1960- 1988), stimulation treatments were commonly performed on vertical Bakken wells throughout the Williston Basin. The results of these treatments were mixed, from spectacular gains to catastrophic losses in productivity. Several factors have been identified which affect treatment response in the Bakken. Through the use of well history, treatment records, and laboratory data, this presentation will show the pay characteristics of adjacent lithologic intervals (basal Lodgepole through upper Three Forks) and explore ways in which fracture treatments influence Bakken reservoir performance. Some of the topics covered include: the condition of the wellbore area; rock mechanics; formation fluid properties; stimulation fluid systems such as water, acid, and oil; use of fluid loss additives and propping agents; and treatment size.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90071 © 2007 AAPG Rocky Mountain Meeting, Snowbird, Utah