First Deep Asia Pacific Region Horizontal Multiple Stage Frac in Chinese Cambrian Age Marine Qiongzhusi Shale Play: Case History, Operation, & Execution

Chong, King Kwee²; Dumesnil, Joe³; Wang, Qiang³; Wooley, James¹
¹Production Enhancement, Halliburton Energy Services, Bossier City, LA.
²Duncan Technology Center, Halliburton Energy Services, Duncan, OK.
³China Uncoventional Team, Halliburton, Beijing, China.

During the past five years in North America it has become clear that shale gas developments have become a game-changer for the US natural gas industry. Globally, shale exploration activities are also increasing. China is in the early stages of exploiting the world's largest reserves of shale gas resource as it attempts to cope with increasing energy demands. This has induced investment into attempting to evaluate 2 target formations in the Sichuan Basin: Silurian age Longmaxi marine and Cambrian age Qiongzhusi marine shales.

This paper presents a case history using applicable technology being utilized in North America for initial attempts at shale gas exploration in China. The case study well described is the first Cambrian age marine shale well in Qiongzhusi formation located in the South Western part of China, the shale gas rich Sichuan province.

Many technologies were brought from the North American shale gas applications for this well. Study describes the technologies utilized to drill and complete the targeted shale gas formation and how those technologies guided the completion and stimulation design. The target formation was drilled horizontally and the casing was cemented. It was then fracture stimulated with multiple stages after full integration of data from geologic, geomechanical, petrophysical, and core analysis which aided in fluid and proppant selection, and pump rate, and proppant concentrations used in the stimulation design. A Diagnostic Fracture Injection Test (DFIT) was performed before pumping the planned stimulation to confirm formation fracture gradient, closure pressure, pore pressure, system permeability, and leakoff type. Microseismic mapping techniques were also used, which have proven to be very valuable in planning and assessing the fracturing results in operations of this type.

Coordination and collaboration allowed for successful completion. Currently, the well is flowing gas at rates synonymous with early production time in a typical North American shale gas well.

This case study is meant to serve as one of the examples of successful implementation of North American technology in the Asia Pacific Region for a burgeoning shale gas market. Continued projects like this are the predecessor to full scale development of shale gas and are what helped shape the abundant gas supply now in the United States, and are required to help China and its region to improve their future outlook on gas supply.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90155©2012 AAPG International Conference & Exhibition, Singapore, 16-19 September 2012