SPE 162658

Streamlined Completions Process: An Eagle Ford Shale Case History

Andrew L. Arguijo, SPE, and Lee Morford, SPE, Cabot Oil & Gas; Jason Baihly, SPE, and Isaac Aviles, SPE,
Schlumberger
Copyright 2012, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2012 SPE Canadian Unconventional Resources Conference being held 30 October-1 November in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been
reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its
officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to
reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.


Abstract
The Eagle Ford shale is a hydrocarbon-producing formation of significant importance due to its capability for producing at
high-liquid/gas ratios, more so than other traditional shale plays. Situated in south Texas, the total Eagle Ford liquids
production in 2007 was less than 21,000 bbl total. In 2011, production averaged 65,500 BOPD in the play (EIA, 2011).
Activity in the Eagle Ford continues to increase because the benefits from producing high liquid yields across much of the
play, along with attractive commodity prices, have made the Eagle Ford a more attractive development over many other shale
reservoirs.
The rapid development of the Eagle Ford shale was enabled by horizontal drilling. In 2007 none of the reported production
was from horizontal wells. In 2011 alone over 2,800 drilling permits were issued, virtually all of them for horizontal wells
(RigData, 2012). The Eagle Ford shale has low-clay content, high-carbonate content, and is in an extensional basin, making it
conducive to somewhat complex hydraulic fracturing (Martin et al, 2011). The plug and perforating technique has become the
preferred completion method in the play due to multiple entry points creating complex fractures at a minimal cost. This
completion technique requires a mechanical means for conveying perforating guns, such as coiled tubing (CT), wireline tractor
or stick pipe, for the first fracturing stage at the toe of the well.
To streamline their completion process, an Eagle Ford operator chose to use an initiator valve that is run at the toe of the
well as part of the final completion design. This pressure activated valve is capable of initiating operations on the first
fracturing stage without the need for CT or other mechanical means of conveyance of perforating guns. Simple and robust, the
valve is activated by a pressure increase from the surface. The valve uses a rupture disc for precise activation and a helical port
design that allows for hydraulic fracturing to be performed through the valve into the cement and the formation. With over a
dozen wells completed in the Eagle Ford formation by the operator, the valve has provided logistical and economic benefits to
the streamlined completion process.
This paper describes the initiator valve completion tool and its application in the Eagle Ford shale. A case history is
presented to show the specific design and operation of the initiator valve, as well as its benefits over other completion practices
that target the first stage in a closed lateral system. Detailed activation of the valve and fracturing data through the valve are
also presented.

Introduction
Tight economics in many onshore North American unconventional oil and gas plays has made it important for operators in
such reservoirs to maximize economics as much as possible. One way to aid in maximizing the economics is through the use
of improved drilling and completion techniques and cost control; one such method is to eliminate interventions during the well
completion process. Every time a tool is run in the hole, the total cost of the well increases. One costly intervention that can be
eliminated is the initial perforating run on the first stage of a cemented lateral well. During this operation, the well is a closed
system which prevents the plug and gun assembly from being pumped to the toe of the lateral. To address this inefficiency a
costly, timely, and in some cases risky CT, stick pipe, or wireline tractor run must be used to convey the guns into the lateral
which is a closed system. A novel valve was developed to initiate the fracturing process in horizontal cemented wells. The
process eliminates the intervention historically used to perforate the first stage. The initiator valve is a pressure-activated valve
installed as part of the casing string placed at the toe stage of the well. The valve, cemented in place and requiring no changes
to the cement operation or chemistry, is pressure activated and once the sliding sleeve in the valve is opened, the wellbore fluid
2 SPE 162658
is exposed to the cement sheath in the annular space. At this point the fracturing operation can begin. Once the first stage is
complete, lower cost pump down plug and perf operations can begin.
There have been concerns expressed by many in the industry in the past about fracturing through cement without the
benefits of perforation tunnels. This paper shows how a novel helical port pattern reduces the near-wellbore fracture-initiation
pressure in a cemented sliding sleeve and allows for an entire fracture stage to be pumped through the valve. The research and
engineering that went into developing the cemented initiator valve is presented in addition to a multi-well field case in the
Eagle Ford shale.

Eagle Ford Overview
The Eagle Ford shale play extends from Mexico, through Texas and into Louisiana, covering roughly 11,000,000 acres in
Texas alone (Fig. 1) (Sanchez Energy, 2012; UPI, 2009). The portion of the play being commercially targeted today is from
the US-Mexico border in Webb County, Texas, northeast to Brazos County, Texas (Fig. 2) (IHS, 2012). This area covers over
6,000,000 acres (Ivey, 2011). The Eagle Ford shale is somewhat unique in that it contains distinct volatile oil, gas condensate
and dry gas windows (Fig. 3) (Martin et al, 2011). Similar to nearly all unconventional plays, wells are drilled horizontally and
completed with multistage fracturing, incorporating mechanical isolation.
The Eagle Ford has experienced little or no slowdown in activity due to its vast area of high-liquid cut wells. The rig count
in the basin has remained steady between 265 and 285 for the last six months (Fig. 4). Obviously, the price of oil has helped to
sustain the activity in all of the liquid-rich basins throughout North America. Currently, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude
oil is priced at approximately $90/bbl and Eagle Ford liquids, which are on the lighter side, average a pricing premium of $6 to
8/bbl above that (UPRR, 2012). Conversely, gas is priced at $3/Mscf across North America (EIA, 2012). Most Eagle Ford
shale wells produce both types of hydrocarbon at various ratios. With the increased costs due to servicing capacity issues,
advantageous price of liquid hydrocarbon and challenging gas price, it is important for operators in the basin to maximize their
asset performance by optimizing lateral spacing, stage count, drilling and completion cost control, and enhanced drilling and
completion techniques, tools, and processes.

Eagle Ford Shale Geology
The Eagle Ford shale is a late Cretaceous-aged carbonate-rich shale located between two other carbonate formations. The
Austin Chalk is located above and the Buda Limestone below the Eagle Ford shale (Fig. 5). The Eagle Ford, which runs as
deep as 14,000 ft and as shallow as 1,500 ft has some rather dramatic stratigraphic changes across the south Texas area
including the Maverick Basin, San Marcos Arch, restricted basin in the south, and the Karnes Trough (Fig. 6). Due to these
variations, the play runs from 50 to 350 ft in thickness and varies so much in depth. The most commercially targeted areas
have a pay thickness of at least 125 ft. The majority of the Eagle Ford shale in south Texas contains two members, an upper
and a lower section which are easily identifiable on a log (Fig. 7). The lower Eagle Ford was deposited in a transgressive
shallow-marine environment and contains organic-rich shale. The upper Eagle Ford was deposited in a regressive environment
and contains calcareous shale, bentonites, limestones, and quartzose siltstones. The Eagle Ford shale contains 20% quartz,
50% calcite, 20% clay, and 10% kerogen, making it one of the lowest clay, highest kerogen shale plays in North America
(Martin et al, 2011). Permeability can be quite high as well with a maximum of 405 nd and an average of 180 nd. Porosity is
typically 3% to 10% with an average of 6% (Liro et al., 1994; Dawson, 2000; Lock & Peschier, 2006; Martin et al, 2011).

Eagle Ford Shale Completion Practices
Nearly every well drilled in the Eagle Ford shale today is a horizontal well with an average lateral length of 5,387 ft. The
average lateral length has increased by nearly 1,500 ft over the last 3 years (Fig. 8) (IHS, 2012). All Eagle Ford wells are
fracture stimulated with proppant-laden fluid and incorporate isolation between multiple treatment stages. Of the more than
4,000 wells drilled in the Eagle Ford shale, more than 75% are traditional cemented and cased lateral wells that use the plug-
and-perf method as the preferred method for fracture stage isolation (IHS, 2012). In each stage, a selected number of
potentially productive intervals or clusters are perforated and the stimulation treatment is then pumped. The number of
perforation clusters ranges from 3 to 12 per stage in the Eagle Ford. After completing the stimulation, a wireline gun string
with a plug-setting tool, an adaptor kit and a frac plug are run down the vertical section of the well with gravity and pumped
along the lateral with the aid of slickwater or low viscosity fluid. Once across the target depth the plug is set and released.
Then the guns are pulled up hole and the intended perforated intervals are shot and the gun string is pulled out of the hole. The
fracturing treatment operation for that stage can then be started. This process is repeated until all stages are fractured. The
average stage count in the Eagle Ford shale today is 16. The stage count was much smaller in the play 4 years ago, but has
increased steadily over time (Fig. 9).
With the experience gained over the years, the plug-and-perf method for treating multiple production intervals sequentially
has proven to be a cost-effective and efficient method to treat every stage with the exception of the first stage, which is much
more difficult because once the casing is cemented, the system is closed. A closed system does not allow for an economic or
efficient pump-down plug-and-perf run. Instead, a mechanical method for conveying the perforating guns to the initial toe
stage is required before initiating the plug-and-perf operation. To meet this requirement, CT, stick pipe, or tractor-conveyed
perforating is required because pumping is not possible. Coordinating a CT unit, mobilizing a workover rig, or running in with
SPE 162658 3
a tractor on wireline to perform this operation is not only an added expense for the first stage only, but the logistics of the
completion operations are further complicated and are highly inefficient.
To circumvent these challenges, the industry has been experimenting with a variety of methods to stimulate the toe stage in
a way that optimizes operational speed and economics while maintaining the functionality to be able to fracture stimulate this
first interval. Historically, the difficulty has centered on finding a method that is efficient, effective, reliable, and cost
competitive. An initial approach to solve this situation has been the use of a wet-shoe (Stegent & Howell, 2012). With this
type of completion, the cement is over displaced so that a flow path at the bottom of the completion (wet shoe) is present,
enabling the lower cost pump-down plug-and-perf process to be performed on the first stage. For operators, this procedure is
usually an unacceptable solution because of the risks that include leak paths, lack of isolation, and no pressure integrity
verification of the casing.
A new method for initiating cased and cemented completions has been engineered. The method involves placing a
downhole valve as part of the casing string, eliminating the first stage perforation gun intervention while providing positive
isolation and allowing for a pressure integrity test of the casing to be performed. This tool is referred to as an initiator rupture
disc valve (RDV) and provides a way to efficiently start the hydraulic fracturing process for the toe stage.

Fracturing Through Cement without Perforations
Fracturing through cemented sleeves is not an easy task. One immediate issue that always arises when considering cemented
sleeves is whether the fracture initiation pressure will be significantly higher without the perforation tunnels that pass through
the cement and into the formation. The key to the initiator valve performance is its ability to breakdown and convey an entire
large propped fracture stimulation treatment through the ports and cement sheath into the formation without the need for any
perforation tunnels. To achieve breakdown and fracture through a cement sheath, various theoretical port and slot
configurations were built and tested to assess the viability of the initiator sleeve concept by attempting to minimize and predict
fracture initiation pressures. A series of finite element analyses (FEA), mathematical models, and laboratory tests were
conducted in an attempt to discover a solution to this problem.
Full-scale tests were conducted in unstressed concrete cylinders to investigate how the valves port (slot) geometry affected
fracture initiation pressures in unstressed, surface conditions. The main goals of these tests were to minimize fracture initiation
pressure and investigate which port design promoted a single vertical fracture in the concrete. These tests were performed
using 4!-in. casing and valve assemblies cemented inside concrete cylinders 36-in. in height with an average compressive
strength of 4,000 to 5,000 psi. A unique cylinder was constructed for each port configuration tested. The assemblies were
pressured up until failure (fracture initiation) and the pressure was recorded at failure. The pressure breakdown response
created by perforating guns was also evaluated against that of the various port/slot configurations. The results showed fracture
initiation pressures varying from 327 psi to 1,790 psi. Each port configuration had a unique effect on the near-wellbore
geometry of the hydraulic fractures. A cutaway of the test performed with the valve that consisted of six 12-in. vertical slots
with 60 phasing can be observed in Fig. 10. Notice how these slots created a bi-wing vertical fracture plane. One of the
perforating gun tests with 120 phasing can be observed in Fig. 11. Notice that fractures were initiated in two or three planes
near the wellbore but that these fractures are sub vertical (did not remain planar and vertical as the fracture grew more than a
few inches outside of the casing).
The unstressed cylinder tests showed that a port configuration consisting of six 6-in. ports with 60 phasing provided the
optimum performance with respect to fracture initiation. An elaborated 3D FEA model was created to predict the stress near
the wellbore in tight sandstone with far-field stresses applied. This 3D FEA analysis was necessary to determine the optimum
parameters for tests under actual bottom-hole conditions. A full-scale stress frame was constructed and tests were conducted
using sandstone blocks with far field stresses applied. A true tri-axial stress capabilities apparatus was used to simulate
formation in-situ stresses with three different principal stresses. For each test, a 30-in. wide by 30-in. deep by 54-in. tall block
of sandstone was placed in the tri-axial test apparatus. Once the block was secured in the tri-axial apparatus, a minimum
horizontal stress of 4,000 psi, maximum horizontal stress of 5,000 psi, and an overburden stress of 6,000 psi were applied to
the block.
The base case test was constructed using 4!-in. diameter casing cemented in the rock block and then perforated using a 1-
ft gun with 3 spf at 120 phasing with one shot aligned with the preferred fracture plane (PFP). One of the shots was aligned to
the PFP to simulate the best possible alignment scenario for the perforating gun. The pressure to fracture the sandstone block
with the 120 perforations was 4,540 psi. Another test using a six slot valve phased at 15 from the PFP broke down the
sandstone block at 4,598 psi. The difference between the perforating and 15 helical port sleeve tests was negligible, and
indicated that the valve does not require a high fracturing pressure, making it a viable completion option compared to
perforating. To reduce the near-wellbore pressure affects further, the calibrated 3D FEA model was used to analyze various
port configurations (Table 1). New helical ports were developed to best emulate the effect of oriented perforations in the
wellbore. Based on this model, a new helical port configuration was developed and used successfully in real-well applications
(Fig. 12).

Rupture Disc Valve Overview
The initiator RDV eliminates an intervention trip into the wellbore that would be required by one of the aforementioned
methods. Although the RDV can be used in wells having any deviation, it is particularly useful in horizontal or highly deviated
4 SPE 162658
wells as the lowest stage of these wells cannot be perforated using simple gravity force driven gun strings. The novel valve
allows for the first fracture stage to be initiated easily and without intervention. The RDV contains two rupture discs that block
the flow and pressure from the wellbore to the inside of the tool. Once the RDV is pressured up and activated, pumping of the
first fracturing stage can be performed at the desired rate and proppant concentration through the helical slots in the valve
without the need for any perforations. The RDV is installed in the casing string, spaced three to four joints of pipe above the
float shoe to align the valve with the desired toe stage frac point in the formation. When the RDV is set in place, cementing
operations can begin. The cementing process proceeds in the same manner that it would if the wellbore was lined with casing
only. Furthermore, there are no changes in the cement pumping procedure nor is any special type of cement chemistry such as
acid soluble cement needed. After the cement is set, an integrity test is performed to the desired casing test pressure. Upon
completion of the integrity test, the initiator valve is activated by pressuring up slightly above the casing test pressure which
causes the rupture discs to fail and a sleeve in the valve to open. This open sleeve exposes the cement sheath to the wellbore
fluid and the first stage can be fractured out of the RDV or pump-down plug-and-perf operations can begin. A complete
sequence of this operation is shown in Fig. 13.
Activating the RDV is achieved by increasing bottom-hole pressure to rupture either one of two rupture discs that are
positioned to block flow (Fig. 14). Rupture discs can be selected ahead of time and installed before the RDV is delivered to the
rig or on the rig floor during the casing running operation. The discs are selected based upon the sum of surface pressure and
the well hydrostatics. The rupture discs are manufactured in 250-300 psi increments allowing for a precise activation window
when ruptured. The rupture disc is typically selected to have a value approximately 500 psi greater than the desired casing test
pressure. It is not a requirement that both discs rupture, only one needs to rupture for the RDV to operate. When the disc(s)
rupture at the set pressure, a pathway for fluid flow opens to the tools internal atmospheric chamber, pressure along with fluid
rushes in and the valve is opened in a piston-like manner (Fig. 14). When the internal sleeve slides open, the valves helical
ports create a window from which the casing fluid can be pumped out of (Fig. 14).
The helically-aligned ports around the RDV expose the entire circumference of the valve to the cement sheath. The hoop
stress in a horizontal wellbore typically contains two points 180 apart that are the weak point in the near wellbore area. No
matter the tool orientation, one of the fracturing ports (slots) is never more than 3 from one of the minimum stress points on
the hoop stress envelop. This ensures that the hydraulic fracture near the wellbore does not have far to reorient, minimizing
tortuosity, which reduces fracture treating pressure. The helical ports allow for the cement to be broken down with ease and
the fluid can then continue on into the formation to create the hydraulic fracture. The total sum of all ports is 10.7-in
2
;
equivalent to six perforation clusters, each 2 ft in length with 6 spf. After the sleeve is opened, the first fracturing stage is
ready for treatment or pump-down plug-and-perf operations. The first stage is pumped through the RDV with relatively low
initiation and surface treatment pressure similar to hydraulic fractures pumped through perforation tunnels, which is due to the
helical ports. Once the first stage is completed, economic pump down plug-and-perf operations can commence. Alternatively,
the valve does not have to be fractured through if for some reason a change is called for or the operator prefers multiple
perforation clusters, a gun string with a frac plug can be pumped down and set as in any plug-and-perf operation. Throughout
the entire operation no frac balls are required.
The RDV is rated to 20,000 psi and 325F. Treatments can be pumped through the RDV at rates to 120 bbl/min and up to
10 lbm/gal of proppant added. This pump rate allows operators to use the RDV across a wide variety of formations types,
pressures, and temperatures. Rupture discs can be easily changed at any time if required, aiding to any last minute
modifications to the wellbore construction. The elimination of a pre-treatment intervention significantly reduces time and
costs, optimizing operations as described in the case study that follows and minimizing the risks associated with an
intervention trip.

Eagle Ford Shale Case History
The operator in this case study holds a significant acreage position in the Eagle Ford shale with over 50,000 acres. The
operator currently operates three rigs in the basin and has drilled over 30 horizontal wells since 2009 in the play. The majority
of the operators activity has been focused in the Buckhorn field located in southeastern Frio County of south Texas (Fig. 15).
The operator has been an innovator in the basin in regards to maximizing asset value. Case in point, the operator has pushed
well spacing down to 55 acres, while 80 acres has been the normal spacing for laterals in the basin. The operator achieved this
down spacing between laterals without compromising the length of the lateral. The initial production results of decreased vs.
normal spacing are shown in Table 2. The results demonstrate that similar initial production rates were achieved for laterals
with tighter spacing compared to those with normal spacing (Eagle Ford Shale Blog, 2012; OilVoice, 2012). Other operators
in the basin are currently trying to emulate this success.
In addition to the lateral spacing optimization, the operator has improved their completion practices by incorporating the
RDV. Similar to well spacing, the operator was one of the first adopters of this novel initiator valve technology in the basin.
The operator found that by employing the RDV that they could reduce the cost of their wells by eliminating the CT conveyed
first-stage perforating gun run and began incorporating the valve in the second quarter of 2011. The operator generally drills
laterals around 5,500 ft in length in the Buckhorn area of the Eagle Ford shale. The fracture stage count ranges from 14 to 20
in this portion of the play. The operator has installed the RDV in over a dozen wells in the Buckhorn field.
Routine casing tests are performed by the operator in their horizontal wells to 10,000 psi. They typically select rupture
discs that activate at 600 to 800 psi above the casing test pressure for their initiation valves. The rupture disc activation
SPE 162658 5
pressure of three of the wells that the operator has drilled in the Buckhorn field are shown in Table 3 and are the B-6H, H-1H
and H-2H. Observe that all of the RDVs have activated within 200 psi of the desired range. The operator activates the RDV
with the drilling rig on location so it is open and ready to pump into when the fracturing treatment crew arrives on location.
The geometry of one of the example wells that incorporated a RDV is shown in Fig. 16. This figure shows a fairly common
wellbore design for a horizontal well drilled in the Eagle Ford shale today. The operator routinely pumped the first fracturing
treatment, consisting of over 250,000 lbm of proppant at 65 bbl/min, through the helical ports of the RDV. For the rest of the
stages, 80 bbl/min and 400,000 lbm of proppant is common. The treatment plots for the first stage (RDV stage) of the three
example wells can be observed in Figs. 17-19. Notice in these figures that the fracturing treatment rate was 65 to 80 bbl/min
for all wells. Also it can be seen in Figs. 17-19, some of the increases and decreases in the treating pressure were due to fluid
type or additive changes and equal one wellbore volume pumped. Table 4 shows the average rate, treating pressure, hydraulic
horsepower (HHP) and instantaneous shut in pressure (ISIP) of the first ten stages on the B-6H lateral. The RDV stage had
similar average treating pressures, the lowest HHP, and the second lowest ISIP of all stages analyzed. This is proof that
fracturing through a cemented sliding sleeve with helical ports is not troublesome and is very similar to other plug-and-perf
stages in the same wellbore.
By using the RDV, the operator was able to save over $100,000 per well. This takes into account the cost of the valve and
the savings created by eliminating the CT perforating gun run on the first stage. The operator was able to consistently fracture
stimulate treatments over 250,000 lbm of proppant through all of their RDVs without any issues. The initiator valves have
been highly successful for the operator and they continue using the RDVs for completions in the basin. .
Over 300 RDVs have been installed in horizontal unconventional wells in North America. The RDV has been used in
the Marcellus shale, Avalon shale, Fayetteville shale, Barnett shale, Montney shale, Granite Wash, and Horn River basin
among others.

Conclusions
The conclusions made based on the experiments with various valves port configurations and the case study results include the
following:
Cemented sliding sleeves have historically had issues in lateral wells when trying to fracture through cement
composed of standard chemistry.
The helical port design minimizes the fracture tortuosity caused by realignment thus lowering the fracture initiation
pressure. Furthermore, helical ports allow for easier fracture initiation and lower treating pressures compared to liner
ports or phased nozzles in cemented laterals.
Special cement chemistry or changes to cement practices are not needed in order to allow the RDV to fracture
through the cement sheath.
The RDV eliminates the need for a CT, stick pipe or wireline tractor intervention that would be used to run
perforating guns in a lateral closed system.
The RDV can be hydraulically pumped through to form a fracture or pump down plug-and-perf operations can be
employed.
Once opened, the RDV was able to allow all fracturing treatments to be pumped to completion without incident in the
operators wells.
The helical port design has similar fracturing treatment pressures to those pumped through plug-and-perf
completions.
The RDV had no problems handling large fracture stages of 250,000 lbm of proppant pumped at 65 bbl/min.
The RDVs eliminate the need for an intervention that can save operators up to and in excess of $100,000 per well.
Toe RDVs have been used successfully in over 300 horizontal well applications in nearly a dozen unconventional
plays.

References

Dawson, W. C. 2000. Shale Microfacies: Eagle Ford Group (Cenomanian-Turonian) North-Central Texas Outcrops and Subsurface
Equivalents. Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions. 50. 607-621.

Eagle Ford Shale Blog. Cabot Oil & Gas Eagle Ford Down Spacing Success at 55-Acres. 2012. http://eaglefordshale.com/news/cabot-oil-
gas-eagle-ford-down-spacing-success-at-55-acre-spacing/ (accessed 28 July 2012).

Energy Information Energy. 2011. Trends in Eagle Ford drilling highlight the search for oil and natural gas liquids.
http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=3770# (accessed 18 July 2012).

Ewing, E. T. 2010. Geology in outcrop in the San Antonio Area (An occasional series). South Texas Geologic Society Bulletin. April 2010.

IHS Energy. 2012. Enerdeq, http//energy.ihs.com/Products/Enerdeq/. (downloaded 25 July 2012).

6 SPE 162658
Liro, L.M., Dawson, W.C., Katz, B.J., and Robison, V.D. 1994. Sequence Stratigraphic Elements and Geochemical Variability within a
Condensed Section: Eagle Ford Group, East-Central Texas. Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions. 44. 393-402.

Lock, B.E. and Peschier, L. 2006. Boquillas (Eagle Ford) Upper Slope Sediments, West Texas: Outcrop Analogs for Potential Shale
Reservoirs. Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions. 56. 491-508.

Martin, R., Baihly, J., Malpani, R., Lindsay, G., and Atwood, W.K., 2011. Understanding Production from Eagle Ford-Austin Chalk
System. SPE Paper 145117 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, Colorado, 30 October2
November.

Oil Voice 2012. Cabot Oil & Gas provides operations update, reports success in Marcellus, Marmaton and Eagle Ford.
http://oilvoice.com/tw/75b9b3b467dd.aspx (accessed 12 July 2012).

Petrohawk Energy Corporation. Shareholders, http://www.petrohawk.com/Investor-Relations/presentations.aspx (accessed on 25 April
2011).

Rail Road Comission. Rail Road Comission of Texas Eagle Ford Information site. 2012.
http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/eagleford/index.php#general (accessed July 27
th
, 2012).

Rig Data. Well Information System. 2012. http://www.rigdata.net/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fDefault.aspx (accessed on 1 August 2012).

Rytlewski, G. and Cook, J. 2006. A Study of Fracture Initiation Pressures in Cemented Cased Hole Wells Without Perforations. SPE Paper
100572 presented at the 2006 SPE Gas Technology Symposium, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 1517 May.

Sanchez Energy Corporation. Eagle Ford Shale. 2012. http://sanchezenergycorp.com/areas-of-operation/eagle-ford-shale (accessed on 28
July 2012).

Smith STATS. Rig Count History. 2012. http://stats.smith.com/new/history/statshistory.htm (accessed on 1 August 2012).

Stegent, N. and Howell, M., 2009. Continuous Multistage Fracture Stimulation Completion Process in a Cemented Wellbore. SPE Paper
125365 presented at the SPE Eastern Regional Meeting, Charleston, West Virginia, USA, 23-25 September.

Texas Alliance. Water and Disposal Issues in the Eagle Ford Shale. 2012.
http://texasalliance.org/admin/assets/Water_and_Disposal_Issues_in_the_Eagle_Ford_by_Ivey.pdf (downloaded on 19 July 2012).

Union Pacific Rail Road, 2012. West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil (WTI) Prices. http://www.uprr.com/customers/surcharge/wti.shtml
(accessed 1 August, 2012).

UPI. Eagle Ford shale activity prompts upgrades. 2012. http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2009/12/04/Eagle-Ford-
shale-activity-prompts-upgrades/UPI-67191259943401/ (accessed on 15 July 2012).

Tables & Figures

Table 1 Fracture pressure for various port configurations.
Configuration Ref to PFP Fracture
Pressure
(psi)
Pressure Above
!min
(psi)
3 perfs @ 120 1 shot @ 0 4,540 301
6 slots x 6-in long 0 (Helical) 4,283 126
6 slots x 6 long 15 4,598 550
6 slots x 6 long 30 5,382 1,063








SPE 162658 7
Table 2 Production comparison of varied offset spacing.
Well Lateral
Spacing
(acres)
24 Hour Initial
Production Rate
(BOPD)
Average of Q4 2011 completions 80 861
#1H 55 788
#2H 55 791

Table 3 Initiator valve opening pressure comparison across multiple laterals.
Well Rupture Disc Set
Pressure
(psi)
Rupture Disc Activation
Pressure
(psi)
B-6H 10,600 10,600
H-1H 10,600 10,750
H-2H 10,600 10,700

Table 4 B-6H well treating properties for the first ten stages.
Stage Average
Rate

(bbl/min)
Average Treating
Pressure
(psi)
Average HHP ISIP

(psi)
1 65 6,830 10,881 4,562
2 80 7,089 13,848 4,996
3 79 6,110 11,771 5,007
4 80 6,764 13,246 4,741
5 81 6,805 13,443 4,736
6 80 6,806 13,295 4,783
7 81 6,739 13,395 4,462
8 80 6,748 13,198 4,890
9 80 6,871 13,540 5,031
10 79 6,293 12,139 4,702

8 SPE 162658

Fig. 1 Austin Chalk trend and main producing fields (Martin et al, 2011).

SPE 162658 9

Fig. 2 Map of Eagle Ford shale activity in south Texas (RRC, 2012).


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Fig. 3 Map showing the maturation windows for the Eagle Ford (Martin et al, 2011).


Fig. 4 Eagle Ford shale rig count (Smith, 2012; Eagle Ford Shale Blog, 2012).


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Fig. 5 Upper Cretaceous stratigraphic column showing the Eagle Ford shale (Dawson, 2000).


Fig. 6 Top Eagle Ford shale structure map with key geologic features (Martin et al, 2011).

C
r
e
t
a
c
e
o
u
s
E
a
r
l
y
L
a
t
e
LlevaLlon varles
beLween -1,300 fL. (yellow)
and -13,300 fL. (dark blue)
Maverlck 8asln
Ldwards shelf edge
Sllgo shelf edge
karnes 1rough
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Fig. 7 Eagle Ford Shale type log of the Dora Martin in La Salle County, Texas (Petrohawk, 2011; Ewing, 2010).


Fig. 8 Eagle Ford shale horizontal well average lateral length (IHS, 2012).

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Fig. 9 Eagle Ford shale average stage count pumped per lateral.


Fig. 10 Post fracture concrete cylinder test of a six finned valve with 12-in long slots.



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Fig. 11 Post fracture concrete cylinder test of a 3 spf perforating gun phased at 120.


Fig. 12 2D and 3D FEA analysis along with a helical port picture.


Fig. 13 Initiator valve completion sequence.

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Fig. 14 Initiator valve schematic with rupture discs highlighted.




Fig. 15 Location of case study wells in south Texas.


Fig. 16 Well B-6H 2D directional survey.
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Fig. 17 Well B-6H first fracturing treatment stage pressure, rate, and proppant concentration plot.


Fig. 18 Well H-1H first fracturing treatment stage pressure, rate, and proppant concentration plot.

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Fig. 19 Well H-2H first fracturing treatment stage pressure, rate, and proppant concentration plot.