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Resource Abstract

Refracturing in the Bakken – An Analysis of Data from Across North Dakota

Date Published: 7/29/2020
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Resource Abstract

This study reports the results of 1) an expanded compilation and review of the wells that have been refractured in the North Dakota portion of the Bakken petroleum system (BPS), 2) an evaluation of production performance of the refractured wells, 3) an analysis of the impact of refracturing on offset wells (secondhand refracturing), 4) an assessment of refrac economics using a decision tree modeling approach, and 5) an assessment of the potential economic impact of a broad refracturing program applied throughout the BPS. As of May 2019, 272 wells have been refractured in the North Dakota portion of the BPS. The number of refractured wells has increased considerably over the past 2 years. The production analysis of the refractured wells investigated several metrics to evaluate refrac performance, including 1) a comparison of pre- and postrefrac peak oil rates, 2) a change in daily production data following the refrac operation, 3) a change in gas–oil ratio, and 4) incremental estimated ultimate recoveries (EURs) (i.e., the change in EUR between pre- and postrefrac forecasts). In addition to summarizing the results across all refractured wells, the refracturing production performances were compared between wells that were originally completed as barefoot vs. nonbarefoot wells. The analysis of secondhand refracturing evaluated the production of wells that were offset from the refractured wells. The economic analysis focused on discounted net oil revenue, defined as the oil revenue after deducting royalties and state tax, assuming a typical annual discount rate. A decision tree modeling approach was used to evaluate the overall economic performance given a set of probabilities assigned to each potential outcome. In addition, an initial screening of existing wells in the BPS identified the potential candidates for refracturing using a simple set of criteria, specifically wells that had single-stage completions, older completion dates, and barefoot completions.

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