Abstract

Over the past 20 years as CBM/CSG has developed, one thing remains the same artificial lift is not given the same degree of importance in the planning phase as compared to completions and well design.  Although all segments are important in planning, the decision on artificial lift can be the most important decision made to manage the economics of maintenance costs during the 25 years a well will produce.  The artificial lift costs over that 25 years of well life can be the single most expensive operation costs compared to all others including drilling and completions.  Planning at the beginning of develop that includes artificial lift choices as it relates to decisions about well construction, completions and solids control will drastically reduce the cost of operation throughout the life of a CSG well.  This will be addressed in this paper.

This paper will also focus on real case histories of this learning curve and discussion on what has worked best and what has not worked at all.  We will discuss methodologies that were used to overcome specific challenges and although it is recognized that each application is different, these two case histories will show the commonalities that can be seen in all horizontal unconventional gas wells.  No claim can be made that all wells are alike and this paper will not make this claim.  However, these two examples will show that there are similarities that can be universally addressed and if nothing else it gives a better starting point without having to reinvent the wheel.

The paper will cover specific wells, each with a different completion technique and the challenges faced by each.  This paper will cover new information not yet submitted under any review and showcase methods used to solve these challenges.

Specific examples will be shown how the initial attempts to draw the well down and subsequent gas production was hampered by old techniques and what was developed that let to a fourfold increase in gas production by being able to de-water below the bend.