Three-dimensional welding has the ability to produce strong, fully dense metal parts in layers. Adaptation of a weld cladding technique has enabled the production of parts wider than normally possible from single beads. However, high heat inputs during welding could affect part quality. Simple temperature control techniques help improve surface finish. A number of parts were made incorporating temperature control. Results show that, although improvements have been made, corresponding time penalties can have a significant influence on build time. Descriptions of the welding system and temperature control technique are included as well as the surface measurement and residual stress assessment techniques used. Results of temperature versus time, surface finish versus temperature and temperature versus residual stress are presented and discussed.

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Horizontal well positioning through a target formation can have a significant impact on overall productivity from an unconventional oil well. This paper will discuss the evaluation of two horizontal wells completed in the oil section of the Eagle Ford Shale. These wells were completed using similar completion designs (hybrid frac design) with the method and number of frac stages determined by the geology, petrophysical, or geomechanical data. The paper will describe how conventional analysis technologies including completion, flowback, and production data were compared to the relative oil flow from each stage measured using a recently developed hydrocarbon tracer technology to provide critical information on optimal well path design for use during future well development. The stage production data provided by the use of the hydrocarbon tracers allows engineers to modify and improve their completion and stimulation programs. This paper will highlight tracer response interpretations of the two wells presented and the current status of the hydrocarbon-based tracer technology for hydraulic fracturing applications.

Which completion strategy is better-Plug-n-Perf or Frac Valves? The authors of this paper will evaluate multiple completion strategies in two offset horizontal wells drilled in the oil section of the Eagle Ford shale. The first well was completed using a combination of single entry point, ball-activated frac valves (first two-thirds of the lateral) and plug-n-perf (also designated as P-n-P) with multiple entry points (the remainder of the lateral). The second wellbore was completed using only P-n-P with multiple entry points. Both wells were completed using comparable completion designs (hybrid fracture design, number of fracture stages, pounds of proppant, etc.) and were cemented for annular isolation.To determine the completion and production efficiency, microseismic mapping and oil-soluble tracer technologies were used to evaluate the differences between the completion strategies. Fracture mapping was used to compare stage "complexity," while a hydrophobic oil tracer, which generated a pseudo-production log of each individual stage, was used to determine the completion efficiency.The integration of these diagnostic engineering technologies allows for interesting conclusions with respect to the fracture complexity generation from the different completion strategies, as well as the resulting production from the comparative wells. This data can provide important information regarding the difference between the two completion methods.