Advanced hydraulic fracturing has become a complex and investment intensive operation; hence, predicting its performance has become more important than ever. Robust prediction of production profiles for hydraulically fractured wells is imperative for optimizing the fracture scheme for productivity and determining completion economics. Various methods are currently being applied to modeling production after hydraulic fracturing treatments ranging from traditional analytical methods to semi-analytical and advanced numerical methods. A key requirement for any production modeling approach is the ability and flexibility to cope with uncertainty in fracture, reservoir and well properties to optimize fracture design. In this study, we applied different modeling techniques to a range of fracture treatment scenarios and compared several real case studies and examples from the North Sea area. A number of factors had to be taken into account during the selection of a particular production modeling technique. These factors included considerations related to well type, fracture design, extent of geological and petrophysical properties, availability of data and ready reservoir models, and turnaround time. Multiple simulations generating multiple production profiles were carried out in most of the cases to support uncertainty bracketing and guide informed decision making even in areas extending to completions optimization. The results reflect the need to curtail the use of simplified models and approaches when sufficient data is available or where data can be integrated to further reduce uncertainties on a case-by-case basis. On one hand, hydraulic fracturing treatment can be capital intensive while on the other hand, profitability is often a dynamic and changing parameter. Hence, longer term productivity benefits (post fracturing) require explicit and realistic pre-evaluation. Finally, the work highlights robust approaches for uncertainty handling within the production modeling workflow.

The Harash Formation was previously known as the Ruaga A and is considered to be one of the most productive reservoirs in the Zelten field in terms of reservoir quality, areal extent, and hydrocarbon quantity. To date, nearly 70 wells were drilled targeting the Harash reservoir. A few wells initially naturally produced but most had to be stimulated which reflected the field drilling and development plan. The Harash reservoir rock typing identification was essential in understanding the reservoir geology implementation of reservoir development drilling program, the construction of representative reservoir models, hydrocarbons volumetric calculations, and historical pressure-production matching in the flow modelling processes. The objectives of this study are to predict the permeability at un-cored wells and unsampled locations, to classify the reservoir rocks into main rock typing, and to build robust reservoir properties models in which static petrophysical properties and fluid properties are assigned for identified rock type and assessed the existed vertical and lateral heterogeneity within the Palaeocene Harash carbonate reservoir. Initially, an objective-based workflow was developed by generating a training dataset from open hole logs and core samples which were conventionally and specially analyzed of six wells. The developed dataset was used to predict permeability at cored wells through a K-mod model that applies Neural Network Analysis (NNA) and Declustring (DC) algorithms to generate representative permeability and electro-facies. Equal statistical weights were given to log responses without analytical supervision taking into account the significant log response variations. The core data was grouped on petrophysical basis to compute pore throat size aiming at deriving and enlarging the interpretation process from the core to log domain using Indexation and Probabilities of Self-Organized Maps (IPSOM) classification model to develop a reliable representation of rock type classification at the well scale. Permeability and rock typing derived from the open-hole logs and core samples analysis are the main K-mod and IPSOM classification model outputs. The results were propagated to more than 70 un-cored wells. Rock typing techniques were also conducted to classify the Harash reservoir rocks in a consistent manner. Depositional rock typing using a stratigraphic modified Lorenz plot and electro-facies suggest three different rock types that are probably linked to three flow zones. The defined rock types are dominated by specifc reservoir parameters. Electro-facies enables subdivision of the formation into petrophysical groups in which properties were assigned to and were characterized by dynamic behavior and the rock-fluid interaction. Capillary pressure and relative permeability data proved the complexity in rock capillarity. Subsequently, Swc is really rock typing dependent. The use of a consistent representative petrophysical rock type classification led to a significant improvement of geological and flow models.

For years, the oil industry has been faced with the technical challenge created by experienced petrotechnical experts retiring and being replaced by less-experienced staff. With the current downturn in the industry, this experience gap has widened at an accelerated rate, and companies are looking for creative ways to increase the breadth of their technical population as well as a way to expedite the usefulness of their new hires. We have found that applying new learning modalities, coaching, and modularization benefits the development of a highly competent and multiskilled global technical population. In the traditional program, newly hired professionals are assigned to a rigorous 3-year program at the date of hire. The overall program consists of a combination of pre-training learnings, classroom training, and post-training curriculum. Students must show mastery of subjects through passing online exams and through the successful completion of workshops and scenario-based projects. Each student's progress is monitored through a knowledge management system, and the program is continually assessed to ensure timely progress through the system and to measure how well the students are grasping the material. With the influx of young professionals, the 3-year program has evolved in several ways. The first change to the program is the use of e-learning methodology such as virtual instructor-led trainings (VILT) and Web-based trainings (WBT). These training media provide flexibility to introduce students quickly into the training program and a way to retain key skills between classroom trainings while accessing a global community at a very low cost. Additionally, businesses are continually looking for ways to accelerate the effectiveness of new hires. To achieve this milestone, a coach is assigned to a new hire at the start of onboarding. The coach's role is to partner with the student, and student and coach work together to determine how to best complete all the learning elements assigned to the student during the program. The coach is someone technical from the same domain with recent knowledge who can help guide the new hire on the path to autonomy, which is essential to the organization. This interaction maximizes the potential of the technical professional through practice and exercises. At the end of this period, the expectation for the student is to show a high level of proficiency across defined technical and business skills. The current situation also requires that these technical professionals acquire multiple skills to support the specific needs of the area or business segment. To address this need for multiple skills, the training program has evolved into modularized units that can be delivered independently. This modularization also allows experienced technical employees who are not enrolled in the 3-year program, or who have a different core domain, to acquire key skills by attending any portion of the program without sacrificing the quality of the larger program and the training of its participants. This process not only increases the utilization of the technical professionals within the organization, it also provides a broader career path for the individual. The focus on autonomy, the implementation of a coaching culture, and the modularization of the technical program has successfully delivered proficient technical professionals across a broad category of disciplines. The focus on shortening the period to autonomy has led to improved business value and employee satisfaction, and multi-skilling provides a diverse career path for the technical community and an adaptable workforce to address a myriad of business needs.

This paper describes a tailored multiskilling training program, newly designed for a group of students interns from different disciplines, that is based on the integration of different geoscience domains, leading to reinforce the technical competencies for future Petro-Technical workforce. The program was inspired by an initiative launched for experienced geoscientists from different disciplines (Geophysics, Geology, Petrophysics, Petroleum ...), planning to move or recently joined a consultancy team, to help understand the full picture of consulting projects. This program was downsized and re-tailored for MSc geoscience students. While traditionally each intern works on a specific project or thematic of his domain with a mentor from his discipline (i.e. Geology student with a Geologist ...), the cross disciplinary program assumes a group of students from different domain working together as one team, for 3-6 months internship, on a single integration-based project (Field Development Plan "FDP" in our case), during that period they will be supervised by mentors for each domain. Unlike conventional training program for students, as described in the previous section, the cross disciplinary approach allows each student to benefit from a theoretical courses-based learning in the form of class or web-based training for his domain, of course, as well as for other geoscience sub-disciplines, this is coupled with practical workshops and software learning/manipulation sessions. Hence, the intern will enrich his knowledge on other domains that were not necessarily covered during university courses. Looking outside of this mono-domain circle will help understanding what others are doing, how are they doing it, why are they doing it ... simply understand the way of thinking of each other across a consulting project team. The real benefit goes beyond that, in fact students from this program, when hired as Petro-Technical geoscientists, will easily integrate consultancy team of any size, know exactly what they have to do and why. The experience has demonstrated its effectiveness in preparing the future technical workforce. The cross-disciplinary training program for a group of students from different domains working on a unique project, is a new concept that has never existed before. In addition, for the first time ever, university has granted these students (although from different departments) to present their MSc graduation projects together as a single project in front of a larger technical committee to cover all the disciplines.

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