The Application Of MHF To The Tight Muddy "J" Formation Wattenberg Field, Colorado

Abstract

The results of a joint research and field effort to develop commercial gas production from the very low permeability Muddy "J" Formation in the Watten-berg Field near Denver, Colorado, by the application of MHF (M assive Hydraulic Fracturing) are presented. The Muddy "J" Formation is approximately 50 ft thick and found at a depth of about 8,000 ft. The bottom-hole temperature in these wells is 260'F. Initial attempts to develop the gas potential in this field were made by stimulating wells with 40,000 to 50,000 gal gelled water fracturing treatments. These efforts resulted in increased gas production; however, the rapid decline of gas production rates with time indicated that the stimulations would be economic failures.Laboratory studies were made to evaluate various fracturing fluids and to investigate fracture flow capacity with various proppant plans. Using these studies, a stimulation program was developed which utilized a polymer emulsion fracturing fluid. Treatments with up to 500,000 gal of fluid and 1,000,000 lbs of sand have been conducted.Field case histories are discussed and the results of MHF treatments are compared with the conventional frac-turing t reatments. It was found that the well and treatment payout time was inversely proportional to the treatment size in the better areas of the field showing that the larger treatments are more desirable than the smaller ones.In the poorest areas of the field, well and treatment payout is indefinite at the current inter-state gas price. INTRODUCTION With an increased demand for gas, better well-head gas price and improved technology, the energy companies are now devoting more attention to the "tight" gas reservoirs heretofore considered non-commercial. Amoco is one such company, and the Wattenberg Field of Colorado is a reservoir which typifies the "tight gas reservoir". Through advance-ments in fracturing technology, Wattenberg is now considered commercial.The Wattenberg Field is located in the western portion of the D-J Basin in Adams and Weld Counties, Colorado, and comprises an area of 980 square miles (627,000 acres). The field was discovered in

The Future Supply of Nature-Made Petroleum and Gas

“…In the Denver-Julesburg basin in eastern Colorado, the Cretaceous so-called "Muddy 'J' Formation" likewise is yielding as much as 1.5 x 10 6 ft 3 of gas daily, after fracturing, from test wells that may produce only 100 x 10 3 ft 3 per day naturally (Fast et al, 1975). The Denver-Julesburg basin contains an estimated 1.2 x 10 12 ft 3 of gas in tight formations.…”

The Effect of Hydraulic-Natural Fracture Networks on the Waterflooding Development in a Multilayer Tight Reservoir: Case Study

“…In 1947, the hydraulic fracturing was first performed in field tests in Kansas, USA [6]. Fast et al [7] proposed the largescale hydraulic fracturing technology in the ultralow permeability Wattenberg gas field. However, although the large-scale hydraulic fracturing is effective in enhancing the oil recovery of some reservoirs, it is not practical in some low permeability reservoirs [4].…”