Technical gains continue, in spite of prices

A drilling site in the Tuscaloosa Marine shale of southwestern Mississippi. Photo courtesy of Encana.

The rapid downturn in oil prices has taken its toll on activity levels in major U.S. shale plays. And yet, in the mid- and long-term picture, these shale plays, and their counterparts across the globe, will be increasingly vital sources of production. Furthermore, it is the continuing, evolving progress in shale technology that drives these production gains.

We’ve already seen major advancements in various categories of shale technology, including formation evaluation, horizontal and pad drilling, multi-stage fracing and water management. For instance, rig efficiencies have improved to the point that every rig involved in pad drilling now has about three times the impact on daily production rates than it did when only drilling single-well locations. And these rigs are tapping multiple formations, not just one layer.

Thus, improvements continue to be made in a variety of shale-related technologies. The articles in this section describe advancements in integrated analysis, drilling motors, drill pipe, frac plugs, resin-coated proppants and hydro-frac fluids, among others.  

About the Authors

Kurt Abraham

World Oil

Kurt Abraham kurt.abraham@worldoil.com