Baker Hughes introduces ‘revolutionary deep water multi-stage fracturing service

Placement of 20+ tightly-spaced stages across pay zone ensure more uniform treatments and maximizes reservoir contact

Baker Hughes Inc. says its new DEEPFRAC™ deepwater multistage fracturing service can save operators hundreds of millions of dollars through efficiency gains across the completion phase of offshore developments, according to a Baker Hughes press release.

Using multi-position sleeves and patented flowback control technology, the service accelerates or eliminates some steps of conventional multi-zone completion operations and enables rapid stimulation of 20+ stages.

“Historically, operators who needed to stimulate their offshore wells were faced with complex completion operations that could take longer than a month and with costs approaching a hundred million dollars,” said Jim Sessions, VP, Completions at Baker Hughes.

This translates into significantly greater reservoir contact, according to Baker Hughes, which has now had two successful trials with the new technology in the Gulf of Mexico.

“A Gulf of Mexico operator saved an estimated 25 rig days and USD $40 million in a first-ever 15-stage deepwater completion compared to the average time and cost of a conventional multizone completion,” said Melanie Kania, Media Relations for Baker Hughes in an email.

She added that the “operator plans to complete more deepwater wells using this new service, based on the unprecedented savings and potential economic impact.”

“By adapting some of the technologies and techniques that delivered game-changing efficiencies in unconventional land to an offshore service, we’ve enabled a new level of deepwater completion design flexibility and streamlined operations—all without compromising our commitment to safety and compliance,” said Sessions.

Typically, after a deepwater well has been drilled, the subsequent completion phase involves multiple, time-consuming steps.

The DEEPFRAC service eliminates casing and cementing operations and simplifies fluid logistics by using ball-activated, multi-position sleeves that can be installed in open-hole well-bores containing drilling mud.

“By adapting some of the technologies and techniques that delivered game-changing efficiencies in unconventional land to an offshore service, we’ve enabled a new level of deepwater completion design flexibility and streamlined operations—all without compromising our commitment to safety and compliance,” said Sessions.

Unlike conventional offshore systems’ complicated tool running procedures and extensive mechanical manipulation requirements, no tool movement is needed during the DEEPFRAC service’s stimulation process.

The sleeve’s ball activation enables continuous pumping from the first stage to the last, cutting the lower completion phase from weeks to days.

Conventional offshore stimulation systems are often limited to only five zones or ‘stages’ and these systems lack configuration flexibility that often results in uneven treatments and creates long sections of ‘dead space’ that cover up hundreds of feet of viable pay.

The sleeves used in the DEEPFRAC service are modular and flexible, enabling placement of 20+ tightly-spaced stages across the pay zone to ensure more uniform treatments and to maximize reservoir contact.

After stimulation operations are complete, Baker Hughes IN-Tallic™ disintegrating frac balls allow production to flow without intervention.

Patented Baker Hughes BeadScreen™ proppant flowback control technology built directly into the DEEPFRAC sleeve’s production ports provides increased reliability over conventional sand screens through higher burst/collapse ratings and improved erosion/plugging resistance, helping to ensure long-term, sand-free production.

“Like we do with all new technology, we continue to adjust and refine based on the results. We incorporated many of the lessons learned from the first deployment into the next operation, showing even greater efficiency gains,” said Kania.