Reducing Methan

During Completion 

2

Production 

G
Reducing Methane Emission

Completion Operations

ObjecPiceanCompDescrEquipEconoConcl

Williams Production RMT – Piceance B
Objectives:

Virtually eliminate venting of naturaproduced during new well completioCapture produced gas and deliver tMeter produced gas for revenue disEnsure safety of personnel during eprocess.
Piceance Basin Well Comple

Williams Fork Formation – low permelenticular sandstone 10-acre SpacingWells drilled to depths of 6,500 ft to 9Reservoir pressures as high as 4000 Fracture stimulation required to make economical.Typically fracture stimulate 5 to 6 sepper well.
Piceance Basin Well Comple

Perforate casing prior to Stage 1 – makes frpossibleFracture Stimulate Stage 1. Flowback until Shut in well. Set flow-through casing plug tstage to be fracture stimulated.REPEAT for each stage (avg. 5 to 6 stages/Well continues to produce through the flow-a workover rig is available to drill out the pluStimulation fluids and gas are produced whout.
Sand Flowback Problems

WASHOUT
Green Completions

Technology used to recover gas wootherwise be vented or flared during completion phase of natural gas weWilliams designed equipment to hanhigh pressure, high rate flowback fluas to safely handle and to sell the nagas produced during flowback perioFlowback equipment is used to sepasand, water and gas during initial flo
Flowback Unit

Sand Vessel Ga
Flowback Unit - Operation

Sand Vessel separates sand from flowback liquids.Sand is dumped to reserve pit. Gas and Liquids dump to the Gas Vessel.
Flowback Unit - Operation

Gas Vessel separates gas from water used for fracture stimulation.

Gas routed to sales line through the production equipment to insure proper metering.

Water dumps to holding tanks

Water is recycled and reused for subsequent fracture stimulation jobs.

Flowback Unit vessels operate at 275 to 300 psi.
Risks

Safety – Primary Concern

High pressure gas, liquids and sanerode steel pipe.To mitigate safety concerns:

Pipe, Fittings and Vessels use high stFlowback Units are monitored 24/7.
Simultaneous Operations

DrillingCompletionDrilloutProduction
Risks

Operations & Reservoir Risks

Fluids pumped downhole must be recovequickly as possibleWellbore damage by fluids can diminish pFlowing fluids to flowback skid results in dflowback rates because of high backpressno backpressure when venting)
Economics – Volume Recove

2002 75 29 46 794 307 2003 78 2 76 1227 31 2004 251 10 241 5060 202 2005 307 32 275 8070 841 2006 466 40 426 10863 932 

Totals 1177 113 1064 26014 2313 

Actual 

Completion 

Gas 

Vented/Flared 

(MMCF)

Year

Total 

Number of 

Well 

Spuds

No. of Spuds 

Not 

Completed or 

Completed 

Without 

Flowback

Actual Number 

of Flowback 

Completions

Actual 

Completion 

Gas Generated 

(MMCF)
Economics – Volume Recove

Williams Production Piceance Basin

Completion Gas Recovered

0

2000400060008000

1000012000

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

MMCF

Completion Gas Produced Percent Gas Recovered
Economics – Savings Realize

Recovery Cost Net Saving

 (M$) (MM$)

2002 1.75 0.22 1.532003 7.20 0.90 6.302004 36.46 2.85 33.612005 48.73 4.85 43.882006 64.99 8.59 56.40

Totals 159.13 17.41 141.72

Year Total 

Revenue 

(MM$)

Flowback Revenue/Cost Analysis 
Economics – Savings Realize

Williams Production Piceance Basin

Completion Gas Recovered

0

5000

1000015000200002500030000

2002 2003 2004 2005 

MMCF

Total Completion Gas, MMCF Estimated Completion Gas Recovered (No Improvement), MMC

Target Opportunity to get the 

remaining completion gas captured 

and sold. 

Without Green Completions an 

estimated 23 BCF of completion 

gas has been recovered and sold

since 2002.
Capturing Gas During Drillou

Typically gas is vented/flared during drillout procedureSolution: modular flowback packaged unit (Weatherford or Pure Energy) Example drillout: 

3,000-psi shut-in pressure1,400-psi drawdown while drilling8-12 hours for plug drill out time5,000 -15,000 MCF venting each drillout
Conclusion

Reduces methane emissions, a potenGas (GHG)Well completion type location and exiinfrastructure determine viability of GrTechnologiesProduced water and stimulation fluids completions are recycledReduces emissions, noise and citizen associated with venting or flaringIncreases Economic Value Added
Contacts

John Gardner

Williams

(303) 572-8413john.gardner@williams.comRobert Vincent Williams(970) 263-2702robert.vincent@williams.com