Reducing Methane Emiss

Completion 

2

Annual Imp
Reducing Methane Emission

Completion Operations

ObjecPiceaCompDescrEquipEconoConcl

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 fpossibleFracture Stimulate Stage 1. Flowback until Shut in well. Set casing plug to isolate next fracture stimulated.REPEAT for each stage (avg. 5 to 6 stagesOnce fracture stimulations are done, all of tout using a Workover Rig. Stimulation fluids and gas are produced whout.Drillout phase is when most of the gas is ve
Sand Flowback Problems

WASHOUT
Green Completions

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

Sand Vessel G
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.

Water dumps to holding tanks automatically

Water is filtered and reused for future fracture stimulation jobs.

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 sFlowback 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 backpresno backpressure when venting)
Economics – Volume Recove

2002 75 14 61 599 112 

2003 80

9 71 1348 152 

2004 253 34 219 5635 757 

2005 302

0 302 6718

0 

2006* 445

0 445 9740

0 

* - Forecasted

Actual 

Completion Gas 

Generated 

(MMCF)

Actual 

Completio

Gas 

Vented/Flar

(MMCF)

Year

Total 

Number of 

Well Spuds

No. of Spuds 

Not Completed 

or Completed 

Without 

Flowback

Actual Number 

of Flowback 

Completions

Prior to “Green Completions” only 88% of the Cogas was recovered.
Economics – Savings Realiz

Vent/Flare Volumes with and without Green Complet

0

200400600800

10001200

2002 2003 2004 2005 

Vent/Flare Volume, MMCF

Actual Vent/Flare Volume, MMCF Vent/Flare without Green Completions, MMC

1.8 BCF would have 

vented/flared if Gre

Completions were not 

1.0 BCF of completion 

gas vented or flared 

since 2002.
Economics – Savings Realiz

Recovery Cost Net Sa

 (MM$) (MM

2002 1.28 0.22 1.2003 6.32 0.89 5.2004 27.87 2.85 252005 42.68 6.72 35

2006* 50.06 11.38 38

* - Forecasted

Year Total 

Revenue 

(MM$)

Flowback Revenue/Cost Analys
Conclusion

Reduces methane emissions, a potenGas (GHG)Well completion type determines viabCompletion TechnologiesProduced water and stimulation fluids completions are recycledEliminates emissions, noise and citizeassociated with flaringIncreases Economic Value Added
Contacts

Gerard G. Alberts, Williams (303) 572-3900 jerry.alberts@williams.comRobert Vincent, Williams(970) 263-2702robert.vincent@williams.com