Workshop Summaries
May 9&10, 2001 - Wichita, Kansas
The North Midcontinent Resource Center - PTTC conducted a workshop "Optimized Exploitation and Horizontal Well Technologies for Independent Operators" on May 9 and 10, 2001 in Wichita, Kansas at the Hyatt Regency. There were 36 in attendance from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Pennsylvania, Nebraska and Colorado.
The one-day crash course developed from a multi-day training school was a 4-part program providing practical description of advanced technologies and methodologies currently being applied to extract oil and gas reserves. It provided an overview of the application, capabilities, and limitations of modern exploitation technologies with a primary focus on horizontal well design and application. Focus was concentrated on marginal settings and the many misconceptions held by independent operators in respect to the applicability, cost, technical risk and challenges inherent in applying these technologies.
Robert Knoll of Maurer Engineering instructed the workshop. Knoll's background of engineering, geology, field operations, and management, accompanied by a talent for explaining complex issues, provided for a positive learning experience.
The second half-day program reviewed case studies of horizontal
wells in Kansas and was presented by Tim Carr and Saibal Bhattacharya
of the Kansas Geological Survey and Richard Pancake of the Tertiary
Oil Recovery Project.
Topics presented on day one were:
- Basic Terminology Of Advanced Drilling and Completion Systems, Review of Industry Trends and Universal Lessons Learned Regarding Successes and Failures.
- Overview of Effective Asset Team Structure and Function, Reviews Technical Disciplines Necessary for Independent Operators to be Better Equipped to Evaluate the Viability of a Horizontal Well Application in Marginal Settings.
- Horizontal Well Design and Application, Each Operational Function is Reviewed From Development Project Screening Through Multiwell Applications.
- Management Tools That Provide The Independent Operator Effective
Direction When Evaluating and Applying Exploitation Technologies.
Topics presented on day two were:
- Cost Effective Techniques For the Independent Producer to Evaluate Horizontal Drilling Candidates in Mature Areas
- Horizontal Drilling in Kansas: Current Status and Case Histories
- Producers Forum: Informal Discussion Of Horizontal Case Histories In Kansas.
Many of the operators who attended the workshop stated on the evaluation form that they thoroughly enjoyed the program and would like to attend part two of the course.
May 24, 2001 - Manhattan, Kansas
On May 24, 2001, technical experts from Kansas State University (KSU), the Integrated Petroleum Environmental Consortium (IPEC), and the American Petroleum Institute (API) conducted a workshop titled "Cost-effective Maintenance and Surface Remediation for Oil and Gas Producers." The workshop was a collaborative effort by the above organizations, and was sponsored by the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council's North Midcontinent Office. The workshop was held at Kansas State University, in Manhattan, Kansas, and 44 persons participated. Thirty five participants were producers or were consultants to producers, and nine persons were from state or federal organizations. The average of workshop evaluation scores indicate participants (not including instructors) felt the workshop was between very good and good (with good being "average" on the rating scale).
Primary instructors for the workshop were G. Phil Spurlin (Beacon Environmental Assistance Corporation, for IPEC), David Carty (GreenBridge EarthWorks, for API), and Blase Leven and Peter Kulakow (KSU). M.L. Korphage (Kansas Corporation Commission), Bob Jurgens (Kansas Department of Health and Environment), and Scott Hayes (EPA Region 7) were guest speakers. The Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association and the Eastern Kansas Oil and Gas Association also sponsored this event. ¦
June 26, 2001 - Wichita, KS
The North Midcontinent PTTC held a one-day technology workshop entitled "Applied Digital Subsurface Mapping" on Tuesday June 26, 2001 in the computer lab at the WSU Downtown Campus in Wichita, Kansas.
This was a hands on workshop that was limited to 18 participants. A total of 15 participants attended the workshop and gave favorable responses.
The workshop provided an overview of the application, capabilities, benefits and limitations of digital subsurface mapping using geologic, petrophysical, geophysical, and engineering data. The workshop was hands on and participants worked with one of the latest computer solutions for data management, analysis, visualization and data integration; PETRA from geoPLUS. The goal of the workshop was to introduce the participant to the processes involved in the transformation of digital data into an understanding of subsurface geology.
Workshop participants loaded and used publicly available data from the Kansas Geological Survey website. Data included public land survey, well spot, scout ticket, production, tops, digital and raster logs. Participants constructed a series of contour, bubble and attribute maps at regional, prospect, and reservoir scales. Tim Carr of the Kansas Geological Survey led the course.