Operations Performance and Efficiency Gains with 6-Inch Vertical Casing
Wells utilizing traditional 5.5-inch casing frequently encountered operational bottlenecks, including lower average pump rates, higher treating pressures, and extended stage times. Additionally, these wells faced increased friction reducer (FR) requirements. To address these friction and flow dynamics issues during frac operations, a trial was implemented utilizing a 6-inch vertical casing design.
The transition to the larger 6-inch configuration yielded immediate operational improvements. Average pump rates increased from approximately 94 bpm in the 5.5-inch casing to 98 bpm in the 6-inch casing. At the same time, treating pressures were reduced from roughly 8,670 psi down to 8,500 psi. Furthermore, the chemical intensity of the operation was lowered, as FR loading requirements dropped from around 0.80 gpt to 0.64 gpt.
These combined operational advantages translated into substantial economic benefits, cutting stage times by 5 to 10 minutes per stage. Operators achieved a per-stage savings of $500 to $1,000, which equates to an estimated $20,000 to $40,000 in total savings for a full 40-stage well. Ultimately, this relatively small increase in casing diameter resulted in faster execution, lower chemical and energy spend, and significantly better overall well economics.
