TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

Unconventional Resources
Simon Chipperfield, SPE, Chief Production Engineer, Santos

The charge of a JPT Technology Focus
reviewer is not only to select the best
SPE papers encountered over the past
year but also to identify potential ways
in which these papers, and the technol-
ogy contained therein, can assist the
growth of industry professionals. While
all of JPT’s feature topics are of great
importance to the industry, the tech-
nical attention and economic impor-
tance attached to unconventional plays
in recent years stresses a need for
appropriately unconventional think-
ing. For this year’s feature, the selected
papers provide innovative work flows
that assist in determining productivity,
reduce the effect of uncertainty condi-
tions, and spark rejuvenation.
The first of these, paper SPE 190860,
emphasizes the importance of an effec-
tive lateral-landing strategy in enhanc-
The technical attention
and economic
importance attached
to unconventional plays
in recent years stresses
a need for appropriately
unconventional thinking.
ing long-term reservoir productivity and
provides a work flow that uses a suite
of integrated data to achieve consistent
results that can aid in field management
and ultimate recovery estimates.
Paper SPE 191272 uses a case study
from the Vaca Muerta Shale in Argen-
tina to demonstrate the efficacy of a
work flow that uses a simulation-based
approach combined with high-speed
computing to improve investor con-
fidence. The authors stress in particu-
lar the need to characterize the correct
variables and to establish the range of
their uncertainty.
Finally, paper SPE 191457 introduc-
es an integrated work flow that couples
geomechanical effects and reservoir-
simulation modeling in the effort to reju-
venate unconventional plays, stressing
interpretation of the variables that can
affect the development of the simulated
reservoir volume.
These three innovative papers repre-
sent, as always, the skill and vision of
industry professionals like yourself as
we continue to learn from, and add to,
the body of technical knowledge that
SPE represents. I hope that you enjoy
the papers. JPT

Simon Chipperfield, SPE, is chief production engineer at Santos.
During the past 20 years, he has held positions in petroleum
engineering (drilling, completions, and stimulation), production
engineering, and reservoir engineering. Chipperfield previously
worked for Shell International Exploration and Production. He
was awarded the 2007 SPE Cedric K. Ferguson Medal.
Chipperfield has held a number of leadership positions and has
authored or coauthored more than 20 technical publications in
the areas of hydraulic fracturing, reservoir engineering, completion technology, and
sand control. He holds a petroleum engineering degree with honors from the
University of New South Wales. Chipperfield serves on the JPT Editorial Committee,
having served as the Hydraulic Fracturing feature editor from 2006 to 2011, and on
the SPE International Awards Committee, and he has served as a reviewer for SPE
Production & Operations. He can be reached at simon.chipperfield@santos.com.
Recommended additional reading
at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.
SPE 191923 Alleviating the Solids Issue in
Surat Basin in Coal-Seam-Gas Wells
by Daniel Kalinin, Schlumberger, et al.
SPE 192010 Optimizing Horizontal Coal-
Seam-Gas Wells by Combining Reservoir
Simulation and Transient Well Modeling
by Turaj Nuralishahi, APLNG, et al.
SPE 192694 First Global Successful Large-
Diameter Pressurized Coring Application
Using High-Performance Water-Based
Mud: Kuwait Case History by Robin Stewart,
Halliburton, et al.

JPT • JULY 2019 57