During the past decade the contribution of unconventional gas resources (tight gas, gas from shale, and coalbed methane) as a percentage of total production in the US has seen significant growth, averaging 8.6 TCF/year at the end of 2006 (approximately 45%). This growth was driven by the drilling in 2005 and 2006 of more than 34,000 tight gas and shale wells. While this tsunami of unconventional gas growth has carried its share of technological advances, the need for further game changing technologies is critical. This criticality is evident in the decreasing EUR/well recoveries being observed in more recent completions. These reduced recoveries combined with the dramatic increase in industry drilling and completion costs have short-circuited some unconventional developments as projects became unprofitable.
Economic rejuvenation will require efforts across a number of fronts, including the development of new technologies and approaches toward unconventional gas stimulation. In addition to allowing for continued development of known reservoirs, such technologies, if identified and pursued, would enable development of additional resources throughout the world, including an estimated 10 TCF in the United States alone.
This forum will unite global experts in focusing on the future of tight gas and shale stimulation.
The attendees of this forum will include production and operations engineers, completions engineers, academic researchers, stimulation consortia leadership and their member companies, and government representatives. As unconventional gas resources are known to exist in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, Nigeria, Russian, China, and India, the forum should attract a diverse group of attendees.
SPE Forums: Innovative Thought and Accelerated Results
SPE Forums offer an exclusive opportunity to discuss complex industry challenges with top technologists, innovators, and managers. The forums’ limited size and intensive format maximize your opportunity to contribute. The objective is to stimulate thought, accelerate innovation, and inspire the development of new technology.
To create a cohesive group in which discussion is free flowing, only committee-selected applicants are invited to attend. Participants are encouraged to come prepared to contribute their experience and knowledge, not to be spectators or students.
If you have a role to play in meeting the challenges of tomorrow head-on, apply today. Participants will be selected based on their ability to contribute to the discussion and to represent their stakeholder group.
How Participation Benefits You and Your Organization
- Learn in days what would usually take months — even years — of research to learn.
- Effectively focus on a topic that directly relates to your work.
- Gain insight and perspective through conversations with peers who share your same interests.
- Meet with other experts from international companies, research institutes, and universities in an off-the-record format.
- Form professional relationships that will continue after the forum has ended.
