About this workshop

Description

While the tight gas market has exploded in activity in North America over the last ten years, the international tight gas activity is still in the conceptual or early exploratory phase. Tight gas incorporates various types of reservoir ranging from extremely low-permeability shales to low permeability siltstones/sandstones/carbonates. Unconventional gas finds are more difficult to develop and more costly to produce. As technologies and skills improve, unconventional gas is a variable concept because some finds may become more easily or economically produced over time, no longer making them unconventional.

To develop the international tight gas resources, the industry will need to address many issues principal being:

• Lack of familiarity and understanding of the critical technologies of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling.
• Lack of infrastructure and equipment capacity to supply the service as efficiently as in North America.
• Lack of experience in managing large activity/capital intensive operations.
• Overcoming high initial costs to prove economic viability.

This workshop will focus on the various solutions to address the concerns in tight gas operations in the areas of reservoir development, reservoir identification and characterisation, drilling, completion, production optimisation and well integrity.

Focus and Objectives

In order to enable operators, service companies and other organisations understand the latest applications of tight gas, the challenges and future technology needs, and the workshop is expected to focus on the following:

• Key challenges associated with tight gas reservoir.
• Addressing risks and uncertainties in a proactive manner.
• Current practices dealing with major HSE concerns.
• Case histories of drilling, completing and producing tight gas wells.
• Current technology needs for tight gas wells.

Who Should Attend

The workshop is meant for experienced individuals who will share their own case histories and experience and will actively contribute to the discussion. We expect participation from asset managers, experts and decision makers involved in drilling and completions, well control, geomechanics, well design, control and testing, oilwell cement and OCTG.

Workshop Guidelines

Documentation

1. Proceedings will not be published; therefore, formal papers and handouts are not expected from speakers.
2. Work in progress, new ideas, and interesting projects are sought.
3. Professionally-prepared visual aids are not required; handwritten viewgraphs are entirely acceptable.
4. Note-taking by participants is encouraged. However, to ensure free and open discussions, no formal records will be kept.

Workshop Deliverables

• The committee will prepare a full report containing the highlights of the workshop discussions. This report will be circulated to all attendees. A one-page summary will be prepared by the Workshop Co-Chairpersons, which will be posted on the SPE website, and published in the Journal of Petroleum Technology (JPT), if space permits. The copyright of the summary report will belong to SPE.
• PowerPoint presentation materials will be posted on a specific SPE URL address after the Workshop. Provision of the materials by the discussion leaders will signify their permission for SPE to do so.

Commercialism

In keeping with ATW objectives and the SPE mission, excessive commercialism in presentations will not be permitted. Company logos must be limited to the title slide and used only to indicate the affiliation of the presenter and others involved in the work.

Attendance Certificate

All attendees will receive an attendance certificate attesting to their participation at the workshop. This certificate will be provided in exchange for a completed Workshop Questionnaire.

Continuing Education Units

This workshop qualifies for SPE Continuing Education Units (CEU) at the rate of 0.1 CEU per hour of the ATW.

Attendees’ Information

General and detailed accommodation information will be forwarded to registrants with the attendee package prior to the scheduled workshop in February 2013.

Dress Code

Casual clothing is recommended. The workshop atmosphere is informal.

Transportation/Visa

Delegates are advised to book their international/domestic airline tickets early from their country/city to Adelaide, Australia. Further detailed transportation information will be available and included in the attendee package, which will be sent to registrants in February 2013.

Delegates travelling to Australia must be in possession of passports valid for at least six (6) months with proof of onward passage, either return or through tickets. Visa requirements depend on country of origin. Please check with your travel agent or the Australian Embassy on regulations relating to immigration/visa before your departure.