Well Stimulation: Theory and Application


Disciplines: Production and Operations

Course Description

Mature oil and gas wells will underperform due to different damage mechanisms and/or low permeability, and the unconventional oil and gas wells could not produce at economical rates unless stimulated successfully. The key is to understand and identify the damage mechanism and sources of low productivity in both conventional and unconventional reservoirs, and then to design economical and successful stimulation treatments.

In this course, participants will first learn the fundamental science related to geosciences, rock mechanics, and fluid mechanics, and then gain know-how knowledge on the principles of well stimulations followed by practical skills related to design and evaluation of stimulation treatments. At the end of this course, participants will gain the ability and confidence in solving real-world problems by integrating physics, geology, rock mechanics, formation evaluation, production and reservoir engineering. Examples, case studies, and leading software demonstration/practices will further enhance participants’ knowledge and skills acquired in this course.

Topics:

  • Rock and fracture mechanics
  • Fracture fluid mechanics
  • Fracture treatment design and evaluation
  • Post-fracture evaluation

Learning Level

Intermediate

Course Length

3 Days

Who Attends

Geologists, petroleum engineers, reservoir engineers, production engineers, or any engineers and technician involved in well stimulation.

Special Requirements

Participants should have a basic knowledge of formation evaluation and moderate experience or exposure to the topic. Attendees need to bring relevant field well designs and problems to use as in-class exercises.

CEUs

2.4 CEUs (Continuing Education Units) are awarded for this 3-day course.

Cancellation Policy

All cancellations must be received no later than 14 days prior to the course start date. Cancellations made after the 14-day window will not be refunded. Refunds will not be given due to no show situations.

Training sessions attached to SPE conferences and workshops follow the cancellation policies stated on the event information page. Please check that page for specific cancellation information.

SPE reserves the right to cancel or re-schedule courses at will. Notification of changes will be made as quickly as possible; please keep this in mind when arranging travel, as SPE is not responsible for any fees charged for cancelling or changing travel arrangements.

We reserve the right to substitute course instructors as necessary.

Instructor

John Yilin Wang has been a full-time faculty at the Pennsylvania State University since July 2009. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering at the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering. Prior to this, he was a petroleum engineer with a U.S. independent producer in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he worked on reservoir evaluation and stimulation. Wang is dedicated to advancing the knowledge and practices in the evaluation and stimulation of low-permeability oil and gas reservoirs through teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, working with research associates/assistants, and serving the industry and professional society in a number of ways. His research effort has produced 10 M.S. theses, with 4 Ph.D. dissertations and 6 M.S. theses in progress.