In order for operators to grow production and maintain profit margins in unconventional-resource plays, a “well-factory” or “manufacturing-based” style of development is often used. This paper will analyze differing well-factory approaches to unconventional assets, with examples from the Wolfcamp unconventional oil play in the Permian Basin. An emphasis is placed on using a well-factory model that enables flexibility for project-execution teams to optimize, while maintaining the efficiency and execution speeds that a classical factory model provides.
Introduction
With the relatively recent boom in unconventional-resource plays, the concept of manufacturing has been widely proposed and applied to the upstream industry. Many companies across the globe have adopted well-factory models and a manufacturing-based approach in developing large-acreage positions in unconventional plays.
