Guest Editorial

The newly formed SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Technical Section is working on a project to identify a set of best practices for completions engineers. Once completed, they will be accessible to the entire SPE technical community.

Flow rate is a major challenge for geothermal. However, the techniques used in shale to prevent flow localization can be applied directly to geothermal. If we can create hundreds or thousands of flowing fracture pathways around a horizontal or deviated geothermal well, then we will have truly “changed the game.”

Recent history has taught the unconventional sector that overly optimistic production forecasts can backfire. Going forward, one solution may be to combine financial and subsurface models to better communicate expectations.

We need to analyze the carbon intensity of reserves, the potential emissions that are in front of us, not just the carbon intensity of current operations. An engineering solution associated with production forecasts over time offers a framework for thinking through the carbon-emissions issue.

Oil isn’t going away, but that misses the fact that a demand plateau will structurally change the industry for people and companies in the most geologically mature areas, especially the United States.

As our industry continues to adapt and evolve to meet the changing needs of our fast-moving world, we see a sizable and growing prize for those who are willing to work and think differently, challenge traditional approaches, forge new working relationships, and act boldly.

The market may be different from what we have previously experienced, but the path to a successful digital transformation is durable and the core principles of success have not changed.

Understanding the impact of oil and gas operations and embracing transparency around data better equips companies to take transformative action and “bounce forward” rather than back. The increased speed in realizing actual value delivers benefits to the bottom line, now and in the energy future.

While the individual circumstances of upstream companies may vary, they all must take decisive action to pivot away from “business as usual” and instead, pursue new growth models.

Digitalization and automation successes are here to stay. Instead of making small incremental steps in well construction operations, allowing disruptive shifts can lead to tangible performance gains in efficiency, safety, and well integrity.