Permian Basin

The ideal well spacing is in the eye of the beholder. The decision depends on so many factors that machine learning is now trying to determine the best combination of ingredients.

The SPE Liquids-Rich Basin Conference in Midland, Texas, merged topics that have dominated recent industry discussions: technologies centered on big data, interwell communication, and Permian Basin production.

The rebrand follows the completion of BP’s $10.5-billion purchase of BHP’s assets in the Permian, Eagle Ford, and Haynesville.

The two biggest oilfield services providers are enjoying a rebound in international activity but continue to struggle with a softening US shale completions market. While takeaway constraints will be temporary, steep shale production declines may emerge as a longer-term challenge.

When it came to decide where to collect a critical sample of fractured rock, a new method for turning microseismic data into a heat map designed to display the most intense fracturing activity was considered.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ quarterly survey of operators and service companies shows an industry still confident in its near-term growth prospects. However, concerns remain about a number of issues, ranging from the steel tariffs to crude oil price differentials in the Permian.

By measuring which tests best predicted the fractures observed at the Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site, Laredo Petroleum developed a method it hopes will improve fracture modeling in other places.

There is no single reason that they all exist—and bringing them all on line will face challenges.

A close look at hundreds of feet of fractured core samples suggest that new fracture models are needed to simulate complicated reality.

WPX Energy COO Clay Gaspar discusses his company’s timely transformation into a Permian player and the challenges that lie ahead in the basin.