California Council on Science and Technology Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Pacific Institute August 28, 2014 Advanced Well Stimulation Technologies in California An Independent Review of Scientific and Technical Information California Council on Science and Technology Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Pacific Institute August 28, 2014 Acknowledgments This report has been prepared for the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) with funding from the United States Bureau of Land Management. Copyright Copyright 2014 by the California Council on Science and Technology ISBN number: 978-1-930117-93-8 Advanced Well Stimulation Technologies in California: An Independent Review of Scientific and Technical Information About CCST CCST is a non-profit organization established in 1988 at the request of the California State Government and sponsored by the major public and private postsecondary institutions of California and affiliate federal laboratories in conjunction with leading private-sector firms. CCST’s mission is to improve science and technology policy and application in California by proposing programs, conducting analyses, and recommending public policies and initiatives that will maintain California’s technological leadership and a vigorous economy. Note The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) has made every reasonable effort to assure the accuracy of the information in this publication. However, the contents of this publication are subject to changes, omissions, and errors, and CCST does not accept responsibility for any inaccuracies that may occur. For questions or comments on this publication contact: California Council on Science and Technology 1130 K Street, Suite 280 Sacramento, CA 95814 916-492-0996 [email protected] www.ccst.us Layout by a Graphic Advantage! 3901 Carter Street #2, Riverside, CA 92501 www.agraphicadvantage.com Table of Contents Table of Contents Acronym List ....................................................................................................................15 Introduction .....................................................................................................................17 1 Major Findings and Conclusions ..........................................................................25 2 Advanced Well Stimulation Technologies ............................................................45 2.1 The Purpose of Stimulation Technologies ............................................................46 2.2 Well Drilling and Construction .............................................................................50 2.2.1 Vertical Wells .......................................................................................................50 2.2.2 Directional Drilling and Horizontal Wells ............................................................56 2.3 Hydraulic Fracturing ............................................................................................58 2.3.1 Hydraulic Fracture Geomechanics, Fracture Geometry, and the Role of Natural Fractures and Faults .......................................................59 2.3.2 Hydraulic Fracture Fluids and Their Effects on Fracture Geometry ......................61 2.3.3 Proppants .............................................................................................................67 2.3.4 Acid Fracturing ....................................................................................................68 2.3.5 Completions and Multistage Hydraulic Fracturing ...............................................69 2.3.6 Fracturing Fluid Flowback ...................................................................................71 2.3.7 Hydraulic Fracturing Process: Examples from the Bakken and Eagle Ford Plays .................................................72 2.4 Matrix Acidizing ...................................................................................................75 2.4.1 Sandstone Acidizing .............................................................................................76 2.5 Main Findings ......................................................................................................79 2.6 References ............................................................................................................80 3 Historic and Current Application of Well Stimulation Technology in California ......................................................................................87 1 Table of Contents 3.1 Horizontal Wells ..................................................................................................88 3.1.1 Historical Horizontal Well Utilization ..................................................................88 3.1.2 Recent Horizontal Well Installation .....................................................................91 3.2 Hydraulic Fracturing ............................................................................................91 3.2.1 Historical Use of Hydraulic Fracturing .................................................................91 3.2.2 Current Use of Hydraulic Fracturing ....................................................................96 3.2.3 Fluid Volume ......................................................................................................101 3.2.4 Fluid Type ..........................................................................................................109 3.3 Acid Fracturing ..................................................................................................110 3.4 Matrix Acidizing .................................................................................................111 3.4.1 Historic Use of Matrix Acidizing .........................................................................111 3.4.2 Current Use of Matrix Acidizing .........................................................................112 3.4.3 Fluid Volume ......................................................................................................112 3.4.4 Fluid Type ..........................................................................................................113 3.5 Conclusions ........................................................................................................113 3.6 Acknowledgments ..............................................................................................115 3.7 References ..........................................................................................................115 4 Prospective Application of Well Stimulation Technologies in California ..................................................................................119 4.1 Overview of Significant Findings ........................................................................119 4.2 Introduction to Oil Deposits ...............................................................................120 4.3 Sedimentary Basins in California .......................................................................124 4.3.1 Structural Controls .............................................................................................125 2 Table of Contents 4.3.2 Diagenetic Controls ............................................................................................127 4.4 Primary Oil Source Rocks in California ..............................................................128 4.4.1 Monterey Formation ..........................................................................................128 4.4.2 Vaqueros Formation ...........................................................................................136 4.4.3 Tumey and Kreyenhagen Formations .................................................................136 4.4.4 Moreno Formation .............................................................................................136 4.4.5 Comparison of the Monterey Formation with the Bakken Formation .................137 4.5 Oil-producing Sedimentary Basins in California .................................................142 4.5.1 Los Angeles Basin ...............................................................................................143 4.5.2 San Joaquin Basin ..............................................................................................145 4.5.3 Santa Maria Basin ..............................................................................................151 4.5.4 Ventura Basin .....................................................................................................152 4.5.5 Cuyama Basin ....................................................................................................154 4.5.6 Salinas Basin ......................................................................................................157 4.5.7 General Observations of Neogene Sedimentary Basins in California ..................158 4.6 Results of Exploratory Drilling of Deep Shales in California...............................158 4.7 Review of the US EIA 2011 Estimate of Monterey Source Rock Oil ...................162 4.8 Prognosis ............................................................................................................164 4.9 Summary ............................................................................................................167 4.10 Acknowledgments ..............................................................................................168 4.11 References ..........................................................................................................169