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Line 37: + + − − [[File:M107FG3.jpg|thumb|300px|Figure 3 Simultaneous operations being conducted in Pinedale field with drilling, fracking, setting of surface pipe, and facilities installation all occurring concurrently.]] − − [[File:M107FG4.jpg|thumb|300px|Figure 4 High-density pad drilling allows development of a large subsurface volume of the gas resource with minimal impact to the surface environment.]]
→Significance of the pinedale field
[[File:M107FG2.jpg|thumb|300px|Figure 2 Average drill times from spud to attaining total depth (blue bars) for wells drilled by QEP in Pinedale field. With improved drill bits, mud systems, and crew efficiency, drill times decreased by more than 80% between 2003 and 2013. Also shown are the number of wells drilled each year (brown bars) and the wells per rig per year (purple line). The green box shows the record well drilled in just 8.6 days in 2012. Data in part from QEP Resources investor relations presentation (http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/IROL/23/237732/QEP1Q13OpsSlides.pdf accessed July 3, 2013).]]
[[File:M107FG2.jpg|thumb|300px|Figure 2 Average drill times from spud to attaining total depth (blue bars) for wells drilled by QEP in Pinedale field. With improved drill bits, mud systems, and crew efficiency, drill times decreased by more than 80% between 2003 and 2013. Also shown are the number of wells drilled each year (brown bars) and the wells per rig per year (purple line). The green box shows the record well drilled in just 8.6 days in 2012. Data in part from QEP Resources investor relations presentation (http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/IROL/23/237732/QEP1Q13OpsSlides.pdf accessed July 3, 2013).]]
[[File:M107FG3.jpg|thumb|300px|Figure 3 Simultaneous operations being conducted in Pinedale field with drilling, fracking, setting of surface pipe, and facilities installation all occurring concurrently.]]
[[File:M107FG4.jpg|thumb|300px|Figure 4 High-density pad drilling allows development of a large subsurface volume of the gas resource with minimal impact to the surface environment.]]
The decline in drill times can be attributed to a number of factors including fit-for-purpose rigs, improved drill-bit technology, drilling wells with oil-based mud instead of water-based mud, consistently trained and experienced crews, use of down-hole mud-motors and steerable assemblies, new slim-hole well designs, multiwell pad drilling, and removing steps from the critical path of the drilling rig. Similar performance gains have been seen on the completions side where wells once took more than a month to complete. Now a pair of wells can be completely fracked with over 20 frack stages per well within four or five days. These efficiencies have given Pinedale operators a cost advantage that has expanded the economic limits of the field and allowed for full field development through high density drilling.
The decline in drill times can be attributed to a number of factors including fit-for-purpose rigs, improved drill-bit technology, drilling wells with oil-based mud instead of water-based mud, consistently trained and experienced crews, use of down-hole mud-motors and steerable assemblies, new slim-hole well designs, multiwell pad drilling, and removing steps from the critical path of the drilling rig. Similar performance gains have been seen on the completions side where wells once took more than a month to complete. Now a pair of wells can be completely fracked with over 20 frack stages per well within four or five days. These efficiencies have given Pinedale operators a cost advantage that has expanded the economic limits of the field and allowed for full field development through high density drilling.
Simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) are also now being done by all the major operators in Pinedale field with drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and facilities installations occurring at the same time (Figure 3). In order to fully develop the resource, wells are being drilled on dense spacing of as little as five acres per well. This makes Pinedale field one of the first places with such high-density pad drilling. Well bores are gently S-shaped and are drilled on pads to reduce the surface disturbance, which allows the development of a relatively large subsurface volume from a relatively small surface area (Figure 4).
Simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) are also now being done by all the major operators in Pinedale field with drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and facilities installations occurring at the same time (Figure 3). In order to fully develop the resource, wells are being drilled on dense spacing of as little as five acres per well. This makes Pinedale field one of the first places with such high-density pad drilling. Well bores are gently S-shaped and are drilled on pads to reduce the surface disturbance, which allows the development of a relatively large subsurface volume from a relatively small surface area (Figure 4).
==Pad drilling in pinedale field==
==Pad drilling in pinedale field==