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West Virginia’s Longest Lateral

Repeat Precision drilled out 109 PurpleSeal™ plugs in one 132-hour trip for a clean, effortless completion.

Challenge

In West Virginia’s Marcellus Basin, a major operator drilled the longest lateral well in the region using 5-1/2” 20# production casing and measuring 29,154 ft (MD) with a lateral length of 21,483 ft. The greatest challenge that operators face when dealing with long lateral sections is the plug drill-out. Since pipe is used to carry the bit downhole, the adversarial friction factor becomes more influential as more pipe engages with the casing.

This frictional force negatively affects the ability to apply an appropriate amount of force to the plug. Even with a snubbing unit providing more “pushing” force to the pipe, such as in this case, the same issues arise. That’s why our choice of plug for this situation was critical for obtaining a clean and effortless drill-out.

Drilling of a lateral well in West Virginia, located in the Marcellus Basin.

Solution

Repeat Precision proposed using the PurpleSeal™ frac plug, which has proprietary high-strength composite materials that ensure uniform performance and durability. Interlocking castellations on the slips and end caps and a contoured slip-to-cone interface eliminate component rotation to ensure even, concentric slip expansion.

The drill-out consisted of using a Deep Well snubbing unit to apply the force required to get the pipe to reach the end of the long lateral section, as well as a new WOS 7 bpm downhole motor and a Varel 4.5” SlipXtreme hybrid roller cone bit. The entire drill-out was completed in a single trip lasting approximately 5.5 days. No short trips or motor stalls were reported, and the plug debris size was manageable from the first plug to the last.

After the job was completed, the bit only showed normal wear on the inserts. This project proved to be a tremendous success, as multiple runs are normally expected with a standard plug-and-bit combination.

Number of plugs: 109 PurpleSeal™ frac plugs

Total drill-out time:Less than 88 hours

PurpleSeal™ plug drill-out time: 6.5 minutes average

PurpleSeal™ plug wash time: 27 minute average

Lateral length: 21,483 ft

Casing: 5-1/2-in., 20 lb/ft

Drill Bit: Varel SlipXtreme

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Benefits

  • Better drill-outs than any other product on the market
  • Successful plug deployment with high run-in speeds, less water, and fewer pre-sets
  • Dedicated customer service with free on-location dispatch within four hours
  • Affordable pricing with no hidden costs for mileage, service, or waste disposal
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CASE STUDY: DRILLING OUT 109 FRAC PLUGS IN ONE 132-HOUR TRIP IN WEST VIRGINIA
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