Distinguished Lecturer Gerrit Nitters

New Challenges in Well Stimulation

Gerrit Nitters Distinguished Lecturer

Abstract:
The first acid treatment 1895 was probably considered a novel idea that would not last very long. It took 40 years to become a standard oilfield technique to boost production. In 1947 the first fracjob was completed in the Hugoton Field, Kansas and Fraccing has also become a standard treatment to improve production.

Well Stimulation is there to stay. Over the years it delivered billions of barrels of oil to the industry worldwide. The exact volume is difficult to establish but one major oil company estimates it at around 1.8 billion BOE over the last 50 years.  Acidising and fracturing form the bulk of all stimulations and probably will continue to for some time to come. 

Well stimulation is getting more costly and difficult to apply. Modern completions such as multilaterals and smart wells, call for development of new technologies. Incremental improvements to conventional stimulation methods, however useful, are no longer sufficient.  Research institutes around the world are working on novel alternatives, including various forms of sound waves. The application of heat is also being rethought. At the same time, diagnostic technologies that analyze problem wells are emerging as are new ways to interpret this data. The development of downhole power generation opens the door to self-maintaining wells.  Further improvements need to be made such that the well is producing at its optimum throughout its full lifecycle. The challenge that lies ahead of us is to develop technologies that maximize productivity with minimum intervention.

Biography:
Gerrit Nitters is Head of Well Stimulation and Impairment Prevention Research of Shell International. He is also Shell’s global advisor on well stimulation matters. He holds a BSc degree in Chemical Engineering. He has 30 years of experience in research and practical application of well stimulation. He worked in a variety of jobs in the Netherlands, UK, Venezuela and the USA. He has authored and co-authored many papers on the subject of well stimulation. He plays an active role in promoting stimulation technologies through the SPE by participating in organizing committees for conferences and other SPE events. He served as chairman for the European forum on Tight Gas and chairs the program committee of the 2005  European Formation Damage conference.