Baker Hughes announces release of REAL Connect service
HOUSTON -- Baker Hughes has announced the commercial release of its REAL Connect service, which leverages superior diverter systems, advanced engineering techniques, and experienced wellsite personnel to help improve hydrocarbon recovery in hydraulic fracturing applications.
The service’s diverter systems redirect frac fluid flow to the untreated perforation sets within a stage to increase fracture network complexity and provide more uniform coverage. Once the stimulation treatment is complete and the diverter materials dissolve, ultra-lightweight proppant material remains in the near wellbore for long-lasting production flow paths.
The service helped an operator in De Soto Parish, Louisiana rejuvenate several mature wells from their existing inventory of unconventional wells that were reaching the low end of the production curve.
Baker Hughes designed a refracturing program that used the REAL Connect service to temporarily isolate existing fracture networks in order to redirect fluids to untreated zones and stimulate untapped portions of the reservoir.
The service enabled the operator to refracture the lateral section with greater effect, enhancing the fracturing networks and increasing ultimate recovery from the reservoir without drilling new wells. Based on the average drilling and completion cost of $10.1 million and average restimulation cost of $3.1 million, the operator saved an estimated $7 million per well.
The REAL Connect service can also accelerate fracturing operations by reducing the numbers of required plugs for more efficient horizontal multi-stage refracturing treatments.
