American Oil and Gas Reporter - December 2015 - 63

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greater heights, perhaps because of a less
ductile overlying flooding surface at that
location.
In addition, stage 5 microseismic
events have an unusual geometry and subsequent fracture pattern. These events
potentially demonstrate the propagating
"front" of fractures aligning horizontally
along the base of the flooding surface (and
perhaps along natural fractures), and then
propagating upward into the zone above
as stress levels permit. The unique behavior of microseismic events in stage 5
also can be interpreted from the flooding
surface map (the right panel in Figure 9).
Stage 5 (pink) events appear to propagate
away from lower impedance, or areas of
higher ductility and less brittleness.
Stages 4-7 in the 344H Wolfcamp B lateral exhibited similar behavior, with microseismic events propagating away from
areas of greater ductility until encountering higher brittleness. At that point, fracture heights appeared to increase significantly where a high number of microseismic events were recorded within the
Wolfcamp A bench.
This study illustrates the high degree of
geology-driven vertical and lateral heterogeneity that exists within the Wolfcamp
formation. The irregular stacking of discrete depositional carbonate units results
in varying mineralogy compositions that
ultimately define and correlate with geomechanical properties characterized by relative fracability and brittleness. These mechanical properties ultimately influence
fracture stimulation geometries, including
prop heights and half-lengths, which in
turn, require calibration to microseismic
and completions data.
The empirical approach Callon Petroleum Company deployed in the Midland
Basin study demonstrates how multidisciplinary measurements can be integrated to
successfully optimize completion parameters, improve fracture modeling workflows

using seismic-derived rock properties, implement stage-by-stage smart frac analysis, and ultimately, improve production
rates and development economics.
❒
MICHAEL SHOEMAKER is the chief
geoscientist at Callon Petroleum and
head of 3-D surface seismic operations, including data acquisition, processing, and geologic seismic interpretation
for petrophysics/mineralogy, geomechanics and brittleness for optimal fracture stimulation of sweet spots. Before
joining Callon Petroleum, Shoemaker
was an exploration geophysicist at BP
America, leading prospect generation in
conventional onshore plays. Prior to that,
he was an expatriate geophysicist working for various foreign companies located in the United Kingdom, United Arab
Emirates and Malaysia, where he
prospected for Petronas. Shoemaker
holds a Ph.D. in geophysics from the
University of Missouri-Rolla.

NANCY ZAKHOUR is a completion
engineer at Callon Petroleum, focused
on operational and technical completion optimization in the company's
Permian Basin assets. Prior to her current role, she worked at Schlumberger as a microseismic interpretation engineer and hydraulic fracturing engineer in North American unconventional shale plays. Zakhour holds a B.E. in
electrical and computer engineering
from the American University of Beirut.

JOSHUA PEACOCK is a geologist
at Callon Petroleum, working in the
company's Permian Basin assets. He
began his career at Energen Resources
and has eight years of experience in the
Permian Basin. Peacock holds a B.S.G.
in geology from the University of Alabama.

Big Star's Open Unit A2H Third-Best Wolfcamp Well

MIDLAND-Big Star Oil & Gas
LLC's second Howard County. Tx.,
well, the Open Unit A2H, was brought
on line at a peak daily rate of 1,504 barrels of oil equivalent a day and a peak
30-day average of 1,321 boe/d. The 30day average consisted of 1,190 barrels
of oil a day and 786 Mcf/d.
The company says the Open Unit A2H
is the third-best horizontal Wolfcamp A
producer in the Permian Basin, coming in
behind its Ryder Unit A2H and Pioneer
Natural Resources' Sale Ranch 15B 2H.
The Open Unit A2H has a productive
lateral length of 7,500 feet, and was com-

pleted in 39 stages using a total of 11.6
million pounds of proppant.
"The Open and Ryder both are in our
Fairway project area near Big Spring,
Tx.," says Stella Swanson, Big Star partner and vice president, land. "We have
plans for an additional 34 Wolfcamp A
wells in this contiguous acreage block."
Big Star says it has identified more
than 250 gross development locations
within the Wolfcamp A, Wolfcamp B
and Lower Spraberry shale horizons, and
it is evaluating additional development
opportunities in the Middle Spraberry
and Cline formations.
❒
DECEMBER 2015 63

American Oil and Gas Reporter - December 2015

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