Tight gas well stimulation has a long and sporadic history in the North Sea and Europe and it is still far from being an easy development option in the current economic climate. Onshore, the pause in activity in Germany continues, but there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel, after recent new legislation has been passed. In Poland and Hungary, activity has fallen sharply, but there has been renewed interest in offshore tight gas in the Dutch and UK sectors (stranded gas). In addition to new field development, there is also potential development of tight gas horizons within existing fields.

The economics of such developments are much more attractive than standalone tight gas projects, although there are often operational issues that need to be considered. This session will examine recent developments in tight gas stimulation, both onshore and offshore, and focus on case studies. The emphasis will be building on the recent experience to push the envelope of tight gas stimulation practices.

Tight gas well stimulation has a long and sporadic history in the North Sea and Europe and it is still far from being an easy development option in the current economic climate. Onshore, the pause in activity in Germany continues, but there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel, after recent new legislation has been passed. In Poland and Hungary, activity has fallen sharply, but there has been renewed interest in offshore tight gas in the Dutch and UK sectors (stranded gas). In addition to new field development, there is also potential development of tight gas horizons within existing fields.

The economics of such developments are much more attractive than standalone tight gas projects, although there are often operational issues that need to be considered. This session will examine recent developments in tight gas stimulation, both onshore and offshore, and focus on case studies. The emphasis will be building on the recent experience to push the envelope of tight gas stimulation practices.

Chalk stimulation is the most mature of all stimulation practices in the North Sea. This session will review field stimulation techniques and results from major chalk reservoirs. Different stimulation strategies have been applied, using both acid and proppant. In this session we will focus on case histories of all these different approaches. Field design and operational issues will be discussed along with well productivity results. The discussion will also review how each operator determines the “best” stimulation technique for their reservoir. Topics in this session will include:

• Acid stimulation in multi-lateral wells with advanced completions.
• Re-stimulation challenges in horizontal wells.
• Updates on chalk stimulation from Denmark and Norway.

This session will address new techniques and practices in the areas of stimulation in Europe for application in difficult well conditions and locations, for example high pressure, high temperature and sub-sea wells. The focus will be on recent advances in fluids, equipment, and techniques applicable for these situations. Topics in this session will include:

• Remedial fracturing treatments in HPHT reservoirs.