Training Courses

Instructors: Mark McClure

This course is designed as both an introduction and a refresher on the topic of hydraulic fracture modeling. It includes both theoretical fundamentals and practical applications. The course focuses on topics that help engineers drive practical value. Lectures are interspersed with hands-on examples using a commercial fracturing simulator.
Topics include:
- Objectives and types of hydraulic fracturing treatments
- Types of hydraulic fracturing models
- Key physical processes, such as fracture propagation, proppant transport, and limited-entry
- Strategies for practical optimization of fracturing design, including: conventionals, unconventionals, and Enhanced Geothermal Systems
- Thermoelastic fracturing during long-term water or CO2 injection

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Instructors: Derrick W. Turk and Katherine Turk

n this course, students will take their programming skills to the next level by tackling challenging real-world case studies, in which we'll solve engineering and business problems together by designing and building useful and robust software systems. This is a course about programming as an engineering discipline. Students will learn how to translate E&P business challenges into programming tasks, and in turn solve these as engineering problems. This is not a Python language class or a theoretical computer science class, but students will learn some advanced skills in these areas along the way.

We'll cover:

• A quick review of the semantics of the Python language, using an "abstract machine" model to build our intuitions.
• The ongoing "software crisis," and how we might take an engineering approach to programming, using tools like type systems and automated testing.
• How to apply the key engineering skill of functional decomposition to software design.
• Data-driven design as an approach to simplify programs by moving repetitive logic from code into data structures.
• How to use the NumPy library and other tools to write fast numerical code in Python.
• Object-oriented programming as a way to separate interface from implementation and make our programs for flexible and future-proof.

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Instructor: George E. King

Hydraulic fracturing places both static and dynamic stresses on casing and completion components that may not be apparent in conventional design programs. Non-uniform loading of formations, casing and cement may be driven by cyclic pressures of several thousand psi, temperature swings of over 100o F, erosion by proppant, and shock loading of the completed well. These problems can result in both temporary and permanent deformation or even well failure in rare cases. This course examines real-world case histories of casing deformation and isolation failure linked directly or indirectly to fracturing-induced stresses and covers the design and operational changes necessary to mitigate these problems. This 1-day course is example based and delivered as a lecture with videos, downhole measurements, and case histories.

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Instructor: William K. (Bill) Ott,

This course examines methods for detecting fluid channels, voids and leaks, and how to repair them.  It also covers the logging tools and technologies use to evaluate the integrity of the cement prior to initial completion or anytime during the life of the well.  The first day of class is dedicated to evaluating cement and the second day to repairs.

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Instructors: Dr. Kimberley MacEwen, Roberta Wasylishen, Stuart Kinnear and Dr. Jennifer Adams

Compatibility of fracturing fluids with injection water, commingled chemicals and formation mineralogy is a key driver of well performance that is challenging and specific. What if improving your frac fluid compatibility could substantially accelerate your reserves recovery or even increase your EUR? 

Completion engineers are overloaded - tasked with the assessment of frac fluid chemical formulations, the substitution of chemicals due to supply chain disruptions, the oversight of the completion process, the procurement of service providers, and all while staying within the AFE. This workshop will provide practical lessons learned from the lab and field, delivered by experts from both sides of the border. It is tailored to the interests of completions, exploitation, reservoir, and production engineers alike. Participants will exit with a solid understanding of fluid chemistry, the chemical selection process and how to manage fluid variability – often a critical factor in production optimization. Registrants will also be better equipped to engage in future fluid chemistry discussions with their pumping companies; talks essential to optimizing their frac fluid "cocktail." Our presenters are looking forward to candidly sharing their best practices and of course the common pitfalls and costly mistakes caused by incompatibility that they have encountered in their careers.

This interactive mini-workshop will be moderated by a guest presenter, TBA soon. 

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Instructor: Dr. Neal Nagel and Dr. Marisela Sanchez-Nagel 

Geomechanics – in both completions and drilling operations – has become a critical technology in the development of Unconventional Plays. This course presents the basics of oil field geomechanics and its application to unconventional developments, specifically, the role of stress, pore pressure, mechanical properties, and natural fractures on hydraulic fracturing operations. The first portion of the course will focus on the fundamentals of oil field geomechanics including stress, mechanical properties, and failure. The latter part of the course will focus on hydraulic fracturing for Unconventional Resources with an emphasis on the characterization, geomechanics, modeling, and field aspects of Unconventionals hydraulic fracturing (hydraulic fracturing in heterogeneous rock masses with the presence of discontinuities and weakness planes).

Learning Objectives:

• Understanding of the key concepts of stress and deformation in rocks
• Understanding of the critical role of pore pressure and effective stress on rock behavior
• Review of the critical geomechanics components/inputs for hydraulic fracturing
• Understanding of the critical geomechanical inputs for hydraulic fracturing in Unconventionals

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