About the Topic

Ever since Shell ignited the industry by drilling the first U-shaped, or "horseshoe" well in the Permian Basin in 2019, a flock of these wells has appeared in various forms across basins and operators. Drilling extended horizontal wells is a common tactic for maximizing exposure to promising reservoirs, and bolstering well economics through increased production potential. Yet, in certain regions, the practicality of this approach can be impacted by a lack of space. Some operators, like Matador, Shell, and Chesapeake, have explored U-shaped horizontal wells as a means to mitigate these challenges and save on costs. This technique involves the initial lateral making a 180° turn, creating a parallel second lateral within the same formation. This horseshoe configuration effectively doubles the potential lateral length achievable within the confines of a single vertical section, circumventing space limitations and unlocking greater resource access.

In this Event, we'll explore the pros and cons of such a design through drilling, completions, and production perspectives firsthand from those who've executed these wells.

About the Speakers

John Huycke is a drilling engineer with several decades of experience working for operators like PDC Energy, Apache and Conoco. John planned and executed the drilling of the first multi-well U-lateral development in the Delaware Basin while working for PDC Energy. In his current role, John is the Principal Engineer for Turning Point E&P Consultants, where he provides U-lateral consulting to the O&G industry.

Jeff Beach and Andrew Heft represent NextTier Oilfield Solutions, as the Vice President of Engineering and Engineering Manager respectively. NextTier (formerly C&J) is an established oilfield service provider of onshore well construction and intervention, well completion, well support, and other complementary oilfield services and technologies. In previous Forums, Darcy has featured NexTier's LateralScience Engineering Completions technology. This technique leverages existing drilling data to derive a geomechanical profile on both new and existing wells.