Simul-Frac has become one of the hottest trending topics in unconventional completions. As outlined in a recent Darcy article, Two At The Same Time?! Simul-Frac, We Welcome You, the method effectively allows for wells to be completed twice as quickly as conventional zipper frac operations. Although simul-frac has its own set of challenges, the potential for increased cost savings has led several leading E&Ps to publicly state that simul-fracs are the new standard for their operations.

Source Links: Ovintiv, Chevron, Sundance Energy

Given the interest in Simul-frac, Darcy's members recently met at our Simul-Frac Forum, where ProFrac shared case study data and lessons learned from the field. Polling of the forum attendees revealed about 1 in 5 are with an E&P actively using simul-frac as their standard completions method with an additional 21% actively testing the method.

Source: Darcy Partners

While there is likely some selection bias in these numbers (those using simul-frac are more likely to attend a simul-frac event), the data is indicative of a rapidly increasing adoption trend. For reference, Rystad Q4 2020 data estimated 8% of total US onshore completions using simulfrac, however, this was up from less than 1% in 2019. Despite strong adoption, simul-frac is not without its challenges. Over half of those in attendance indicated they are waiting on the sidelines and had not yet tested the approach despite being interested.

Source: Darcy Partners (Darcy members can view full poll results here

Not-surprisingly, the biggest concern among operators today is the overall cost savings compared to zipper frac operations. Concerns also lay in the added operational complexity if a pad has an odd number of wells and handling the increased rates of sand and water. Additional Darcy member data indicates that 23% of simul-frac jobs have a maximum rate of 200 bbl/min or more, creating serious logistical challenges. Other questions and concerns mentioned by the group in attendance are listed below, with answers from the ProFrac team available for Darcy members on the ProFrac Storefront on Darcy Connect

• Is there a difference in average treating pressures between simul-frac and traditional frac operations?
• What % of your jobs are you seeing being Simulfrac today? Have you had any feedback on impact on well productivity from your clients?
• Where do you see the adoption of Simulfrac going in the overall market over the next year? 25%, 50%, more?

As adoption of Simul-frac continues to increase, the Darcy team will be keeping track of new developments. For example, an emerging topic of interest actively being worked on by the industry is how to improve operational flexibility during a simul-frac job, such as treating each well independently.

Have a question or thought of your own? Log into Darcy Connect and comment below!