Green Completions

What are Green Completions?

Green completions are systems to reduce methane losses during well completions. After a new well completion or workover, the well bore and formation must be cleaned of debris and fracture fluid. Conventional methods for doing this include producing the well into an open pit or tank to collect sand, cuttings and reservoir fluids for disposal.  Typically, the natural gas that is produced is vented or flared. The large volume of natural gas that is lost may not only affect regional air quality, it might also affect the profitability of drilling operations.

Green completion systems present a significant opportunity for cost savings. By using portable equipment to process gas and condensate, the recovered gas can be directed to a pipeline and sold. These truck or trailer mounted systems can typically recover more than half of the total gas produced and industry results have shown that investment in portable three phase separators, sand traps and tanks can be recovered in 2 years or less.     

Industry examples of green completion systems:

Devon Energy Corporation

Green completions have been Devon’s standard practice in the Barnett Shale since 2004. The company uses the same process to complete wells in New Mexico, Wyoming, Oklahoma and south Texas. Using this process, Devon has reduced methane emissions by more than 15 billion cubic feet in the Barnett Shale area of north Texas. Not long ago, green completions were so uncommon that Devon had to look as far as Wyoming to rent the necessary filtering equipment. Now, more than 2,000 green completions later, that rental equipment is available readily and locally.

Devon’s green completions practice stems from their voluntary participation in the EPA’s Natural Gas STAR Program. The procedure generally is not required in the Barnett Shale except in the city of Fort Worth and at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The vast majority of Devon’s Barnett Shale wells are outside those locales.

According to Devon, the rental cost for the equipment is roughly $1,000 per day and can save an average of 11,900 Mcf of natural gas per well from being vented into the atmosphere. In their case, the conservative net value of gas saved was $50,000 per well. 

Source: http://www.devonenergy.com/CORPRESP/INITIATIVES/Pages/GreenCompletions.aspx