Considering time and space in drilling and completion can reduce well interference

Development of organic shale reservoirs with large hydraulic- fracture treatments not only poses challenges to the completion of a single well, but also to interference with surrounding wells. A direct consequence of interference is production loss. Therefore, the drilling and completion schedule for field development must be 4D in time and space to account for interaction in between wells. The complete paper describes a physics-based model of interference and a sensitivity study to propose guidelines for well spacing and a drilling timeline for multiple horizontal wells in the Vaca Muerta shale. © 2019 Society of Petroleum Engineers. All rights reserved.