In one of the longest horizontal wells ever drilled in the US with total measured depth over 28,000 feet and 144 stages, an operator in the Utica Basin needed to streamline its millout procedure to increase cycle time and begin production faster. Typically, one drill bit is only able to mill out up to 60-70 plugs per trip requiring operators to pull the tubing to snub point, snubbing out, replacing the bit, snubbing back in, and resuming drilling, which is a time consuming and costly process. Therefore, a more cost efficient solution for this operation needed to be identified.
To solve this challenge, Nine Energy Service deployed its Scorpion™ Composite Plugs. Because these plugs are specifically designed for complex wells due to their shorter length and unique construction, the operator was able to drill out all 144 Scorpion plugs using a single drill bit. The bit also had visibly less wear after milling out all 144 Scorpion plugs than it did after milling out fewer plugs of a different brand previously. With Scorpion’s average millout time of 10 minutes, the operator was able to save thousands of dollars, as well as two or more days by foregoing multiple bit trips.
Drilling longer, more complex horizontal wells comes with considerable complications. With two or three times the number of frac plugs being used, multiple drill bits and trips are also needed, adding time and cost to your operation.
The Scorpion Composite Plug from Nine Energy Service provides an ideal solution for these kinds of challenging conditions. Manufactured almost entirely of composite material, it is significantly shorter than most plugs of its kind, allowing for a much faster millout. Other features include a scientifically molded construction for greater reliability, a compression-energized single elastomer element segmented backup rings, and ceramic gripping buttons.
