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Information Only - Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - U.S. Department of ...

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Concluding remarks<br />

Technology developments in drill ing, completion, and stimulation over the past<br />

decade will defumely benefit the oil industry in developing and producing oil and gas<br />

resources in the WIPP site area. The economic benefit <strong>of</strong> applying new technological<br />

innovations will depend strongly on the surface location for drilling, completion, and well<br />

stimulation with respect to the reservoir target. The application <strong>of</strong> directional drilling is<br />

always an option, but this becom~s an economic question when the target is too far from<br />

the surface location. The drilling cost could increase two to five times over a vertical<br />

wel1, which might make it too expensive. There are new technologies that can reduce the<br />

drilling operational cosLApplications <strong>of</strong> each individual new technology must be<br />

carefully investigated hi terms <strong>of</strong> economics.<br />

Newly devefoped impermeable c.ements and double-cased holes might be solutions<br />

for completing the wells. The question is how safe are these completion methods in<br />

conjunction with the new cement in terms <strong>of</strong> gas leakage. Current research has only<br />

proven cements to be impermeable at some temperatures and pressures and methods<br />

would need to be tested at the WIPP site. Further research on impermeable cements could<br />

result in the development <strong>of</strong> a cement that would completely seal the annulus from<br />

surface to bottom <strong>of</strong> well. This would allow the cement to be tested for all the<br />

temperature and pressure ranges that are expected in a well at the WIPP site.<br />

Depending on the type <strong>of</strong> wells drilled, the stimulation options should be carefully<br />

evaluated economically, using newly developed methods and simulators.<br />

<strong>Information</strong> <strong>Only</strong>

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