Optimized Laterals, Completions Improve Well Performance In Marcellus And Utica By Danny Boyd Special Correspondent Independent oil and gas companies active in the Marcellus and Utica shale plays continue to push the bounds of lateral lengths, with records being achieved and toppled in rapid succession. Operators routinely are drilling two-mile laterals, and multiple wells have been drilled with laterals exceeding three miles. Operators not only are drilling longer horizontal sections; they are drilling them faster and placing them more precisely, with companies reporting footage rates of a mile a day or better while staying 100% in zone. As impressive as the progression has been, however, the best is yet to come as operators ace their well drilling and completion designs. A perfect example is CNX Resources Corporation's "perfect pad" concept, which Vice President of Operations Craig Neal says incorporates a number of elements to lower total cost per well while realizing greater production output and higher long-term recovery rates. The approach begins long before the drilling rig arrives on location, leveraging advanced 3-D seismic modeling, data analytics and Internet of Things technology to guide field development decision making. AUGUST 2019 115