American Oil and Gas Reporter - April 2021 - 21

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Compelling Content
Remains The Expectation
For SPE-HFTC 2021
Perhaps one of the greatest live event casualties of the
COVID crisis was this year's Society of Petroleum Engineers
Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference, appearing May
4-6 on a screen near you. Although this is not the largest show
on the globe, it is among the industry's most technically sound
and relevant events. If you work in upstream oil and gas, SPEHFTC is a must. What always makes it so special are the lively
presentations and real-world case histories that are sure to elicit
industry debate even with this year's virtual format. Nowhere
else can one come close to finding a greater concentration of
upstream expertise assembled in a single event at one time.
While I have mixed feelings about virtual shows-let's simply
say I am happy in-person shows are coming back-this year's
HFTC will have compelling content sure to please even those
of us numbered among the monitor weary. Having said that, I
am the first to admit that the SPE crew has made giant strides to
make its platform as user-friendly as possible.
One of the first don't-miss highlights is the always-anticipated
presentation of the annual Legends of Hydraulic Fracturing award,
which honors an individual who has played a key part in the development and innovation of hydraulic fracturing over the years.
This year's recipient will be John Ely for his lifelong commitment
to both the industry and the technology. Past recipients include
Ken Nolte, Michael Smith, Carl Montgomery and Steve Holditch.
Next up is the opening plenary session, titled " Technology,
Innovation and Value-Where's the Beef? " and presented by
Rob Fast from Hess, Trey Lowe from Devon and Cameron
Rempel from OXY. Traditionally, this is an entertaining and informative session that starts the event off on the right foot. This
year's topic will focus on innovation and technology during
challenging times and examine how leaders are using technology
to improve performance and economic returns-all while balancing
cost and value. When budgets are tight and rig counts low, innovation constitutes an important component for the next phase
in fracturing innovation.
Much of this innovation involves completion optimization,
the initial day's first topic and technical track. Optimization can
be tricky as it often costs a little more and convincing managers
to make an upfront investment, even in exchange for a longterm return, can be difficult. Perhaps this session will help
change some minds. For my part, I plan to check out:
· " Practical Design Considerations for Stage Length, Perforation Clusters and Limited Entry Pressure Intensities, " from
P.T. Huckabee, C. Ledet, G.A. Ugueto, J.J. Tolle, and S. Mondal,
Shell Exploration & Production Co.;
· " Employing a Suite of Machine Learning Algorithms in a
Holistic Approach to Trouble Stage Recognition and Failure
Diagnostics, " by J. Iriarte, Well Data Labs; M. McConnell,
Hawkwood Energy; S. Hoda, E. Siegel, Well Data Labs; and C.
Wolfbrandt, formerly with Well Data Labs; and
· " Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Provides
Wolfcamp Completion Design Insight, " by R. Shelley, consultant;
O. Oduba and H. Melcher, Liberty Oilfield Services.

" Nowhere else can one come close to
finding a greater concentration of
upstream expertise assembled in a single
event at one time.

It seems to me, a little practical design married to some data
and machine learning should be pretty interesting.
Day one's second track focuses on fracture diagnostics and
seeks to do what ultimately has not been accomplished, which
is see beneath the surface to better understand fracture growth
and orientation, cluster performance and well interactions. At
the end of the day, these diagnostics help feed the optimization
and technology development that are ushering in a new era of
frac design. Some highlights for track two include:
· " Rapid Completion Design Changes with Fiber Optics, "
from J. Tran, Halliburton; M. Mientka, FourPoint Energy; and
D. Mogck, and P. Stark, Halliburton;
· " Practical Applications of Water Hammer Analysis by
Hydraulic Fracturing Treatments, " from D. Nguyen, D. Cramer,
T. Danielson, J. Snyder, N. Roussel and A. Ouk, ConocoPhillips
Co.; and
· " Novel Deployment of Tracers Leads to High-Confidence
Results, " from C.R. Ramos, ProTechnics, Division of Core
Laboratories LP.
The training courses are another highlight of every year.
This year, my list includes " DFIT the Unconventional Well
Test: Theory, Design and Interpretation, " led by one of the most
experienced people in the business, David Craig.
My other selection is " Hydraulic Fracturing-Design and
Treatment, " led by Carl Montgomery and Michael Smith. I
have been through this course at least three times, and believe
me, it never gets old. I have come to expect I will always learn
something new. This is your chance to learn from two legends,
so I encourage everyone to check this one out.
While we are all probably a little " road weary " of attending
virtual conferences and online events, I encourage you to try
one more. The history of the event, plus the expertise, plus the
topics, make the virtual edition of HFTC a worthwhile use of
time. Attend and enjoy. I look forward to seeing everyone back
in the Woodlands in 2022.
❒

JEREMY VISCOMI is a strategic

marketing expert for the oil and
gas industry. Among his many
roles, he serves as the MidContinent regional lead for the
Petroleum Technology Transfer
Council, providing independent
operators with access to emerging technology aimed at reducing
risk and growing profits.
APRIL 2021 21

American Oil and Gas Reporter - April 2021

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