What's an extra pipe for?

On a well locally, the fist horizontal was drilled and fracked.  Later, another pipe was drilled in basically the same track as the original horizontal and left there.  Does anyone have any idea why this might have been done?  Is it done to gather liquids?

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Permalink Reply by Brian Day on July 19, 2012 at 1:43pm

I meant to write first well instead of fist.  Sorry.

Permalink Reply by craig on July 20, 2012 at 1:54am

My guess is that IF this occurred as you explained it the second well is headed to another formation at a different depth, ie one is to the Utica, another to the Marcellus(or other). Or maybe they plugged the first well because of problems and drilled another to the same formation. You didn't mention what State and County these wells are in. 

Permalink Reply by Brian Powers on July 20, 2012 at 4:57am

Brian -

The "extra pipe" may be a tube of smaller internal diameter designed to increase the flow velocity to aid in removing liquids from the well. The pressure exerted from the vertical fluid column is often enough to impede flow from the formation or fracture openings. The second tube is referred to as a "velocity string", and they can either be installed upon initial completion or later as part of a well workover under "dead" (well filled with fluid and pipe pulled/replaced with conventional derrick equipment or "Live" conditions (well not fluid filled, the tubing is pulled and replaced with a hydraulic or snubbing unit with rubber packing to prevent uncontrolled flow whilr the work is in progress.

 

I hope this helps,

 

Brian

Permalink Reply by craig on July 20, 2012 at 6:11am

Brian,

Excellent reply, thanks. I assumed they actually drilled another as he stated, but you are probably right in that it might look like another well was drilled with the equipment needed to do as you stated.

Permalink Reply by Brian Day on July 20, 2012 at 7:57am

Thanks for all of your responses.  I purposely did not mention the state or county because I wanted a pure answer that was not contaminated by predispositions based on the current history and known information about a specific location.  Basically, I'm trying to guess a little of what the drillers might be after with any new activities.  The area is Tioga County, Pa.  It is an area that has recieved a lot of extra siesmic activity lately, among other things.

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