Monthly Meeting: Dr. James Crafton, Performance Sciences, Inc.

This presentation engages several completion and operational issues which impact the long term performance of horizontal shale wells, in particular, in addition to traditional completions.  These observations are based on a significant population of wells evaluated for their completion effectiveness, reservoir quality and other performance metrics.  The presentation demonstrates that several common practices may not have the expected outcome unless mitigating measures are employed.  It documents the probability that the preventative measures can be beneficial.  The fundamental goal and specific "take-away" point is that relatively minor changes in operating practices have significant long term benefit and consequences.

James Crafton is the founder of Performance Sciences, Inc. of Evergreen, Colorado.  He graduated from University of Missouri Rolla in 1965 with a Bachelor's Degree in mining engineering, petroleum option, and in 2002 received their Honorary Degree of Professional Petroleum Engineer.  He earned a Master's Degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1966 and a Ph.D. in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa in 1975.  As Chief Reservoir Engineer at Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company, the development of production data analysis began as part of pipeline and reservoir management, as well as oversight of the company’s exploration and development activities in the DJ, Powder River, Piceance, eastern Green River Basin, and Mid-Continent activities.  On the faculty at Colorado School of Mines, he taught stimulation, pressure transient theory and integrated exploration methods for over ten years.  Dr. Crafton discovered and was granted the naming privilege for the Ricochet Formation and Unconformity, a major Gulf Coast geologic marker.  He developed the Reciprocal Productivity Index® technique, a practical method for the evaluation of producing shale, oil, gas and coal bed methane wells.  Dr. Crafton was a Society of Petroleum Engineers Distinguished Lecturer for the 2003-04 season, is Chair Emeritus of the Distinguished Lecturer Committee and was named a Distinguished Member in 2008.  He was the SPE Rocky Mountain Region recipient of the Distinguished Contribution to Production Engineering Award for 2006, in addition to other regional awards.  He holds several patents.   His other professional and honorary affiliations include the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Sigma Xi Scientific Honorary Society.