For those interested in mitigating the risks associated with pressure-induced hydraulic fracturing and/or obtaining valuable formation and reservoir data, Abra Controls is proud to offer a reliable, wireless, cost-effective solution to clients across Canada and the United States. This webpage provides a detailed process overview and includes regulatory information for clients operating in the province of Alberta, Canada. To schedule a service or for pricing information, please contact our sales department.
During the hydraulic fracturing process, interwellbore communication may affect the Identified Offset Wells (IOW) in the defined Fracture Planning Zone (FPZ). Both the Alberta Energy Regulator and Enform have mandated that all licensees must monitor and prevent the loss of well-integrity of at-risk offset wells within the FPZ in the province of Alberta, Canada, per AER Directive 083 and Energy Safety Canada's IRP 24 . If there is an incident, licensees could be held liable if they cannot demonstrate compliance with these guidelines and recommendations.
As per requirement 12 of Directive 083, "licensees must have a documented well control plan for each at-risk offset well," this control plan must include details regarding "how information will be relayed from an at-risk offset well back to the hydraulic fracturing operations should an interwellbore communication occur."
Oftentimes, offset wells do not have infrastructure or instrumentation in place to reliably monitor pressure in real time. Real time monitoring allows operators to react quickly to unexpected pressure changes.
In addition to the regulatory requirements in some jurisdictions, many operators elect to monitor the offset wells in their FPZ for safety and environmental reasons. It's in everyone's best interest to ensure that unwanted pressure changes don't cause existing wellbores to fail. Monitoring offsets allows for operational corrections and also provides legal proof of due diligence.
Monitoring offset wells also provides valuable data which can be used to assess whether or not pressure communication occurred and if an existing well will see production changes. This allows operators to schedule well servicing earlier, which descreases well downtime.
Whether clients must meet regulatory compliance, or whether they elect to monitor offset wells for their own peace of mind and due diligence, Abra Controls is always ready to provide a wireless, portable, field-tested solution.
Abra's offset well monitoring solution provides licensees with a reliable means of monitoring at-risk offset wells in the FPZ. Our real-time alarm system will alert operators if the pressure at an offset well rises to the adjusted maximum pressure, as defined by the AER guidelines. Our platform allows users to set high and low warning and critical pressure thresholds. If pressure changes trigger an alarm, users will be notified immediately via email, text message, or voice call (based on client preference). Clients can also create and adjust shift schedules, ensuring the correct shift leader gets notified of any pressure alarms.
The Abra system functions by recording pressure readings of the identified offset wells at intervals from 1 sample/second (or 60 readings per minute). If necessary, Abra is capable of recording up to 50 samples/second. Abra's all-in-one portable hardware solution boasts an even smaller footprint with exceptional 4G connectivity and long-lasting battery power. In keeping with our commitment to developing innovative, user focused systems, all readings are stored directly at our wireless sensor, thus eliminating the risks associated with lost data of faulty wired solutions. If necessary in remote locations, Abra can utilize satellite systems to ensure that every client receives a top quality solution, regardless of cellular connectivity.
After the fracturing process, the system creates clean records, in PDF and CSV format, which provide licensees a means of proving their compliance with the requirements outlined by the AER and Enform directives. As an added service, Abra can create Executive Summary Reports for additional analysis and review.
Our offset well monitoring system is a field-tested solution for providing accurate, reliable, and real time pressure readings on offset wells. Our wireless systems eliminate safety hazards at site without compromising data integrity, and our all-in-one solution allows for rapid deployment with small payloads.
