Conventional v. Unconventional Wells
One of the first things students in this industry should recognize is the difference between conventional & unconventional wells. Our industry has been founded on conventional wells that date back clear to the 1800’s. These are wells that are drilled into a conventional reservoir, which means that it is not the source rock of where the hydrocarbons were generated. A great example would be a sandstone, limestone, or dolomite well. Most of these wells are vertical and are located all across the U.S..
Most of the development nowadays, however, is going on in the unconventional reservoirs such as the Marcellus and Utica Shales. These reservoirs are the source rock themselves and most of these wells are horizontal and are hydraulically fractured.
In this video we examine more differences between unconventional wells and conventional wells such as surface footprints, production volumes, and more. Be sure to check it out!
If you would like to learn about this topic more extensively, along with other topics such as horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, production equipment, etc., please check out our Oilfield Basics + Course.