Exxon 2013 Annual Report Download - page 21

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We also are progressing development of Bakken
infrastructure to match production growth. In 2013,
we completed a major upgrade to our gas gathering
facilities in the Nesson area, increasing our ability
to capture value from liquids-rich gas, and reducing
downtime and gas flaring. Other transportation
and gathering initiatives are under way in the
Little Missouri and Fort Berthold areas.
INTEGRATING HIGH-IMPACT TECHNOLOGY
XTO and ExxonMobil’s Upstream Research
Company are collaborating to increase Bakken
recovery and enhance drilling, completion, and
operational efficiencies. The unique combination of
ExxonMobil’s research capability and XTO’s strong
acreage position and operational expertise provides
numerous opportunities to test new technologies in
the field and deliver proven technologies for immediate benefit.
This partnership forms an important part of the future development strategy of the Middle Bakken and Three Forks
reservoirs in the Williston Basin. Ultimately, integrated geoscience and engineering teams will rapidly incorporate the
results of regional geologic analyses and local stratigraphic trends, fracturing research, and data analytics into planning
and completing the highest-impact wells in the most productive areas.
Initial field studies are already under way, with drilling and completion of pilot wells evaluating the optimum spacing of
laterals in a drilling unit, and analyzing the potential from the lower benches of the Three Forks formation. Both of these
could have a significant impact on our resource and production upside in the Bakken.
In addition, we have begun testing our next generation of completion technology, called XFrac. The Bakken industry
standard for hydraulic fracturing completions requires setting dozens of “plugs” in the well to achieve the most effective
completion. The plugs must then be drilled out and removed in order to produce the wells. Both of these steps require
significant time at a substantial cost. Our proprietary XFrac technology is designed to eliminate the need for plugs, making
it possible to complete the well at a lower cost and produce the well sooner, compared to the industry’s current methods.
ExxonMobil is applying its Bakken expertise and technology
in areas such as the Vaca Muerta in Argentina and West Siberia
in Russia.
When combined with XTO’s operational expertise, our proprietary technology provides unique opportunities to optimize
Bakken development.
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