Company Highlights

December 18, 2014

STEP Finishes Completion Project with NCS Multistage

Calgary, AB (December 18, 2014) – In the fourth quarter, STEP Energy Services’ (STEP) coiled tubing technology was used to deploy NCS Multistage’s (NCS) patented Multistage Unlimited™ frac-isolation system on three wells for Contact Exploration (Contact) in the Kakwa area of the Montney.

Before drilling commenced, STEP’s technical specialists met with Contact to discuss how to maximize its well depths for optimum drilling, completion and production performance. After a thorough analysis by STEP, a custom-designed 2” (50.8mm) 6,300m coiled tubing string was recommended for the complex completion program. By using STEP’s specialty string, Contact was able to reach Total Measured Depth (TMD) on all wells, fracking at greater than 70 mPa – an industry first. STEP’s ultra-capacity coiled tubing spread was used to perform this operation and reach a TMD greater than 5,750m and a Total Vertical Depth (TVD) over 3,450m. In total 155 NCS Multistage Unlimited™ frac stages were effectively placed between the three wells.

According to NCS, “The successful placement of all stages without significant operational downtime resulted in reducing HHP by 62.5 per cent and providing more predictable and consistent operations.”

Paul Poohkay, production manager for Contact notes that he was, “impressed by the rigorous pre-planning that was done by STEP’s engineers and their commitment to the project.” Poohkay adds, “Thanks to STEP’s deep coiled tubing equipment and operations team, we were able to accomplish what most people in the industry didn’t think was possible.”

In January 2015, STEP will begin coiled tubing work on a well recently drilled by Contact which has 84 Multistage Unlimited™ sleeves, a TVD of 3,420m and a TMD of 6,155m –an NCS Canadian stage count record.

“The successful collaboration in the field between STEP and NCS’s innovative fracking technology should be celebrated. This is an achievement that will change the face of well completions in the industry,” says Steve Glanville, chief operations officer at STEP.

For more information on how coiled tubing technology offers great efficiency in fracking, check out the following industry articles:

Clarifying Coiled Tubing- The Bakken Magazine

Coiled Tubing Technology- Rigzone