Technology Lever

Item

Resource
Type

Reference Case

Accelerated Depletion Case

Rapid Technology Case

Slow Technology Case

Reservoir Characterization and Well Performance Technology

  1. Basin Assessments

Date available

All types

2016

NA

2011

NA

  2. Play-Specific, Extended
      Reservoir Characterizations

Development pace

Tight gas sands

-1.25 yr per year

-0.5 yr per year

-2.0 yr per year

-0.5 yr per year

Development pace

Coalbed methane

-1.0 yr per year

-0.5 yr per year

-1.5 yr per year

-0.5 yr per year

Development pace

Gas shales

-1.0 yr per year

-0.5 yr per year

-1.5 yr per year

-0.5 yr per year

  5. Geology/Technology Modeling
      and Matching

EUR per well

All types

5%

NI

5%

NI

  6. More Effective, Lower Damage
      Well Completion and Stimulation
     Technology

EUR per well

All types

10%

5%

10%

5%

Optimization and Cost Reduction Technology

  3. Advanced Well Performance
     Diagnostics and Remediation

Reserve growth

Tight gas sands

2.0% per year

2.0% per year

3.0% per year

1.0% per year

Reserve growth

Coalbed methane

3.0% per year

3.0% per year

4.5% per year

1.5% per year

Reserve growth

Gas shales

3.0% per year

3.0% per year

4.5% per year

1.5% per year

  7. Targeted Drilling and Hydraulic
      Fracturing Research and
      Development

Cost per well

All types

-10%

-10%

-15%

-5%

  8. New Practices and Technology
      for Gas and Water Treatment

Cost per Mcf

All types

-20%

-20%

-30%

-10%

Access to Resources

  11. Mitigation of Environmental
        Restraints

Acreage available

All types

Removed in 50 years (1%/yr)

NI

Removed in 25 years (2%/yr)

NI

Exploration/Breakthrough Technology

  4. Advanced Exploration and
      Natural Fracture Detection
      Research and Development

E/D success rate

All types

+0.25% per year from 2000

NI

+0.50% per year from 2000

NI

Exploration efficiency

All types

Identify “best” 30% by 2017

NI

Identify “best” 30% by 2007

NI

  9. Advanced Well Completion Technologies

    Horizontal Wells

Recovery efficiency

Tight gas sands

+10% in 2011

NI

+15% in 2011

NI

    Advanced Cavitation

EUR per well

Coalbed methane

+20% in 2011

NI

+30% in 2006

NI

    Multilateral Completions

Recovery efficiency

Gas shales

NI

NI

+15% in 2011

NI

  10. Other Unconventional Gas
        Recovery Technologies

EUR per well

Tight gas sands

+10% in 2021

NI

+10% in 2016

NI

    Enhanced Coalbed Methane
    Recovery Efficiency

Recovery efficiency

Coalbed methane

+30% in 2015

NI

+45% in 2010

NA

    Enhanced Coalbed Methane O&M
    Costs

Cost per Mcf

Coalbed methane

$1.00 per Mcf, incremental

NA

$0.75 per Mcf, incremental

NA

    Other Technology

Gas shales

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA = not available. NI = no improvement.
Source: Energy Information Administration, Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting.