Ely and Associates, Inc.

Technical Capabilities and Expertise

Ely and Associates is a unique group of experienced technical personnel specializing in the stimulation of oil and gas wells. The group consists of eleven full time technical employees and four contract employees assigned to specific projects or with special skills not available within the core group.

The eleven core individuals have over 235 years of experience in stimulation. Prior to joining Ely and Associates, members have been involved in the development, field introduction, and support of stimulation fluids and systems for major service companies. Today we still assist the service companies in the development and improvement of their stimulation systems. We usually have a more thorough understanding of the service company fluids than the service company personnel assigned to the treatment. This comes from the broad exposure we have, both geographically and across service company lines. We are exposed to problems and solutions in other areas while the service personnel are limited in their exposure. We recognize problems and potential problems, which may go unnoticed by the production company personnel and service personnel.

Ely and Associates is directly involved in performing over 1000 stimulation treatments per year and indirectly in hundreds of others.

We were the instigators of Intense Quality Control of fracturing treatments where the fluids and materials to be pumped down hole are tested at downhole conditions of time and temperature with the fluid, chemicals, and proppant on location. We have found that chemicals used by the service company vary from batch to batch and that slight contaminants in the water, frac tanks, equipment, and proppant may adversely affect the behavior of the fracturing fluid. We work closely with the service company to obtain the best possible treatment for the customer. All materials and equipment are inventoried to assure that the treatment can be performed as designed. Materials are monitored throughout the treatment to assure that the proper fluid is being mixed and pumped. We are adept at designing and evaluating pretreatment diagnostics such as fluid efficiency tests, mini fracs, and step rates tests, redesigning the optimum treatment and in the execution of the treatment.

We are aware of what is available from the service companies both chemically and equipment-wise. We stay in close contact with their research and field support labs. We often make them aware of problems they are having before their own personnel recognize the problem or the importance of the problem. We eliminate unnecessary chemicals and sometimes add others to improve the treatment. Incompatibility between recommended chemicals is something we encounter quite often and make changes to get rid of the incompatibilities.

We are also exposed to different stimulation techniques throughout the US and elsewhere which could be applicable in your area but due to limited exposure elsewhere may not be known to personnel performing your treatments. In the past, if techniques or processes did not exist to solve the problem, we have developed new techniques or processes to overcome it.

Ely and Associates utilizes the FracproPT model for most of our fracture treatments designs. We are very familiar with its workings and believe it to be as good or better than other models. This is not to say that the other 3D fracture simulators are not acceptable. The ability of the specific simulator to accurately predict what goes on during the treatment is dependent upon the data which goes into the simulator, the ability of the person performing the simulation in understanding the model and the experience of the individual in the area where the treatment is to be performed and elsewhere.

We are very adept at reviewing techniques and processes currently being utilized in the stimulation process and recognizing means to improve the results. This may be in areas removed from the actual stimulation treatment such as cementing, perforating for optimum fracturing results or how to produce the well after treatment.

We conduct schools and training for producing and service personnel in the areas of Quality Control, stimulation techniques and treatment execution, and serve as expert witnesses for our clients in litigations against them.

We are often involved in evaluating and choosing restimulation candidates and have participated in industry projects to develop techniques to more accurately determine restimulation candidates.