Ask Nine

When you live on the cutting edge, you field a lot of questions. If you don’t find the answers you need here, please reach out to us directly.

• Isn’t a plug a plug?

  Now that plug-and-perf completions have become the preferred fracking method, operators are seeking other ways to gain an edge. Building a better composite frac plug is just one of the many ways Nine is helping companies maximize their economic advantage.
• What sort of technological advancements are available in frac plugs?

  Ideally, a frac plug needs to do two things: set reliably and be quickly removed from the wellbore so production can commence. The next generation of plugs has a composite content of 97 percent—which you find in the Scorpion Composite Frac Plug—allowing for a much faster drill-out.
• Why does the length of a frac plug matter?

  Simply put, the math adds up. Let’s say you’re using a new plug that’s seven inches shorter than your previous plug. If you have 122 plugs in a lateral, that’s 71 feet you no longer have to drill out.
• What are the risks encountered during completion?

  An over-torqued casing or wellbore abnormalities can often result in a casing integrity issue. This is an emergency situation in which the casing breaks, fails, or collapses, typically resulting in a casing patch. An extended-range plug can help isolate the stages below a casing patch.