• Forecasting the supply outlook for natural gas in the near and medium term — how big is shale gas going to be in the next 10 years?
  • Which areas/plays are growing faster?
  • What are the consequences of other supplies?
• Outlook for demand for natural gas in North America
• What factors may contribute to this?
• Switching from coal to natural gas — how much of this will take place and how much of an impact will it have on demand?
• Exploring potential future uses for natural gas for example gas to liquids, how much an impact will this have, how soon?
• What does the flow of gas in North America look like?
  • How much is going to the market?
• Price forecast for natural gas in the short, medium and long term
• Cost structure for shale: where does it stand and what direction are costs going?
• How would accessing global markets impact the current infrastructure system in North America and how will it impact the price of gas?
• Where is shale gas production catching on around the globe?

• Exploring case histories to illustrate the correlation between shale reservoir quality and production performance
• Understanding which geological aspects of the shale formation are important to pay attention to and how they relate to well performance
• Evaluating influencers on well performance

• Exploring the drivers for the shift to liquids rich plays
• Realizing the difference for identifying the reservoir target
• Understanding production controls: What geology controls production?
• How important is the gas to oil ration to production?
• Necessary considerations when fracking liquids rich plays

• Learning the type of fracks/stimulations being used for particular formations
  • What’s worked and what hasn’t worked
• Examining recovery factors for horizontal wells
• Discovering ways existing technology was effectively applied
• Understanding how operators are maximizing efficiencies and increasing profits

Mr. Boling has worked with the Atlantic Council and assisted in the preparation of a report to provide guidance to European Union countries on how to best handle the various environmental issues associated with unconventional gas developments. The key reason for the information sharing among countries is to promote getting proper practices in place for shale development. In this session Mr. Boling will explore:

• Key learnings on regulatory and environmental issues from the U.S. and Europe
• Recommendations for overcoming these challenges

• Planning for water management as part of a Shale Gas Development Plan
• Examining an example of responsible shale gas development – the Debolt case study
• Taking water flowback and disposal into consideration
• Working with the regulators

• Reducing well costs through economies of scale
• Discovering how to integrate geology with completion data seamlessly
• Understanding the technical execution necessary to improve well performance
• Building efficiencies into your operation through geo-modelling
• Evaluating fracturing fluids and proppants impact on production
• Stage spacing and total stages per well examined for production
• Evaluation the success of isolation and diversion technologies
• Initial results from Horn River data coming off confidential status

• The latest on the Kitimat LNG project:
  • Examining the current status and estimated completion date
  • What are the next steps?
• How will the terminal compare on a global scale with respect to natural gas accessibility and price for intended markets?
• Is there room for more than one LNG project off the BC coast?
• Progress report on pipeline/s and other infrastructure necessary to get gas from NE BC to LNG terminal on the west coast

• Analysis of IP v. longer jump production
  • Which is a better idea in the near-term, which is better in the long-term?
  • Are some plays more sensitive to this than others?
• Exploring elements for determining the best fracture treatment design
  • Frac Size
  • Bit Selection and rate at which you pump
  • Mud Selection: how much is required?
  • What kind is best? How do they differ?
  • Type of fluids used: What’s working? Which combination is best? What is best for a particular formation?
• Identifying fracture spacing considerations along a wellbore
  • Well Spacing and well bore configurations
• Determining which completion method to choose as well as anticipated effectiveness and associated costs
  • Open hole v. cased hole
  • Plugs and perforating v. sleeves
• Examining isolation techniques to improve well economics
• Reservoir characterization using all available information and investigation methodologies practical including:
  • Detailed log analysis which as a minimum includes triple combo data
  • Diagnostic fracture injection testing to determine reservoir pressure, stresses, presence of secondary fractures, as well as an estimate of permeability
  • Microseismic measurements to observe fracture growth

Hear from an operator who is trying to get shale operations underway in a mixed rural-urban region where oil and gas development is new and foreign to residents. Discover insights on the context, what happened, what might have been handled differently and what their path forward is in order to advance in this challenging environment.

The shale gas and oil boom has brought the possibility of large-scale development to jurisdictions heretofore unfamiliar with these operations. Reactions in some of areas, including Quebec, New Brunswick, Maryland, and France, has been unreceptive leading to drilling moratoria and restrictions. However, none of these approach the level of hysteria reached in New York State. In response to concerns raised by environmental groups, public officials and, most notably, the City of New York, the state imposed restrictions in 2008 and ultimately a moratorium on the high-volume hydraulic fracture stimulations required to produce the Marcellus and Utica shales. This past September the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the lead regulatory agency, proposed new and extensive regulatory guidance. The approach taken here presents industry with its greatest challenge to date: a regulatory structure that is completely risk intolerant.

• Examining social issues that arise in connection to how technical side is conducted
• Addressing negative images in the media about shale
  • Where are concerns coming from?
  • What are some of the risks going forward?
• What is the industry doing to make sure companies do not drill bad wells?
• Exploring best practices for cementing and casing of wells
  • How full-proof could this be?
  • Are regulations strict enough on this?
• What does the future for shale development look like in North America based on how governments are reacting to public concerns?
  • Analysis of where governments are at across North America, including federal EPA
  • Which approach is right? Why?
  • Is learning by doing important?
  • Understanding how you can avoid a total ban like NY and QC
  • What lessons have been learned from these situations?
• Best practices for hearing and address concerns
• Determining potential future issues in North America based on experiences around the globe