Unlocking Kuwait's Unconventional Gas Potential: First Large-Scale Multistage Plug-And-Perf in Najmah Kerogen/MFS Formation

Abstract This paper documents the first successful multistage hydraulic fracturing campaign in Kuwait's Najmah Kerogen/MFS formations, targeting nano-Darcy reservoirs under extreme conditions: high fracturing gradients (∼1.0 psi/ft), kerogen creep, and liner deformation challenges. The objective was to validate a scalable stimulation workflow using plug-and-perf multistage fracturing, achieving efficient stage isolation and effective proppant placement. Insights from this project will help shape Kuwait's unconventional gas development roadmap and support long-term energy security goals. A 12-stage Plug-and-Perf design was executed with three clusters per stage, using a limited-entry perforation strategy to optimize fluid distribution. A viscous Slickwater (VS) enabled pumping at 50 bpm with up to 2.5 PPA proppant, while managing wellhead pressures below 13,000 psi. Initially, 15k copperhead and composite plugs were deployed, but tight plug-to-liner clearances created high friction, forcing coiled tubing-assisted plug-placement for the first four stages. Due to liner deformation, the completion design evolved to 10k slim dissolvable plugs, enabling smooth wireline pump-down for the remaining stages. A robust geomechanical model, calibrated from tracer-based height logging in previous vertical fracs, guided stage spacing and limited-entry design. This campaign achieved the first successful placement of an average of 500,000 lb of proppant across 12 multistage treatments in the Najmah Kerogen/MFS formations, overcoming extreme completion and stimulation challenges. The transition from 15k millable plugs to 10k slim dissolvable plugs after the initial four stages eliminated the need for coiled tubing, enabling smooth wireline pump-down operations and reducing execution time significantly. The geomechanical model, previously validated using tracer-logged vertical fracs, accurately predicted fracture geometry and provided confidence in stage design without requiring real-time diagnostics in this horizontal well. The limited-entry perforation approach ensured uniform stimulation across all clusters despite formation variability, while the VS system enabled controlled proppant placement at high rates and pressures. Resin-coated tail-in proppant, proven effective in prior wells to mitigate kerogen creep, was incorporated into the design to maintain near-wellbore conductivity post-treatment. While long-term production performance is under evaluation, the successful execution demonstrates the feasibility of multistage plug-and-perf fracturing in high-stress, nano-Darcy formations, setting a benchmark for Kuwait's unconventional gas development. This project represents the first-ever successful multistage plug-and-perf fracturing campaign in Kuwait's Najmah Kerogen/MFS formations, placing a total of more than 6 million lb of proppant while adapting completion designs mid-operation to overcome liner deformation and pump-down limitations. By combining a tracer-validated geomechanical model, limited-entry strategies, VS-based high-rate pumping, and adaptive plug technology, this workflow establishes a scalable methodology for stimulating ultra-tight, high-pressure reservoirs, enabling Kuwait to accelerate unconventional gas development.