Feature Stories

A Lifetime of Achievement

In May 1991, John Ely with three partners founded Ely & Associates Corp. Since then, Ely & Associates has become known as the premier fracture design and oversight organization in the industry. Particularly in the last 15 years John has become recognized as the leading expert in the design and implementation of the water fracs. Mr. Ely has designed literally thousands of water fracs using technology learned while exploiting both source rock reservoirs and tight conventional rock. His “Waterfrac Sweep” process has been successful in shale, tight sands, and fractured carbonates. Ely and Associates is involved in more than 5000 wells per year throughout the world.

In 2020, Mr. Ely received the prestigious John Franklin Carll award for excellence in petroleum engineering. Named after John Franklin Carll, a geologist born in 1828 who developed many of the subsurface geological methods still in use today, the award recognizes distinguished contribution in the application of engineering principles to petroleum development and recovery. Mr. Ely holds several patents and has numerous publications, including the first and second edition of books titled “Stimulation Treatment Handbook/ An Engineer’s Guide to Quality Control”. He is also a contributing author to the 1989 and 2020 issue of the S.P.E. monograph on hydraulic fracturing (Recent Advances in Hydraulic Fracturing), writing chapters on hydraulic fracturing fluids. “Frac without a K” is Mr. Ely’s latest must-own book. It updates the previously published versions and goes in-depth into slickwater frac technology. He has also published a chapter in the “Modern Fracturing” publication by BJ Services.

In 2021, Mr. Ely was again honored with the Legend of Hydraulic Fracturing award at the SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Conference. In an online presentation due to COVID restrictions, Mr. Ely happily accepted the honor which recognized his lifetime of contributions to the industry. Mr. Ely still teaches hydraulic fracturing 3-5 times a year in the Ely Frac School (elyfracshool.com) and serves as a technical expert in hearings and court cases involving fracturing and well stimulation. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, The Society of Petroleum Engineers, and is a fellow of the American Institute of Chemistry.

Geothermal Energy Solutions

Ely & Associates is working with Fervo Energy on a breakthrough technology that leverages more than a decade of drilling and production. By drilling horizontally in geothermal reservoirs, multiple wells can be tapped from a single location, lowering the surface footprint and reducing drilling costs and risks. Horizontal drilling also allows greater access to geologies that were previously out of reach, increasing the total potential for geothermal energy solutions.

Real-time data on flow, temperature, and performance can be gathered and analyzed using downhole optic cables, providing insights into subsurface behavior at resolutions never before possible. Data analytics algorithms that enable precise locations of the best resources optimize flow distribution through the reservoir to maximize heat mining efficiency. Together, Ely & Fervo are pioneering an innovative approach to geothermal well design, reservoir management and advanced data analytics that could point the way to a bigger and brighter future for all. Geothermal energy is clean, reliable, limitless, cost-effective and scalable – and it’s just getting started. Stay tuned for updates.