economics · reserve metrics
CAPEX per Foot
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Inputs
$
ft
Description
Computes total capital cost normalized by well length — a standard, simple capital-efficiency metric for comparing drilling and completion spend across wells of different lateral lengths, independent of total well cost or reserves.
Variables
| Symbol | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CAPEX/ft | $/ft | CAPEX per Foot |
| CAPEX | $ | Total drilling and completion capital cost for the well. |
| L | ft | The length the capital cost is being normalized against — typically lateral length for a horizontal well, or total measured depth for a vertical/directional well. State which convention is being used alongside any reported result. |
Assumptions
- Total capital cost and length are both measured for the same well.
- CAPEX/ft is computed on a total-capital basis; this calculator does not separate drilling cost from completion cost.
Limitations
- Does not distinguish drilling cost from completion cost — the blended ratio can mask which of the two is driving a change in CAPEX/ft over time, the same limitation loe_per_unit already discloses for its own fixed/variable-cost blend.
- Comparing CAPEX/ft across basins or well designs without also controlling for lateral length, stage count, and proppant intensity can be misleading — a shorter, more intensely stimulated lateral can show a higher CAPEX/ft than a longer, lighter one despite comparable total value creation.
- Does not account for non-well capital (facilities, gathering infrastructure) unless the user folds it into the CAPEX input directly.
Use Cases
- → Peer well benchmarking: Compare drilling and completion capital efficiency across wells of different lengths within the same basin or operator program.
- → Development planning: Sanity-check a type-curve or AFE capital estimate against realized CAPEX/ft from recently completed offset wells.
Related Calculations
Region Notes
General
CAPEX/ft varies significantly by basin, rock characteristics, lateral length, and completion design (proppant/fluid intensity) — there is no single industry-standard benchmark figure; compare against peer wells in the same basin/formation rather than a generic number.
References
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