TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435.

TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractThis paper provides a case history of hydraulic fracture completions in horizontal wells in the South Arne Field, Danish North Sea (9500 ft TVD, chalk formations). 1 The first three propped fracture treatments attempted in the South Arne Field "screened-out" very early in the design due to excessive fracture complexity and fluid leakoff. A detailed study of the rock mechanical properties, wellbore stress & fracture initiation characteristics, far-field stress regime & fracture orientation, and fluid leakoff behavior was integrated with fracture modeling studies to evaluate this problem. 2 These studies were used to improve the fracture treatment strategy for future wells, resulting in essentially 100% success placing the designed proppant volumes and achieving aggressive tip screen-outs (TSOs) on over 60 fracture treatments. This paper summarizes the initial fracture treatment problems and provides a detailed discussion of fracture modeling and design issues, mini-frac analysis procedures, and the mitigation and evaluation of fracture complexity.