A New Method to Interpret Hydraulic Fracture Complexity in Unconventional Reservoir by Tilt Magnitude

Wang, Xin; Ding, Yan; Xiu, Nai Ling; Wang, Zhen Duo; Yan, Yu

doi:10.2523/iptc-17094-ms

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 6 publications

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“…They found that the tiltmeter could monitor the fracture network growth during synchronous fracturing across multiple wells. [82] reported a new technique for assessing fracture complexity using surface tiltmeters, in which three additional parameters are specified to characterize the complexity in shale, coalbed, and sandstones.…”

Section: Distributed Acoustic Sensing (Das)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancement of Hydraulic Fracture Diagnostics in Unconventional Formations

et al. 2021

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Multistage hydraulic fracturing is a technique to extract hydrocarbon from tight and unconventional reservoirs. Although big advancements occurred in this field, understanding of the created fractures location, size, complexity, and proppant distribution is in its infancy. This study provides the recent advances in the methods and techniques used to diagnose hydraulic fractures in unconventional formations. These techniques include tracer flowback analysis, fiber optics such as distributed temperature sensing (DTS) and distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), tiltmeters, microseismic monitoring, and diagnostic fracture injection tests (DFIT). These techniques are used to estimate the fracture length, height, width, complexity, azimuth, cluster efficiency, fracture spacing between laterals, and proppant distribution. Each technique has its advantages and limitations, while integrating more than one technique in fracture diagnostics might result in synergies, leading to a more informative fracture description. DFIT analysis is critical and subjected to the interpreter’s understanding of the process and the formation properties. Hence, the applications of machine learning in fracture diagnostics and DFIT analysis were discussed. The current study presents an extensive review and comparison between different multistage fracture diagnostic methods, and their applicability is provided. The advantages and the limitations of each technique were highlighted, and the possible areas of future research were suggested.

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Section: Distributed Acoustic Sensing (Das)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancement of Hydraulic Fracture Diagnostics in Unconventional Formations

et al. 2021

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CT Identification and Fractal Characterization of 3‐D Propagation and Distribution of Hydrofracturing Cracks in Low‐Permeability Heterogeneous Rocks

Liu

Gao

et al. 2018

JGR Solid Earth

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Understanding and characterization of the three‐dimensional (3‐D) propagation and distribution of hydrofracturing cracks in heterogeneous rock are key for enhancing the stimulation of low‐permeability petroleum reservoirs. In this study, we investigated the propagation and distribution characteristics of hydrofracturing cracks, by conducting true triaxial hydrofracturing tests and computed tomography on artificial heterogeneous rock specimens. Silica sand, Portland cement, and aedelforsite were mixed to create artificial heterogeneous rock specimens using the data of mineral compositions, coarse gravel distribution, and mechanical properties that were measured from the natural heterogeneous glutenite cores. To probe the effects of material heterogeneity on hydrofracturing cracks, the artificial homogenous specimens were created using the identical matrix compositions of the heterogeneous rock specimens and then fractured for comparison. The effects of horizontal geostress ratio on the 3‐D growth and distribution of cracks during hydrofracturing were examined. A fractal‐based method was proposed to characterize the complexity of fractures and the efficiency of hydrofracturing stimulation of heterogeneous media. The material heterogeneity and horizontal geostress ratio were found to significantly influence the 3‐D morphology, growth, and distribution of hydrofracturing cracks. A horizontal geostress ratio of 1.7 appears to be the upper limit for the occurrence of multiple cracks, and higher ratios cause a single crack perpendicular to the minimum horizontal geostress component. The fracturing efficiency is associated with not only the fractured volume but also the complexity of the crack network.

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Tiltmeter Hydraulic Fracturing Mapping on a Cluster of Horizontal Wells in a Tight Gas Reservoir

Zhou

Zeng

Jiang

et al. 2015

SPE/IATMI Asia Pacific Oil &Amp; Gas Conference and Exhibition

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This reservoir is a tight gas field and the target sand stone zones are generally staged fracturing treated at depths of roughly 1500 to 2800 meter. Knowing the direction or azimuth of the fracture orientation is important in development of this low permeability reservoir with horizontal wells. The paper presents surface tiltmeter hydraulic fracturing mapping results of 15 stages treatment in two horizontal wells at the same operational period. The two wells are part of a cluster of six horizontal wells located in North of Yulin, Shanxi province. Application of this technology is important in this tight gas field where fracture stimulation is a key method for production enhancement and reservoir development. This was the first deployment of tiltmeter mapping on a cluster of horizontal wells, and several modifications were made for the standard procedures. Using an array of 54 Surface Tiltmeters, the mapping was performed on all 15 treatments with the average perforation depths of TVD 2540 to 2545m at each horizontal section to determine hydraulic fracture azimuth and fracture length, respectively. For the first horizontal well R-3H, the tiltmeter mapping results show that, the azimuth of fractures is between N53 °E and N71 °E, and the fracture half length for stages fractures is between 112m and 149m. For the second horizontal well R-5H the tiltmeter mapping results show that, the azimuth of fractures is between N67 °E and N76 °E, and the fracture half length for stages fractures is between 107m and 142m. Besides, in the well R-3H from stage 7 to stage 9, the horizontal volume component of fractures, increased from 17% to 34%, as well as in the well R-5H from stage 5 to stage 9, the horizontal volume component of fractures significantly increased to 69% from 20%. Meanwhile, the production of the two wells after the fracturing was the first and second among the cluster of the six horizontal wells, respectively. Thus, by using the synchronous fracturing technology, we believe that it not only improved the complexity of the staged fractures between the two wells but also led to a better production enhancement.

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A New Method to Interpret Hydraulic Fracture Complexity in Unconventional Reservoir by Tilt Magnitude

Cited by 5 publications

References 6 publications

Advancement of Hydraulic Fracture Diagnostics in Unconventional Formations

Advancement of Hydraulic Fracture Diagnostics in Unconventional Formations

CT Identification and Fractal Characterization of 3‐D Propagation and Distribution of Hydrofracturing Cracks in Low‐Permeability Heterogeneous Rocks

Tiltmeter Hydraulic Fracturing Mapping on a Cluster of Horizontal Wells in a Tight Gas Reservoir

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