Can We Engineer Better Multistage Horizontal Completions? Evidence of the Importance of Near-Wellbore Fracture Geometry From Theory, Lab and Field Experiments

Lecampion, Brice; Desroches, J.; Weng, Xiaowei; Burghardt, Jeffrey; Brown, J.E.

doi:10.2118/173363-ms

Cited by 72 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In that case, the exact splitting of the fluid injected at the well head into the different fractures is a priori unknown and may evolve with time. It depends notably on the elastic interactions between the different fractures as well as the exact characteristics of the flow constrictions between the fractures inlet and the wellbore -so called perforation friction (see Bunger and Peirce (2014); Lecampion and Desroches (2015b); Lecampion et al (2015) for some examples). The propagation of simultaneous multiple fractures from a wellbore therefore adds another non-linearity which must be properly dealt with by coupling the dynamics of the fluid flow in the wellbore with the growth of these multiple hydraulic fractures (see Lecampion and Desroches (2015a) for the description of a fully implicit scheme for such problem).…”

Section: Non-linear Injection Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical methods for hydraulic fracture propagation: A review of recent trends

Lecampion

Bunger

Zhang

2018

Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering

Self Cite

337

172

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Non-linear Injection Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical methods for hydraulic fracture propagation: A review of recent trends

Lecampion

Bunger

Zhang

2018

Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering

Self Cite

337

172

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…In one conceptual model, mixed-mechanism stimulation (MMS), propagating hydraulic fractures tend to terminate when they intersect natural fractures and other preexisting planes of weakness. This conceptual model is derived from laboratory experiments (Blanton 1982;Teufel and Clark 1984;Renshaw and Pollard 1995;Suarez-Rivera et al 2006Zhou et al 2008;Gu et al 2011), in-situ observations (Warpinski and Teufel 1987;Warpinski et al 1993;Mahrer 1999;Jeffrey et al 2009;Chuprakov et al 2013), and computational and/or analytical investigations (Dahi-Taleghani and Olson 2009;Gu and Weng 2010;Fu et al 2012;Chuprakov and Prioul 2015). MMS has been used in numerical simulations by a variety of authors (Damjanac et al 2010;Weng et al 2011;Wu et al 2012;McClure and Horne 2013;Huang et al 2014b;Ouchi et al 2015;Wu and Olson 2015).…”

Section: Conceptual Models Of Stimulation and Implications Formentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The classical conceptual model of hydraulic fracturing is that injection creates large, planar hydraulic fractures that propagate continuously through the formation (Economides and Nolte 2000). However, in-situ observations suggest that frac-turing can create multiple fractures strands, a branching network, and other forms of complexity (Warpinski and Teufel 1987;Warpinski et al 1993;Mahrer 1999;Jeffrey et al 2009;Chuprakov et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fully Coupled Hydromechanical Simulation of Hydraulic Fracturing in 3D Discrete-Fracture Networks

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We developed a hydraulic-fracturing simulator that implicitly couples fluid flow with the stresses induced by fracture deformation in large, complex, 3D discrete-fracture networks (DFNs). The code is efficient enough to perform field-scale simulations of hydraulic fracturing in DFNs containing thousands of fractures, without relying on distributed-memory parallelization. The simulator can describe propagation of hydraulic fractures and opening and shear stimulation of natural fractures. Fracture elements can open or slide, depending on their stress state, fluid pressure, and mechanical properties. Fracture sliding occurs in the direction of maximum resolved shear stress. Nonlinear empirical equations are used to relate normal stress, fracture opening, and fracture sliding to fracture aperture and transmissivity. Fluid leakoff is treated with a semianalytical 1D leakoff model that accounts for changing pressure in the fracture over time. Fracture propagation is modeled with linear-elastic fracture mechanics. The Forchheimer equation (Forchheimer 1901) is used to simulate non-Darcy pressure drop in the fractures because of high flow rate. A crossing criterion is implemented that predicts whether propagating hydraulic fractures will cross natural fractures or terminate against them, depending on orientation and stress anisotropy. Height containment of propagating hydraulic fractures between bedding layers can be modeled with a vertically heterogeneous stress field or by explicitly imposing hydraulic-fracture-height containment as a model assumption. Limitations of the model are that all fractures must be vertical; the mechanical calculations assume a linearly elastic and homogeneous medium; proppant transport is not included; and the locations of potentially forming hydraulic fractures must be specified in advance. Simulations were performed of a single propagating hydraulic fracture with and without leakoff to validate the code against classical analytical solutions. Field-scale simulations were performed of hydraulic fracturing in a densely naturally fractured formation. The simulations demonstrate how interaction with natural fractures in the formation can help explain the high net pressures, relatively short fracture lengths, and broad regions of microseismicity that are often observed in the field during stimulation in low-permeability formations, and that are not predicted by classical hydraulic-fracturing models. Depending on input parameters, our simulations predicted a variety of stimulation behaviors, from long hydraulic fractures with minimal leakoff into surrounding fractures to broad regions of dense fracturing with a branching network of many natural and newly formed fractures.

show abstract

“…Final perforation design methodology is dependent upon the number of clusters, perforation density per cluster and spacing between clusters. It has been shown , Miller 2011and Lecampion 2015 and generally accepted that only 50-60% of clusters shot are ultimately producing appreciable amounts of hydrocarbons back to the wellbore. This is mostly attributed to excess stiffness or "stress shadowing", ⌿, and to a reduction in fracture width which limits proppant placement and conductive fractures back to the wellbore.…”

Section: Perforatingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technology Integration: A Methodology to Enhance Production in Horizontal Wolfcamp Shale Wells in the Delaware Basin

Parker

Bazan²,

Tran³

et al. 2015

Day 1 Wed, September 02, 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Multi-stage/multi-cluster hydraulic fracturing in horizontal wellbores is a key technology driving the development of unconventional resources in North America. Several engineering technologies developed over the past decade are readily available for operators to help enhance production. The advantages of technology integration for creating multiple transverse fractures in horizontal wellbores have been well documented.Given the rapid pace of development, many operators strive to standardize completion programs to drive consistency and efficiency in operations and well performance. The key parameters that maximize production in unconventional reservoirs are not dissimilar to the key parameters proven successful time and again in conventional completion designs and fracturing treatments. Generating fracture complexity may be important in unconventional reservoirs, but maximum reservoir contact does not necessarily translate to an effectively stimulated reservoir. Fracture length, fracture conductivity and fracture spacing in multi-cluster/multi-stage completions are first-order parameters that can be engineered. However, additional completion and design considerations for unconventional wells such as natural fracture saturation, mid-field fracture complexity, mechanical fracture interaction and transverse fracture production interference must be considered to enhance production and maximize economics. This paper will focus on technology integration for the Wolfcamp A reservoir using a discrete fracture network (DFN) model for predicting fracture geometry, formation evaluation, oil and fluid tracers, microseismic monitoring and production history matching. The methodology includes: 1) utilization of current fundamental engineering principles and procedures for completion design, 2) simulator calibration to improve predictive models and 3) production history matching and forecasting.Application of this integrated technology approach will help provide the operator with a systematic approach for designing, analyzing, and optimizing multi-stage/multi-cluster transverse hydraulic fractures in horizontal wellbores. Readers of this paper will gain insight on how sound engineering, fracture modeling and data integration can increase recovery and optimize completions in the Wolfcamp formations. Those working in the Delaware and Midland basins can directly apply the principles presented in this paper to enhance the productivity and economics of their completions.

show abstract

Can We Engineer Better Multistage Horizontal Completions? Evidence of the Importance of Near-Wellbore Fracture Geometry From Theory, Lab and Field Experiments

Cited by 72 publications

References 23 publications

Numerical methods for hydraulic fracture propagation: A review of recent trends

Numerical methods for hydraulic fracture propagation: A review of recent trends

Fully Coupled Hydromechanical Simulation of Hydraulic Fracturing in 3D Discrete-Fracture Networks

Technology Integration: A Methodology to Enhance Production in Horizontal Wolfcamp Shale Wells in the Delaware Basin

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About