Field Cases of Hydraulic Fracture Stimulation Diagnostics Using Fiber Optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) Measurements and Analyses

Molenaar, Mathieu M.; Cox, Barbara

doi:10.2118/164030-ms

Cited by 74 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Qualitative and quantitative information about frac stimulation may be gained from this type of analysis (Cox and Molenaar, 2013). Figure 5a shows an example of an integrated display of DAS, DTS and HFS for a single CPnP LE stage (Stage 4).…”

Section: Pc Efficiency -Frac Monitoring Via Dasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perforation Cluster Efficiency of Cemented Plug and Perf Limited Entry Completions; Insights from Fiber Optics Diagnostics

Huckabee

Molenaar

et al. 2016

Day 2 Wed, February 10, 2016

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131

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It is now well established that the production from horizontal wells completed via hydraulic fracture stimulations (fracs) is highly variable along the length of the wellbore. In addition to subsurface conditions, elements of the completion design, such as fluid volume, proppant tonnage, rate, stage length, the number of perforation clusters and their spacing, influence the performance of individual stimulated intervals and wells. Information about completion efficiency can be obtained using Fiber Optic (FO) diagnostics. Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) provide great insights into the factors controlling frac construction and performance of each perforation cluster. The integrated analysis of DAS and DTS in horizontal wells completed with multiple perforation clusters per stage indicate that, although most perforation clusters receive fluids during the stimulation, there are significant changes in efficiency during the frac stimulation process that can impact frac connectivity, conductivity and ultimately, their production. This presentation illustrates recent observations about Perforation Cluster Efficiency (PCE) using FO diagnostics and summarizes the results for many wells with Cemented Plug and Perforated completions Limited Entry design (CPnP LE).

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Section: Pc Efficiency -Frac Monitoring Via Dasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perforation Cluster Efficiency of Cemented Plug and Perf Limited Entry Completions; Insights from Fiber Optics Diagnostics

Huckabee

Molenaar

et al. 2016

Day 2 Wed, February 10, 2016

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131

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“…Fiber-optic monitoring using both distributed temperature sensing (DTS) and distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) can be used in both the treatment well (Huckabee 2009;Holley et al 2010;Molenaar and Cox 2013;Cakici et al 2013;Ugueto et al 2014) and in offsets wells (Webster et al 2013). In the treatment well, the distributed sensing technologies can provide information on the distribution of fluids among perforation clusters, the location(s) of persistent fractures (indicative of volume), and isolation issues that might cloud interpretation of any microseismic data.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Validation Assessment of Microseismic Monitoring

Warpinski

Wolhart

2016

Day 2 Wed, February 10, 2016

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Microseismic monitoring of hydraulic fracturing in unconventional reservoirs is a valuable tool for delineating the effectiveness of stimulations, completions, and overall field development. Important information, such as fracture azimuth, fracture length, height growth, staging effectiveness, and many other geometric parameters, can typically be determined from good quality data sets. In addition, there are parameters now being extracted from microseismic data sets, or correlated with microseismic data, to infer other properties of the stimulation/completion system, such as stimulated reservoir volume (SRV), discrete fracture networks (DFNs), structural effects, proppant placement, permeability, fracture opening and closure, geohazards, and others. Much of the information obtained in this way is based on solid geomechanical or seismological principles, but some of it is speculative as well.This paper reviews published data where microseismic results have been validated by experiments using some type of ground-truth or alternative measurement procedure, discusses the geomechanics and seismological mechanisms that can be reasonably considered in evaluating the likelihood of inferring given properties, and appraises the uncertainties associated with monitoring and the effect on any inferences about fracture behavior. Considerable data now exist from tiltmeters, fiber-optic sensing, tracers, pressure sensors, multi-well-pad experiments, and production interference that can be used to aid the validation assessment.Relatively limited microseismic results have actually been validated in any consistent manner. Fracture azimuth from microseismic has been verified across a wide range of reservoir types using multiple techniques. Good validation of fracture length and height were performed in sandstones for planar fractures; fracture length and height in typical horizontal completions with multiple fractures or complexity have a lesser degree of verification. Other parameters, such as complexity, discrete fracture networks, source parameters, and SRV, have little supporting evidence to provide validation, even though they might have sound physical principles underlying their application. It is clear that microseismic monitoring would benefit from more attention to validation testing. In many cases, the data might be available but have not been used for validation purposes, or such results have not been published.

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“…Since the first downhole demonstration of DAS, the technology has been developed rapidly for many downhole applications, including Hydraulic Fracture Profiling (HFP) (Molenaar, 2013), Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) (Mateeva, 2014) and most recently flow profiling (in't Panhuis, 2013). These applications have all been based around the use of DAS to take downhole measurements, at specific times.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cloud-Based Solution for Permanent Fiber-Optic DAS Flow Monitoring

Richards¹,

Bartlett²,

Onen³

et al. 2015

SPE Digital Energy Conference and Exhibition

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In 2014, a first permanent installation of a fibre-optic (FO) distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) system was piloted in a tight gas well in Northern British Columbia. The project had three goals; to permanently monitor flow rates along the entire well bore, to make that information available to collaborative teams worldwide in real-time and to advance the system for future installations.In oil and gas field development there is often a lack of frequent quality well and reservoir surveillance (WRS) data for quality decision making; leaving significant reservoir or well performance uncertainties potentially leading to suboptimal reservoir development. The need for frequent and good quality surveillance data is highest in complex reservoir developments such as unconventional plays, waterflooded reservoirs, thermal and chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery projects.Often, well surveillance data is not acquired in practice because of concerns associated with production deferment, costs & logistics, HSE exposure or because it creates operational risks associated with well interventions when using conventional logging methods.The attractiveness of FO-based surveillance lies with the fact that once the passive FO cable has been installed, no subsequent well interventions are required to collect downhole data; allowing for continuous (long-term) measurements or repeated measurements as and when required while eliminating the concerns associated with conventional logging methods.The pilot system deployed at the well site is continuously measuring and recording qualitative and quantitative flow information. Using a secure web browser, the asset team can access the real-time and historical data when required or share with collaborative teams worldwide. The pilot has helped identify where improvements can be made in the enabling Distributed Sensing infrastructure such as handling and evaluation of the large data volumes, seamless data transfer, the robustness of the system installation and the overall integration of data into the full workflows. It will take further development of the system to implement all these improvements, but it is clear that FO based applications will play a key role in future well and reservoir surveillance.This paper presents the system architecture and details the lessons learnt in designing, commissioning and running this system including the extraction of low data rate, actionable, qualitative data from distributed fibre-optic sensors and the IT challenges of creating a reliable, permanently installed system.

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Field Cases of Hydraulic Fracture Stimulation Diagnostics Using Fiber Optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) Measurements and Analyses

Cited by 74 publications

References 11 publications

Perforation Cluster Efficiency of Cemented Plug and Perf Limited Entry Completions; Insights from Fiber Optics Diagnostics

Perforation Cluster Efficiency of Cemented Plug and Perf Limited Entry Completions; Insights from Fiber Optics Diagnostics

A Validation Assessment of Microseismic Monitoring

Cloud-Based Solution for Permanent Fiber-Optic DAS Flow Monitoring

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