Interaction of natural and hydraulic fractures: the impact on reservoir pressure buildup and risk of shear fault reactivation in the Upper Devonian Duvernay Formation, Fox Creek, Alberta

Abstract

The interaction of natural and hydraulic fractures may facilitate lateral fluid propagation in an unconventional reservoir resulting in fast fluid pressure transmission from treatment wells to a fault zone and potential fault shear slip reactivation and associated induced seismicity. Several induced earthquakes (up to 4.1 Mw) occurred since 2013 during hydraulic fracturing of the Upper Devonian Duvernay Formation in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. The mechanism of lateral fluid migration in the unconventional reservoir is not well understood. The current study aims to investigate the interaction of natural fractures and hydraulic fractures for the case study in the area south of Fox Creek, where a linear zone of induced earthquakes (up to 3.9 Mw) occurred along a fault in 2015 during hydraulic fracturing of horizontal wells. We analyze the growth of hydraulic fractures in presence of natural fractures, the impact of resulting complex fracture network on fluid transmission and fluid pressure buildup around the treatment wells. Hydraulic fracture modeling (HFM), reservoir simulations and 3D coupled reservoir-geomechanical modeling are applied to match the timing of hydraulic fracture propagation and transmitted fluid pressure increase in the fault zone versus induced earthquake occurrence. HFM results are verified by microseismic clouds distribution. Reservoir simulations are validated by a history matching of fluid injection volume and bottomhole pressure data. Additional HFM simulations are carried out to optimize the pumping schedule in the studied well pad that would help to prevent hydraulic fractures reaching the fault and minimize the risk of induced seismicity. Article highlights Stress anisotropy and simulated natural fractures impact lateral growth of complex hydraulic fractures and reservoir pressure buildup. Predicted fluid pressure transmission to a fault zone results in fault dextral shear slip reactivation matching induced seismicity. Optimized pumping schedule helps to minimize risks of fault reactivation and induced seismicity while preserving overall pad performance.