A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Hydraulic fracture-height growth: Real data
Real data collected using microseismic and microdeformation fracture-mapping technologies on many thousands of hydraulic fracturing jobs indicate that hydraulic-fracture heights are relatively well-contained. The directly measured height growth is often less than conventional hydraulic-fracture propagation models predict because of a number of containment mechanisms. Many of those mechanisms can be best explained by careful review of several mineback experiments where real hydraulic fractures in the subsurface were able to be physically viewed and studied. Some of those mechanisms include complex geologic layering, changing material properties, the presence of higher-permeability layers, the presence of natural fractures formation of hydraulic-fracture networks, and the effects of high fluid leak-off. The effects of pre-existing faults are noted and observed in the mapping results, and the relatively negligible effect of faulting on hydraulic fracture-height growth is discussed. Fracture physics, formation mechanical properties, the layered depositional environment, and other factors all conspire to limit hydraulic-fracture-height growth, causing it to remain in the nearby vicinity of the targeted reservoirs. This certainly is a positive feature of hydraulic fracturing and allows many otherwise noncommercial quality reservoirs to produce hydrocarbons commercially and safely. Public discourse continues around hydraulic fracturing. The authors have attempted to show real fracture-growth data from thousands of treatments in several of the most active shale plays where hydraulic fracturing is a "must have" and, without it, there would be little to no production or reserves growth. It might be instructive to step back from the public debate and recognize, from both real data collected starting more than a decade ago and from government sponsored mineback studies that were performed as far back as the 1970s, that fracture physics, height growth, and containment mechanisms have already been extensively studied and documented in an effort to make hydraulic fracturing more effective. These same early studies, performed outside of today's highly charged climate of debate, reveal significant and relevant data to promote informed discussions about hydraulic-fracture growth and its environmental impact.
Hydraulic fracture-height growth: Real data
Real data collected using microseismic and microdeformation fracture-mapping technologies on many thousands of hydraulic fracturing jobs indicate that hydraulic-fracture heights are relatively well-contained. The directly measured height growth is often less than conventional hydraulic-fracture propagation models predict because of a number of containment mechanisms. Many of those mechanisms can be best explained by careful review of several mineback experiments where real hydraulic fractures in the subsurface were able to be physically viewed and studied. Some of those mechanisms include complex geologic layering, changing material properties, the presence of higher-permeability layers, the presence of natural fractures formation of hydraulic-fracture networks, and the effects of high fluid leak-off. The effects of pre-existing faults are noted and observed in the mapping results, and the relatively negligible effect of faulting on hydraulic fracture-height growth is discussed. Fracture physics, formation mechanical properties, the layered depositional environment, and other factors all conspire to limit hydraulic-fracture-height growth, causing it to remain in the nearby vicinity of the targeted reservoirs. This certainly is a positive feature of hydraulic fracturing and allows many otherwise noncommercial quality reservoirs to produce hydrocarbons commercially and safely. Public discourse continues around hydraulic fracturing. The authors have attempted to show real fracture-growth data from thousands of treatments in several of the most active shale plays where hydraulic fracturing is a "must have" and, without it, there would be little to no production or reserves growth. It might be instructive to step back from the public debate and recognize, from both real data collected starting more than a decade ago and from government sponsored mineback studies that were performed as far back as the 1970s, that fracture physics, height growth, and containment mechanisms have already been extensively studied and documented in an effort to make hydraulic fracturing more effective. These same early studies, performed outside of today's highly charged climate of debate, reveal significant and relevant data to promote informed discussions about hydraulic-fracture growth and its environmental impact.
Hydraulic fracture-height growth: Real data
Fisher, Kevin (author) / Warpinski, Norm (author)
2011
18 Seiten, 18 Bilder, 49 Quellen
Conference paper
English
A Review on Hydraulic Fracture Height Growth for Layered Formation
| Online Contents | 2022
Hydraulic Fracture Height Growth Containment by Artificial Barrier: Experimental Studies
| Tema Archive | 2011
| British Library Online Contents | 2018
Hydraulic Fracture Height and Azimuth Estimation from Microseismic Emissions
| British Library Conference Proceedings | 1995