Hydraulic fracture geometry characterization based on distributed fiber optic strain measurements

Auteur

Dr. Kan Wu is an Assistant Professor and Chevron Corporation Faculty Fellow in the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University. She is the Director of the Hydraulic Fracture and Reservoir Geomechanics research team at Texas A&M University. Wu has authored or co-authored more than 90 technical papers. Her Ph.D. degree is in petroleum engineering, awarded by the University of Texas at Austin. She is an Associate Editor for the SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering Journal and on the Editorial Board of Elsevier's Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering.

Texte du rabat

Distributed fiber optic strain measurements, revolutionizing subsurface monitoring and hydraulic fracture characterization, offers a pivotal resource for geophysicists, reservoir engineers, and completion engineers. This cutting-edge technology leads the way in innovation with its ability to detect rock deformation and changes in strain along optical fibers, providing exceptional spatial resolution and measurement sensitivity. Its applications are broad and impactful, ranging from monitoring subsurface carbon storage and enhancing geothermal systems to advancing unconventional reservoir development. Despite the technology's advancements, accurately interpreting data of strain measurement from the hydraulic fracturing process poses a significant challenge due to the complex conditions in the Earth's surface. This book presents a comprehensive approach for analyzing strain responses from both horizontal and vertical monitoring wells to quantify hydraulic fracture propagation and the evolution of fracture geometry. The development of a forward geomechanics model significantly enhance the understanding of the field data. The introduction of a groundbreaking inversion model allows for in-depth data analysis and maximizes the dataset's value. Moreover, this book applies its findings through two field studies in typical unconventional reservoirs, illustrating the practical application of the technology. These case studies highlight effective field data interpretation and the critical insights that can be obtained. This book aims to elucidate data interpretation and analysis of complex subsurface measurements related to hydraulic fracture propagation, providing engineers with a novel perspective on subsurface exploration.

Contenu

1. General Introduction
   
   2. Fiber Optic Sensing Measurements
   3. A Forward Model for Low-frequency Distributed Acoustic Sensing
   4. Identification of Fracture Hits from Strain Rate Responses
   5. An inversion Model for Hydraulic Fracture Geometry from Strain Data
   6. Fracture Geometry Characterization from Low-frequency Distributed
   7. Field Observation and Numerical Modeling of Distributed Strain Sensing