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Fracture Research and Application Consortium

Selected Overview Slides 2005 http://www.beg.utexas.edu/indassoc/fraccity/public/recntevnt.htm

Austin Texas

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Agenda

• Introduction• Models to Flow Simulation• Introduction to Characterization Methods• Discussion

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FRAC GoalsFracture Research and Application Consortium

• Verifiable conceptual fracture models• Accurate pre-drill predictions• High-resolution, site-specific evaluation • Proven economic impact

– Exploration: risk assessment– Production: reservoir simulation

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Benefits of Membership I

• Opportunities for collaborative projects– Case studies

• Fracture Research & Application Consortium– We are committed to developing useful tools

• Accessible, proven value, unique

• Access to cutting-edge research as it happens– Website & FTP site, software

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FRAC Website private sidehttp://www.beg.utexas.edu/indassoc/fraccity/index.htm

Username: DevonEnergyPassword: FracIA16Note these are case sensitive

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Shared Case Study Data

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Reports, manuscripts, abstracts

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Glossary

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Application

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Benefits of Membership II

• Annual research meeting & field trips• Company office visits & short courses• Company staff training in Austin• Longstanding committed membership• Leveraged research

– DOE, NSF– Jackson School Geology Foundation

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Members2005 Fracture Research & Application Consortium

Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering – Geological Sciences – Bureau of Economic GeologyThe University of Texas at Austin

IMP

Shell International E & P

Huber

Anadarko

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UT Researchers Associated with FRAC

Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering – Geological Sciences – Bureau of Economic GeologyThe University of Texas at Austin

Lake Olson Marrett Lander Bonnell Sen

Gale Reed Laubach Milliken Srinivasan Holder Fomel

Geocosm Geocosm UTIG

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Why a new approach is needed Fracture prediction & evaluation

• Inherent sampling limitations• Unconstrained models

– Predictions difficult to verify– Predictions do not extend to key attributes

• Intensity, Clustering, Are the fractures open?

• Predrill and interwellbore extrapolation– Unacceptable uncertainties

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Challenges Fracture Prediction & Evaluation

Unconstrained models

• EquifinalityEquifinality

• Predictions difficult to verifyPredictions difficult to verify

Frontier Formation, Wyoming

Challenges Fracture Prediction & Evaluation

• Inherent sampling limitations

Hypothetical well bore

Example of difficult-to-measure attributeOpen Fracture Length Distribution

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FRAC Approach

• Exploit links between chemical, mechanical processes– More accurate predictive models– Measure attributes not otherwise obtainable– Quantitative, site-specific, low-cost data not

limited by conventional sampling problems– Map attributes; calibrate seismic data;

incorporate results in simulators

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Research Approaches

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Conceptual Approach of FRAC

Production:ReservoirSimulation

Microstructure(Laubach) Structural surrogates

Geo

mec

hani

cs(O

lson)Scaling

(Marrett)

Reservoir quality

Exploration:Risk

AssessmentQuality, Orientations, Timing,

Apertures, Lengths,Spacings, Geometry

Predict Attributes of Large Fractures and Fracture Arrays

Quantitative Quantitative Structure Structure

Geomechanics Geomechanics DiagenesisDiagenesis

Linked ModelsLinked Models

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Fractures Across a Range of ScalesFRAC Research Covers this Scale Range

Outcrop

cms

Logs

mm

Core

< mm

Thin section

0.5 mm

SEM

ms

Seismic

mdm

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Predictions of Fracture ClusteringThree maps of fracture trace patterns

- 1 0

- 8

- 6

- 4

- 2

0

2

4

6

8

1 0

- 8 - 6 - 4 - 2 0 2 4 6 8

n = 5

- 1 0

- 8

- 6

- 4

- 2

0

2

4

6

8

1 0

- 8 - 6 - 4 - 2 0 2 4 6 8

n = 2 0

- 1 0

- 8

- 6

- 4

- 2

0

2

4

6

8

1 0

- 8 - 6 - 4 - 2 0 2 4 6 8

n = 8 0

n=5 n=20 n=80

•low n, spacing < bed thickness, early subcritical growth•high n, widely spaced clusters, late critical growth

n is subcritical index (n) a rock property that can be used to predict network geometry

Note changes in degree of fracture clustering

Arr

ow in

dica

tes

bed

thic

knes

s fo

r the

se m

odel

s

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Case Studies• Key element of FRAC• Objectives

– Advance research– Transfer technology

• New structure starting in 2005– Aim: Service to Members– Structure under development– Made possible in part by JSG initiative grant