Reservoir Monitoring Consortium (RMC)

Annual Project Review Meeting

Towards Optimizing Operational Parameters for Real Time Monitoring of Hydraulic Fracturing

Los Angeles, CAOctober 21, 2014

Arman Khodabakhshnejad,

Hydraulic Fracture Propagation

California Council on Science and Technology, 2014Warpinski, 1987

Hydraulic Fracturing Microseismic Map

Warpinski, 2008

Hydraulic Fracturing Propagation Models

Fracture growth and complexity scenarios Cipolla, 2008

Difficulties in the Modeling of

Hydraulic Fracturing

Various mechanisms act simultaneously:

Fluid Flow Inside the Fractures

Fluid Flow from Fractures to the Matrix

Rock Deformation

Change in Stress Field

Rock Fracturing

Rock and fracture simulation tools are underdeveloped.

Hydraulic Fracturing Models

Perkins-Kern-Nordgren (PKN)

Elliptical crack,

Height is fixed,

2 dimensional model.

Khristianovitch-Zheltov-Geertsma-de Klerk (KGD)

Constant flow rate in the fracture,

2 dimensional model,

Constant pressure in the fracture.

Economides et al, 2000

Economides et al, 2000

Hydraulic Fracturing Models (Cont’d)

P3D

Semi 3D,

Multilayer model,

Homogeneous rock.

Physical models

Less assumptions,

New numerical schemes,

Fluid rock interaction.

Adachi et al, 2007

Assumptions To Model Hydraulic

Fracturing

No Leak-off

LEFM

Planar Fracture Growth

Isotropic Homogeneous Rock

Constant Fracture Height (or Constant Fracture Width)

Two Dimensional model (plane stress- plane stress)

Simple Fluid Property Definition

Tools and Processes

Main Platform

Fluid Flow Modeling

Rock Deformation and fracture

modeling

Load Generation

MATLAB

MATLAB

FORTRAN

PYTHONABAQUS

Hydraulic Fracturing Simulation

Start

Initialization

Calculate Stress

Field

Fracture

InitiationIncrease Time

Calculate Fluid

Pressure

Adjust Fracture

Size

Operation is

completed?

Finish

No

Yes Yes

No

Suggested Algorithm for the

Hydraulic Fracturing Modeling

Fluid Flow Model

Pressure Distribution in XY cross section, z =45

Pressure Distribution Inside the Fracture

Width = 0.0001 K = 1.26×106 mD Width = 0.001 K = 1.26×108 mD

Geomechanical and Fracture Model

Geomechanical and Fracture Model

Base ModelFracture Growth, (magnified 1000

times)

Limitations

High

performance computing

Rock damage model

Access to the

operational data

Accurate reservoir

characterization

Reliable

Hydraulic

Fracturing

Simulation

Hydraulic Fracturing Simulator

Novel numerical scheme

in-situ stresses

Fluid Transfer between

fracture & matrix

Realistic Fluid

Model

Elastic-Plastic rock

model

Advantages

XFEM

Anisotropic reservoir

Leak-offNon Newtonian

Shale

Optimization of the Hydraulic

Fracturing Operation

Reservoir

Characterization

Model Initialization

Run Multiple

Scenarios

Optimized

Hydraulic

Fracturing

Operation

Improved Reservoir

Characterization

Operational Data

Tilt Meter

Microseismic

Monitoring

Model Preparation

Conclusion

Production optimization can be achieved if the algorithm is

integrated with a reservoir simulator for the optimized fracture

network creation.

Proppant placement can be improved through better

characterization of fracture network.

Water usage would be reduced by decreasing number of

hydraulic fracturing stages.

Improved reservoir characterization is accomplished through

coupling of the program with and an inverse modeling tool.