Anadarko Petroleum Corporation has conducted a study to improve hydraulic fracturing and field development in the Bossier sands in the East Texas Basin. As part of this study, hydraulic fracture mapping was performed with microseismic imaging on three wells completed in the Bossier sands.

Microseismic fracture mapping is an emerging technology to optimize development of hydraulically fractured reservoirs. This paper demonstrates the use of microseismic mapping under high temperature (300°F) conditions. It also demonstrates how the directly measured results can be implemented to calibrate a 3D fracture growth model.

The study shows mapping results for waterfracs and hybrid fracture treatments (which utilize slickwater to generate the fracture geometry and crosslinked gel to transport the proppant) in the Bossier. Fracture azimuth was fairly consistent for the three wells and fit with earlier surface tiltmeter mapping result in this area. Fracture growth asymmetry was observed and is discussed in the paper. Payzone coverage was generally good but could be improved and created fracture lengths varied significantly between wells.

Keywords:
reservoir characterization, fracture geometry, hydraulic fracturing, fracture mapping, fracture, hydraulic fracture mapping, microseismic event, geometry, york sand, net pressure
Subjects:
Hydraulic Fracturing, Reservoir Characterization, Reservoir Fluid Dynamics, Unconventional and Complex Reservoirs, Fracturing materials (fluids, proppant), Faults and fracture characterization, Seismic processing and interpretation, Reservoir geomechanics, Flow in porous media, Naturally-fractured reservoirs
Copyright 2003, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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