Natural fracture intensity in the Boggess 5H and MIP-3H were interpreted based on wireline and logging while drilling (LWD) image logs showing that 1000s of calcite and bitumen fractures—cemented but relatively weak—are present along the laterals as swarms at an angle to the present-day stress regime. Fiber-optic distributed acoustic and distributed temperature sensing (DAS/DTS) data, supplemented with core analysis from vertical pilot wells, shows that clusters in parts of a stage dominated by pre-existing fractures have significantly more hydraulic fracture activity. In addition, processed fiber-optic data indicates that pre-existing fractures can form near-wellbore leak-off pathways to previous stimulated stages. Both can lead to stimulation and subsequent production inefficiencies.   The authors present conclusions about stage and cluster spacing and the significance of pre-existing natural fractures on stage isolation and fracture efficiency. 

This presentation is from the 2022 SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference and Exhibition.  

• Paper Number: SPE- 209147-MS 
• Published: 25 January 2022 
• Authors: Timothy Carr; Ebrahim Fathi; Rob Bohn; Mohammad Faiq Adenan; Liwei Li; Brian Panetta; B. J. Carney; Natalie Mitchell 

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