Hydraulic Fracturing

Mark Machala
Team Lead-Unconventionals
Global Technical Solutions
Hydraulic Fracturing 101
 What is “Hydraulic Fracturing”?

• The use of fluids (hydraulic pressure) to create a

crack in the Reservoir Rock.
• The continued injection of fluids into the created
crack (“fracture”) to make it grow larger
• The placement of small granular solids into the
crack to insure the crack remains open after the
hydraulic pressure is no longer being applied
 Why “Frac” a Well?
• Increase the Rate at which the well is
capable of producing oil or gas
• Most “Unconventional Formations”
Require hydraulic fracturing to be
economic
Production – With and Without a Frac
 Hydraulic Fractures
σoverburden σv > 1psi/ft
σ

Wellbore
σmax

σmax

σmin
σmin
Hydraulic Fracture Length – Top View

Filtrate invaded zone

Top View
Well bore

Created fracture length

Propped fracture length Created fracture length

Effective fracture length

Fractures for Economic Production Rates
Effective $ Wasted $
 Wellbore Considerations for Frac
WHTP
WHTP = BHTP – Phydro + Ppipe + Pperf + Pnwf
Fluid
Hydrostatic Example: BHTP = 11,000’ x 0.95 psi/ft = 10,450 psi
Phydo = 11,000’ x 0.45 psi/ft = 4,950 psi
Ppipe @ 50 bpm = 3000 psi
Pperfs = 500 psi
Pnwf = 500 psi (can be significant)
Pipe
Friction WHTP = 10,450 – 4,950 + 3000 + 500 + 500
WHTP = 9,500 psi 12000

11000

10000
- 50
9000

8000

7000

6000

5000
Perforation 4000
Near Wellbore
Friction
Friction 3000

2000

1000
BHTP
0
(force to break the rock) 19 30 20 00 20 30 21 00
 Perfectly
confined frac
What we think fractures look like
What fractures really look like

Out-of-zone
Poor fluid growth
diversion

T-shaped
Upward fracture fractures
growth
Twisting
fractures

Horizontal Multiple
fractures fractures
 Types of Fractures
Fracture Growth Categories:
• Planar (coupled)
• Planar (De-coupled or fissure)
• Complex Planar
• Network

Proppant
Cored
Frac
SPE 115769 and 114173
Horizontal Well Schematic

Transverse

Longitudinal

Oblique
What’s a Frac Engineer
need from the
Petrophysical Analysis?
GR Resistivity Porosity Lithology Brittleness Clay Plasticity MRIL T1 Closure Rock Kerogen TOC Gas Perm
Type Stress Properties
Eagle Ford Example
•How many frac stages should be pumped?
•How much proppant should be pumped on each frac stage?
•What type of proppant should be used?
•What mesh proppant should be used?
•What perforation scheme was needed?
•What type of completion fluids should be used?
•What injection rate was needed?
•How would fracture injection issues be handled?
•Would a plug-and-perf completion be effective?
 Reservoir Parameters
Porosity Young’s Modulus

Stress Poisson’s Perm

 What’s a Frac Model Need?

FracPro
 What’s a Frac Model Need?

StimPlan
 What’s a Frac Model Need?

Gohfer
 What’s a Frac Model Provide?

StimPlan y
Gohfer
Shale

447.84 min

0.000
0.050

Proppant Coverage lb/ft^2

0.100
0.150
0.200
0.250
0.300
0.350
0.400
0.450
Shale

0.500
0.100 m/sec

6000 7000 8000 200 400 600 800 1000

Stress (psi) Fracture Penetration (ft)

FracPro
 ®
Reservoir Evaluation (QuikLook ) and PAL (Production Array Log)

• Actual
• Model

• CAT – Water
• RAT – Hydrocarbon and Water
• SAT – Velocity Profile
SPE 120271 (Capacitance, Resistively, Spinner)
SPE 125028
Questions? Comments?