Real-Time Well Interference Control in Hydraulic Fracturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-well fields, existing methods for hydraulic fracturing often result in inefficient proppant delivery, leading to either overfilling or underfilling of fractures, which can cause well interference and reduce extraction efficiency, as the amount of proppant required to maintain fractures is not accurately calculated, especially when drilling child wells near depleted parent wells.
Innovation Solution
A system and method to calculate the fracture length between a child well and a depleted region of a parent well by determining the well-interference time and volume, using a fracture length calculator that integrates pressure changes and flow-distribution factors, allowing for real-time adjustment of proppant concentration and fracturing design to optimize proppant delivery and minimize interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional hydraulic fracturing methods are used in child wells near depleted parent wells, then fractures can be created to access hydrocarbon assets, but proppant delivery becomes inefficient leading to overfilling or underfilling of fractures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculations of fracture length and proppant requirements before initiating hydraulic fracturing. By using pressure transient analysis and well interference testing, the system determines the actual fracture geometry and proppant needs in advance, allowing optimization of proppant delivery rates and concentrations to prevent both overfilling and underfilling while minimizing waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors pressure changes in both parent and child wells during hydraulic fracturing operations. This real-time feedback is used to adjust proppant delivery parameters dynamically, ensuring optimal proppant placement throughout the fracture propagation process. The feedback mechanism allows the system to respond to actual fracture development rather than relying on static pre-planned parameters.
2Reliability
If higher proppant concentration is used to ensure adequate fracture support, then fracture collapse is prevented, but the cost and complexity of proppant delivery increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts proppant concentration and delivery rates based on real-time fracture propagation conditions. Rather than using a fixed high concentration throughout the operation, the system varies proppant parameters match the evolving fracture geometry and stress conditions. This dynamic approach maintains adequate fracture support while avoiding the unnecessary complexity and cost of consistently high proppant concentrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes proppant parameters (concentration, particle size distribution, injection rate) as functions of fracture length, pressure, and depth. By continuously adjusting these parameters based on measured conditions, the system maintains optimal fracture support with simplified delivery systems compared to fixed high-concentration approaches.
3Productivity
If child wells are drilled closer to parent wells to access depleted regions, then extraction efficiency improves, but well interference increases reducing overall productivity
Solution Approach 1:
Before drilling and fracturing child wells near parent wells, the system performs preliminary well interference testing and pressure transient analysis to establish baseline conditions and predict potential interference zones. This advance characterization allows operators to position child wells and design fracturing treatments that maximize extraction from depleted regions while maintaining acceptable interference levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors pressure changes in parent wells during child well fracturing operations to detect and quantify well interference in real-time. This feedback enables dynamic adjustment of fracturing parameters in child wells or production parameters in parent wells to maintain optimal productivity while limiting harmful interference effects.
4Measurement precision
If real-time pressure monitoring and fracture length calculation systems are implemented, then proppant delivery precision improves, but system complexity and initial costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing pressure monitoring infrastructure already present in multi-well fields for production purposes. By analyzing pressure transient data from these existing sensors, the system derives fracture length and proppant delivery information without requiring separate dedicated measurement devices. This self-service approach achieves high measurement precision while minimizing additional system complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure monitoring system serves multiple functions simultaneously: production monitoring, well interference detection, fracture length measurement, and proppant delivery optimization. By making the pressure measurement system multi-functional, the system achieves high measurement precision for fracture characterization without the added complexity and cost of dedicated specialized measurement devices.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables more precise and economically efficient proppant delivery, reducing waste and preventing fracture collapse, thereby enhancing extraction efficiency and extending the life of wells by accurately determining the volume and concentration of proppant needed for each fracturing stage.
Implementation Method 1
Interference between wells can be detected by pressure changes corresponding to fluid flows between the wells
Data Source
AI summary
When a child well is hydraulically fractured near the depleted reservoir volume surrounding a previously produced parent well, it is economically efficient to deliver proppant to the formation volume and fractures not reached by the parent well. A fracture length, which is the distance fluid travels from the child well to the depleted region, is calculated as a function of fracture stage. From identified trends in fracture length, fracture length for future stages can be predicted. Based on predicted fracture length, the slurry or treatment volume to cause well interference can be estimated. Proppant concentration or fracturing stage design can be adjusted so that the well interference volume is larger than the treatment volume and proppant is efficiently delivered to the child well fractures.