Improve Production With

Optimum Fracture Design in Real Time

Case study: StimMAP services provide hydraulic fracture monitoring and
interpretation for enhanced stimulation optimization in Barnett Shale reservoir

Challenge Refine fracture design

Create optimum fracture design
in a complex and unconventional
reservoir to optimize recovery.
Solution
Use StimMAP* services to
generate a 3D map of micro-
seismic events. Create a model
to enable optimization of
horizontal completions.
An increasing number of wells require fracture stimulation to be economically productive. For
wells in the complex Barnett Shale region, it is difficult to develop an optimal fracture design. An
Oklahoma operator wanted to refine fracture design for greater efficiency in this unconventional
gas reservoir, which had previously been bypassed as too difficult to model. Real-time answers were
needed to determine the number of stages in the fracture and enable updates at each stage. It was
essential to stay within the producing zone, using ball sealers at the right time to move to the
next stage and avoiding growth into the water-bearing zone. With real-time answers, stimulation
optimization recommendations could be made for the well and for future horizontal completions
in the reservoir.

Results
Map View of Microseismic Events
Refined hydraulic fracturing Scaled by Stage
in real time for improved control, 5,500
operational cost savings, and Godley No. 1
Stage 4
5,000 Stage 3
future design optimization. Stage 2
Stage 1
4,500 Bethaney No. 3H
Perforations
Distance North-South, ft

4,000 Godley No. 1

Bethaney No. 1
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0 Bethaney No. 1

-500
-4,000 -3,000 -2,000 -1,000 0 1,000
Distance East-West, ft

Map view of microseismic locations from a four-stage slickwater stimulation treatment.

Stimulation
Case study: StimMAP services provide hydraulic fracture monitoring and
interpretation for enhanced stimulation optimization in Barnett Shale reservoir

Transverse View of Microseismic Events StimMAP services, which had

Scaled by Stage
proven their value in previous
5,250 Stage 4
Stage 3 wells, were chosen to create an
Estimated Lower Barnett Top Stage 2
Stage 1 optimum fracture design using
5,750
Bethaney No. 3
Depth (TVD), ft

accurate image geometry of the

Perforations
6,250 hydraulic fracture.

6,750

7,250

Estimated Ellenberger Topp

7,750
-5,400 -4,400 -3,400 -2,400 -1,400 -400
Distance along projection, ft
Transverse view of microseismic locations from four-stage slickwater stimulation treatment
orthogonal to the preferred fracture orientation.

Make adjustments in real time

StimMAP services, which had proven their value in previous wells, were chosen to create an optimum
fracture design using accurate image geometry of the hydraulic fracture. StimMAP hydraulic fracture
stimulation diagnostics is the first and only service able to monitor the fracture development in real
time or after the event. In the past, operators had relied on pressure gauge readings and temperature
changes to determine whether the fracture was complete. Microseismic data for StimMAP services were
acquired with the multishuttle VSI* Versatile Seismic Imager and processed on location to generate a
3D computer image of the fracture system, enabling the stimulation treatment of subsequent stages to
be reengineered.
From the 3D map of acoustically determined microseismic events (height, length, and width) a model
incorporating the fracture parameters was created. Using the model to interpret the fracture geometry and
azimuth, changes were made in real time. The ability to observe the growth of the acoustic fracture fairway
in real time allowed for modifications on location to the completion design in perforation strategy,
treatment volumes, and injection rate to stay out of the water-bearing zone.

Improve efficiency and save costs

Accurate image geometry of the hydraulic fracture in real time refined and improved control. A complete
reservoir model was developed and measurement of the production contribution of each stage was used
to evaluate the effectiveness of the stimulation treatment. Overlapping fractures were prevented by
increasing the distance between zones, fracturing efficiency was improved by using ball sealers, and the
water-bearing zone was avoided thanks to real-time decisions. More efficient fractures saved operating
costs, improved production, and optimized future horizontal completion designs.

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