mshoemaker@scicatoil.com | 713-515-1155 | Houston
3D Fracture Geometry Modeling
Seismic-stress cubes are corrected for anisotropy using core integrated with mechanical earth models, and can be input directly into fracture geometry simulators like GOHFER® with the necessary stress variability at the area of interest, contrary to current methods that interpolate geomechanics from vertical wells.
SciCat® Stress is Input Directly into Fracture Simulation
E&P’s operating tight oil and gas plays continue to implement development strategies that involve cookie-cutter completion designs that use identical geometric stage / cluster spacing. Such development strategies fail to account for changes in geology, specifically minimum stress heterogeneity near wellbore and far-field which governs stimulated fracture complexity. The measured stress can be input directly into 3D fracture geometry simulators like GOHFER® .
The same Lower Spraberry example from the Permian shows stacked horizontal wellbores with stress heterogeneity measured in-situ by seismic geomechanics (bottom section), contrary to interpolated stress from vertical logs without seismic which fails to account for the vertical stress differential separating the stacked wellbores (middle section). Without accounting for stress heterogeneity, modeled fracture lengths appear equal and the stacked wellbores would have otherwise been completed identically at significantly increased cost.