Parent-child well interactions often lead to compromised completions that can significantly hinder production from both wells. Of course, there are plenty of techniques to evaluate this interwell communication during or after the fracturing treatment. But by that point, the potential damage is already done.
Wouldn’t you rather take a proactive approach – and be better informed to prevent or mitigate fracture interactions – by identifying areas of localized depletion beforehand?
The depleted fracture indentification (DFI) process is different.
Our DFI analysis is the only method on the market that can predict potential frac hits by pinpointing areas of localized depletion in the wellbore. These areas are most often associated with depleted fractures connected to a parent well, and restimulating them can exponentially increase the likelihood of causing an interaction with the parent well.
That’s where our proprietary DFI process comes in. By analyzing your existing drilling data to identify the precise locations of these vulnerable communications between wells, it provides actionable insights to help:
- Predict and mitigate potential frac hits from new completions
- Assess fracture growth from the parent well
- Optimize well spacing
- Reduce completion costs
- Enhance your understanding of cluster efficiency (when integrated with FlowFX™ near-wellbore simulator)
Avoid depleted fractures without bypassing valuable reserves.
Precise targeting gives you unprecedented power to reduce completion risks by avoiding only the problem areas – without having to avoid significant sections of the lateral and reduce your well’s potential in the process.
Case Study – Southern Delaware Basin
Presented at URTeC in Houston, Texas, June 2022.
“Completions Optimization and Fracture Evaluation of Infill Wells: A Southern Delaware Basin Case Study” explores the impacts of FDIs caused by pressure sinks around depleted primary wells.
Discover how advanced completion designs can enhance resource recovery, minimize adverse fracture propagation, and improve the commercial viability of infill well development.
Access the full case study at onepetro.org: URTEC-3723755-MS.
Case Study – Appalachian Basin
“Drill2Frac was able to accurately map the depleted zones on a pad of child wells which was later independently validated through monitoring of pressure response in the parent wells during fracturing.”
-Technology Manager – Appalachian Operator
To identify areas of localized depletion before fracturing, a Utica Point Pleasant operator requested DFI analysis in two child wells and a parent well that had been producing for more than two years. RockMSE® readings, shown in Figure 1, indicate changes in rock strength along the wellbore.
Figure 1. RockMSE analysis results of parent and child wells, visualized as color-coded bands along the wellbore.
Identifying anomalies and detecting a second parent well.
Drill2Frac analysts began by evaluating RockMSE readings to identify anomalies along the wellbores. While they found none in the parent well, there were multiple anomalies in the child wells (Figure 2). Many of these anomalies were aligned along the same azimuth between the two child wells, which is a strong indication of fractures originating from the parent well.
Additionally, Drill2Frac’s data suggested the presence of a second parent well (“Parent B” in Figure 2), which was later confirmed by the operator.
Figure 2. Many paired anomalies in the child wells line up directly with the parent well.
Qualifying areas of depletion.
Drill2Frac uses a variety of approaches to qualify fractures as areas of depletion. For example, the azimuths of the paired anomalies in Figure 2 line up directly with the parent well. These azimuths also correspond with the local maximum stress direction (shown in the stress map in Figure 3), which provides further evidence of intersecting depletions originating from the parent well.
Figure 3. Stress map of the Point Pleasant shale formation, with emphasis on the field featured in this study.
Providing solid guidance to achieve superior results.
By identifying and pinpointing areas of localized depletion intersecting the child wellbores, DFI analysis provided proactive mitigation to avoid frac hits, reduce operational costs and improve completion performance.