Propped fracture dimension determination based on parent/child well interactions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12435628-B2
Application number	US-202418402341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2024
Priority date	Jan 18, 2023
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A method for determining propped fracture dimensions for a parent well includes hydraulic fracturing a stage of a child well to form a child well fracture, as well as, during the hydraulic fracturing process, measuring, via the parent well, data that are indicative of the formation of a hydraulic connection between the wells via interaction between the wetted front of the child well fracture and the propped region of a corresponding parent well fracture. The method includes measuring TFR (or VFR) data corresponding to the formation of the hydraulic connection between the two wells. The method includes estimating a child well fracture dimension when the hydraulic connection was formed using the TFR data, in combination with a fracture growth profile, and estimating a propped fracture dimension of the parent well fracture based on the estimated dimension of the child well fracture and the distance between the wells at that stage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining propped fracture dimensions for a parent well, comprising:
hydraulic fracturing a stage of a child well to form a child well fracture extending into a surrounding formation;
during the hydraulic fracturing of the stage of the child well, measuring, via a parent well, data that are indicative of a formation of a hydraulic connection between the child well and the parent well via an interaction between a wetted front of the child well fracture and a propped region of a corresponding parent well fracture;
measuring at least one of time to first response (TFR) data or volume to first response (VFR) data corresponding to the formation of the hydraulic connection between the child well and the parent well;
estimating a dimension of the child well fracture when the hydraulic connection was formed using the at least one of the TFR data or the VFR data, in combination with at least one fracture growth profile; and
estimating a propped fracture dimension of the parent well fracture based on the estimated dimension of the child well fracture and a distance between the child well and the parent well at the corresponding stage.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
repeating the method for each of a plurality of stages of the child well; and
generating a distribution of estimated propped fracture dimensions for the parent well.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising generating and executing a well spacing/stacking plan for a hydrocarbon field corresponding to the parent well and the child well based on the generated distribution of estimated propped fracture dimensions for the parent well.

4. The method of claim 2 , comprising:
generating a fracture model based, at least in part, on the generated distribution of estimated propped fracture dimensions for the parent well; and
utilizing the generated fracture model to estimate propped fracture dimensions corresponding to at least one other well within a hydrocarbon field corresponding to the parent well and the child well.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
measuring at least one of TFR/distance data or VFR/distance data for at least one well pair comprising a treatment well and a monitor well;
generating the at least one fracture growth profile based on a fracture growth shape for hydraulic fractures in combination with pump rates for hydraulic fracturing; and
calibrating the at least one fracture growth profile using the at least one of the TFR/distance data or the VFR/distance data.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising generating the at least one fracture growth profile using a fracture model.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the estimated dimension of the child well fracture comprises an estimated length of the child well fracture, and wherein the estimated propped fracture dimension of the parent well fracture comprises an estimated propped fracture length of the parent well fracture.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the estimated dimension of the child well fracture comprises an estimated height of the child well fracture, and wherein the estimated propped fracture dimension of the parent well fracture comprises an estimated propped fracture height of the parent well fracture.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data that are measured via the parent well comprise at least one of pressure data or cross-well strain (CWS) data, and wherein the method further comprises performing at least one of:
hydraulically coupling at least one pressure receiver to a wellbore of the parent well to provide for the measurement of the pressure data; or
deploying at least one fiber optic cable within the wellbore of the parent well to provide for the measurement of the CWS data.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Technology & Engineering Company

Inventors

• Narhi Ward E
• Meier Holger A

Classifications

• E21B2200/20

  Computer models or simulations, e.g. for reservoirs under production, drill bits · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B49/00 Primary

  Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells · CPC title