Advanced Hydraulic Fracturing: Cracking the Paradigms
Instructor: Prof. Ali Daneshy
Duration: 2 days
CEUs: 1.6
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Getting better value from fracturing treatments is exceptionally urgent under today's low hydrocarbon prices. Better fracturing results require use of latest knowledge and technology. Can we really afford making fracturing decisions based on out-dated theories?
Based mainly on actual field data, this course cracks the paradigms surrounding mechanisms of fracture initiation, growth (width, length and height), proppant transport, screen-out, and fracture closure. It offers new techniques for qualitative determination of fracture conductivity. Built on the above foundation, this course offers new guidelines for better fracture designs that will lead to superior production enhancement. Some of the topics covered in this course include;
1. How real hydraulic fractures propagate within the formation
2. Simple and easy to understand mechanics of initiation and extension of real hydraulic fractures
3. Impact of completion design on fracture propagation and production increase
4. Impact of shear fractures on fracture propagation, proppant transport and production increase
5. How to make qualitative assessment of fracture conductivity from analysis of fracturing pressure data
6. How to design effective mini-fracs
7. How to match fracture design with formation properties for better production
8. What causes the limited frac heights observed in many industrial treatments
9. Cause and effect analysis of screen-out
10. How to interpret fracturing pressure data and use it to make decisions on-site
This course is suited for all interested in improving the outcome of hydraulic fracturing treatments. The more the participants know about fracturing, the more they will benefit from this course.
Course Contents
- * Observation of real fracture behavior and comparison with theory
- o Videos from open holes
- o Pictures from mine-back experiments
- o Treatment pressure data
- * Simple mechanics applied to fracturing
- o Understanding cause and effect in fracturing pressure
- o Shut-in pressure analysis
- * Definition of off-balance growth
- o Tensile and shear fracturing and their consequences
- o Causes of off-balance growth
- o Consequences of off-balance growth
- * Fracture height
- o Are differences in mechanical properties or in-situ stresses the dominant mechanism for fracture height containment?
- o Boundary slip and its effect on fracture containment
- * Analysis of fracturing pressure
- o Pressure distribution inside the fracture
- o Impact of obstructions to fluid movement
- o Analysis of tip screen-out concept
- * Analysis of shut-in frac pressure data
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* Guidelines for more effective fracture design
- o Well completion
- o Mini-frac design for optimum diagnostics
- o Main treatment design for optimum production increase Fluids, rates, viscosities, and proppant concentration
- * When is it appropriate to enhance off-balance growth, and when not
Instructor's Biography
Dr. Ali Daneshy is president of Daneshy Consultants International, Inc. and adjunct professor at the University of Houston, where he teaches a graduate course in hydraulic fracturing. He has participated in the design, execution, and evaluation of many fracturing treatments all over the world. He is an SPE Distinguished Member and a recipient of its Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to hydraulic fracturing. He is also an SPE Distinguished Lecturer and Distinguished Author on Hydraulic Fracturing. Dr. Daneshy holds an MS degree in Mining Engineering from University of Tehran, an MS in Rock Mechanics from University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in Rock Mechanics from the University of Missouri-Rolla.