Advanced Hydraulic Fracturing with 3D Models
Course overview
This course is ideal for those who have some theoretical understanding and practical experience of hydraulic fracturing, and want to significantly increase their knowledge and expertise.
We will conduct detailed discussions of fracturing concepts that are either generally accepted or assumed, and are used in fracturing design, application, and analysis. The strengths and weakness of the various approaches to fracturing will be covered.
The course is designed for
Production, operations, and completions engineers, and supervisors, who are actively involved in hydraulic fracturing design, application and analysis, and desire a more in-depth understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects. Attendees should have some previous fracturing experience, or should have already attended a basic or intermediate level Hydraulic Fracturing Applications course.
Learning objectives
Upon completion of the course, the trainee will be able to:
- Acquire the required data
- Check the validity of the data
- Input the data into a fracture simulator
- Design a frac treatment
- Plan and supervise a frac treatment
- Quality control
- Post-frac analysis and evaluation.
The course is based on the innovative ideas and concepts built into the FRACPRO Simulator. As such, the use of powerful and unique features will be learned:
- Net pressure matching
- Design for Net pressure development
- Fracture Entry Friction Analysis
- Tip effects (dilatancy)
- Multiple fractures
- Proppant convection, etc.
The emphasis is on:
- Candidate selection and screening
- Physically and economically optimized designs
- Safe placement to completion (avoiding unplanned job terminations: screenouts)
- Effective placement, packing of the fracture with proppant, aka TSO design and placement
- Real-time, real-data, on-location, Minifrac and Mainfrac analysis
- Mainfrac Treatment analysis and evaluation
- Pre and post frac QA-QC
The above are accomplished by focusing on resolving the two major issues in Propped Hydrofracture Stimulation:
- Can the treatment be placed safely and effectively to completion?
- Was the placement effective? (Is the proppant opposite and all along the payzone?).
Emerging advanced technologies
During the last decade, the field of hydraulic fracturing has experienced tremendous technological development, which is slowly implemented in field operations. Some developments to be covered are listed in Emerging Advanced technologies in the outline below.
Actual case studies
To reinforce the learning experience, actual case studies from around the world, will be demonstrated in the classroom. In addition, some exercises will be worked on in groups, in order to gain confidence in the application of the technology.
Course outline
Diagnostic Injections
Purpose of Diagnostic Injections
Design and Analysis of Diagnostic Injections
- Fluid Efficiency, Fracture Entry Friction, etc.
Methods to Estimate Bottomhole Pressure
Real-Time Analysis
Real-Time Analysis
Net Pressure Matching
Methodology for Advanced Real-Time Analysis
Post-Frac Analysis
Objective
Single Well Analysis
Multi-well Analysis
Production Forecasting
Emerging Advanced Technologies
Downhole mixing
Jet fracturing
Self- suspending proppant
CTU fracturing
Multi-stage horizontal applications
Extended reach applications
Energy recovery (VorTeq)
Environmentally friendly fluids
Re-use of frac water
Introduction to Well Stimulation
Definition and Methodology of Well Stimulation
Candidate Selection and Optimization
Stimulation Objectives and Types
Stimulation Candidates
Methodology and Example
In-Situ Stress and Stress Testing
Definition and Importance of In-Situ Stress
Estimating Stress Orientation
Estimating Stress Magnitude
Direct Methods
Stress Test Analysis
Developing Data Sets
Fracture Modelling
Sources of Data
Pre-Fracture Analysis
Critical Fracturing Concepts
Simplified Fracture Problem
Fracture Initiation and Propagation
Stress Effects
Fracture Modelling
Pressure Matching
Tip Effects (Dilatancy)
Multiple Hydraulic Fractures
Fracture Height Growth
Proppant Convection
Near-Wellbore Tortuosity
Fluid and Proppants
Fluid Properties
Types of Fracture Fluids
Fracture Fluid Additives
Selection of Fracture Fluids
Fracture Propping Agents
Quality Control and Supervision
Introduction
Pre-Treatment Prep: Equipment
Pre-Treatment Prep: Proppant and Fluid
Pre-Treatment Prep: On Location
Fracture Treatment QC and Monitoring
"The course was extremely interesting and helpful."
- NCOC, Kazakhstan.
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