Method for well re-stimulation with hydraulic fracture treatments
View Patent ↗A method for fracking a well to reorient vertical fractures into horizontal fractures throughout a target reservoir, including target reservoirs having multiple thin heterogeneous target production zones. The method involves sequentially fracking and injecting proppant at periodic vertical intervals, while monitoring in real time, at least until a dip of an adjacent hydraulic fracture has rotated to a horizontal orientation.
1. A method for creating a re-oriented hydraulic fracture in a target zone of a horizontal well comprising:
accessing a plurality of perforations in well casing in the target zone;
sequentially re-orienting a fracture at each of the plurality of perforations in the target zone by forcing a pressurized flow of fracking fluid sequentially through each of the plurality of perforations;
monitoring in real time, one or more attributes of hydraulic fracture shape, dip, and/or azimuth;
packing the plurality of re-oriented fractures with proppant; and
repeating the step of sequentially re-orienting a fracture at each of the plurality of perforations in the target zone at least until a dip of an adjacent re-oriented hydraulic fracture has rotated to a horizontal orientation.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring in real time, one or more attributes of hydraulic fracture shape, dip, and/or azimuth comprises using a micro-seismic and/or tilt meter.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising verifying fracture tip screen out by monitoring, in real time, downhole injection pressure.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein packing the plurality of re-oriented fractures with proppant comprises packing the plurality of re-oriented fractures with proppant from within 20% of a distance from a terminal end of a re-oriented fracture to within 20% of a distance from a wellbore.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of perforations are spaced about 1 to about 3 feet apart.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring in real time comprises estimating a three-dimensional image of one or more fractures created in the target zone using data obtained during the real time monitoring.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring in real time comprises monitoring tilt from a two-dimensional surface array.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring in real time comprises monitoring a one-dimensional sub-surface array.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring in real time comprises passive and active micro-seismic monitoring.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring in real time comprises monitoring using an element selected from a list consisting of volume resistivity, dielectric constant, electro-magnetic, and a combination thereof.