IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,687,094
Granted Patent B2
US 12,687,094 · App. 17/859,443 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Fracture event detection

Inventors: Ubong Akpan Inyang (Humble, TX); Dinesh Ananda Shetty (Sugar Land, TX); Jie Bai (Katy, TX); Srividhya Sridhar (Bellaire, TX)
Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
E21B43/26G01V1/288E21B2200/20E21B2200/22G01V2210/1234G01V2210/646
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,687,094
App. No.
17/859,443
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and computer-readable media for detecting and marking events that occur during a fracturing operation. Data related to performance of a fracturing operation in a wellbore during performance of a stage of the fracturing operation can be accessed. An event detection algorithm for detecting a specific event during the fracturing operation can be accessed. The event detection algorithm can be applied to the data to determine whether the specific event actually occurs during at least a portion of the stage of the fracturing operation. As follows, an indication of the specific event occurring during the stage of the fracturing operation can generated if it is determined that the specific event actually occurred during the at least a portion of the stage of the fracturing operation.

Claims (47)

1 . A method comprising:

accessing data related to performance of a fracturing operation in a wellbore during performance of a stage of the fracturing operation;

accessing an event detection algorithm for detecting a specific event that occurs during the fracturing operation;

applying, during at least a portion of the stage of the fracturing operation, the event detection algorithm to the data to determine whether the specific event actually occurs during the at least a portion of the stage of the fracturing operation;

generating an indication of the specific event occurring during the stage of the fracturing operation if it is determined that the specific event actually occurred during the at least a portion of the stage of the fracturing operation;

selecting the event detection algorithm from a plurality of event detection algorithms for detecting different events during the fracturing operation; and

applying the event detection algorithm based on selection of the event detection algorithm from the plurality of event detection algorithms, wherein the event detection algorithm is selected from the plurality of event detection algorithms based on detection of a related event during the fracturing operation.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an occurrence of the specific event is dependent on an occurrence of at least a portion of the related event and a relation between the specific event and the related event defines an input constraint for the event detection algorithm.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the event detection algorithm is selected based on satisfaction of the input constraint according to occurrence of at least a portion of the related event during the fracturing operation.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising refraining from applying at least a subset of the plurality of event detection algorithms in response to selecting and applying the event detection algorithm.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data related to the performance of the fracturing operation includes equipment data related to performance of the fracturing operation, sensor data gathered during performance of the fracturing operation, treatment status data of the fracturing operation, or a combination thereof.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising aggregating the data related to the performance of the fracturing operation from a plurality of data sources and synchronizing the data across the plurality of data sources in relation to performance of the fracturing operation.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding the indication of the specific event occurring during the stage of the fracturing operation to an event log for the fracturing operation.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the specific event is a pressure breakdown event occurring in relation to fracturing of a surrounding formation to the wellbore during the stage of the fracturing operation and the event detection algorithm is a pressure breakdown event detection algorithm.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the pressure breakdown event detection algorithm is applied based on detection of a ball seat event occurring during the stage of the fracturing operation.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the ball seat event is detected based on application of a ball seat event detection algorithm to the data related to the performance of the fracturing operation.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the pressure breakdown event detection algorithm comprises:

determining a dimensionless ratio of a volume of matter pumped into the wellbore after a ball seat event during the stage of the fracturing operation and a displacement volume of the wellbore to a treatment depth of the stage of the fracturing operation; and

identifying an occurrence of the pressure breakdown event during the stage of the fracturing operation based on the dimensionless ratio.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the pressure breakdown event detection algorithm further comprises:

comparing the dimensionless ratio to an upper threshold ratio that is defined with respect to a lower threshold ratio; and

detecting the occurrence of the pressure breakdown event based on a comparison of the dimensionless ratio to the upper threshold ratio.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the pressure breakdown event detection algorithm further comprises:

comparing the dimensionless ratio to a lower threshold ratio that is defined with respect to an upper threshold ratio; and

detecting the occurrence of the pressure breakdown event based on a comparison of a slope of a pressure at a wellhead of the wellbore to a threshold pressure slope if the dimensionless ratio is less than the lower threshold ratio, wherein the slope of the pressure at the wellhead of the wellbore that is compared to the threshold pressure slope occurs after the ball seat event and during the stage of the fracturing operation.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising detecting the occurrence of the pressure breakdown event at a corresponding time after the ball seat event and during the stage of the fracturing operation when the slope of the pressure associated with the wellbore is less than the threshold pressure slope.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the specific event is an open well event occurring during the stage of the fracturing operation and the event detection algorithm is an open well event detection algorithm that compares pressure slope at a wellhead of the wellbore to a threshold pressure slope to identify the open well event.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

selecting a ball seat event detection algorithm from a plurality of event detection algorithms based on identifying an occurrence of the open well event during the stage of the fracturing operation; and

applying the ball seat event detection algorithm to the data related to the performance of the fracturing operation to detect an occurrence of a ball seat event after the open well event during the stage of the fracturing operation.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising facilitating automated control of the fracturing operation based, at least in part, on the specific event occurring during the fracturing operation in response to determining that the specific event actually occurred during the at least a portion of the stage of the fracturing operation.

18 . A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

access data related to performance of a fracturing operation in a wellbore during performance of a stage of the fracturing operation;

access an event detection algorithm for detecting a specific event that occurs during the fracturing operation;

apply, during at least a portion of the stage of the fracturing operation, the event detection algorithm to the data to determine whether the specific event actually occurs during the at least a portion of the stage of the fracturing operation;

generate an indication of the specific event occurring during the stage of the fracturing operation if it is determined that the specific event actually occurred during the at least a portion of the stage of the fracturing operation;

select the event detection algorithm from a plurality of event detection algorithms for detecting different events during the fracturing operation; and

apply the event detection algorithm based on selection of the event detection algorithm from the plurality of event detection algorithms, wherein the event detection algorithm is selected from the plurality of event detection algorithms based on detection of a related event during the fracturing operation.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

access data related to performance of a fracturing operation in a wellbore during performance of a stage of the fracturing operation;

access an event detection algorithm for detecting a specific event that occurs during the fracturing operation;

apply, during at least a portion of the stage of the fracturing operation, the event detection algorithm to the data to determine whether the specific event actually occurs during the at least a portion of the stage of the fracturing operation;

generate an indication of the specific event occurring during the stage of the fracturing operation if it is determined that the specific event actually occurred during the at least a portion of the stage of the fracturing operation;

select the event detection algorithm from a plurality of event detection algorithms for detecting different events during the fracturing operation; and

apply the event detection algorithm based on selection of the event detection algorithm from the plurality of event detection algorithms, wherein the event detection algorithm is selected from the plurality of event detection algorithms based on detection of a related event during the fracturing operation.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 25, 2022
From: BAI, JIE; INYANG, UBONG AKPAN; SHETTY, DINESH ANANDA; SRIDHAR, SRIVIDHYA
To: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 060603/0829 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240011377A1 · Jan 11, 2024
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