Hydraulic Fracturing Course

Mike Smith and Carl Montgomery

Upcoming course

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This course is structured in “15” one-to-two-hour elements. Because sections 3 through 7 utilize a case history to demonstrate hydraulic fracturing physics and techniques, they need to be taken in sequence to gain full benefit of the material. The course utilizes Excel spreadsheets to demonstrate the use and application of the various elements of the course using a simple 2-D fracture design.
Audience: For engineers currently in “field” or “operations” assignment
(or scheduled for field or operations assignment within two months of course date)
Course description: The course emphasizes the multi-disciplinary nature of hydraulic fracturing, covering the “Reservoir Engineering” aspects, integrated with the “Fracture Mechanics” aspects, and coupled with “Operational” considerations. This integration presents how to recognize opportunities for fracturing from shale and hard rock tight gas to offshore “frac-pack” completions, how to estimate required data for planning and preparing preliminary job designs, how to design, perform, and analyze pre-frac tests, and finally how to arrive at an “optimum” final design.Read more...

Learning objectives:
• Gain general knowledge in basic theory and application of hydraulic fracturing.
• How to recognize wells/formations as good fracture candidates.
• Develop step-by-step procedure for estimating variables and developing preliminary treatment design goals and pump schedule designs.
• How to use fracturing pressure analysis to “check” preliminary estimates and to develop a final design pump schedule.
• How to evaluate/select appropriate materials (fluid/proppant) for fracturing applications.
• How to combining all aspects of “fracturing” for fracture optimization.
• How to perform the critical field QC for good fracturing results.
Course content:
• Reservoir Engineering: Fundamental “Reservoir Engineering “aspects if hydraulic fracture design, predicting well performance improvement, etc.
• Rock mechanics: How in situ stresses are generated as a function of depth, reservoir pressure, and geologic structure. How is in situ stress measured?
• Fracture Mechanics: What are the major variables that control fracture geometry, and proppant placement? How do we recognize the critical parameters for a specific application?
• Fracture Pressure Analysis: How to design and then analyze pre-frac tests to measure critical design parameters, be that fluid loss, height growth, or other components
• Pump schedule: What are the different “types” of fracture pump schedules, and how & when fracturing pressure data defines the final design pump schedule?
• Materials: What are the important properties for fracturing materials (fluid/proppant) and how should these properties be weighted and evaluated for specific applications?

Upcoming course

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Course contents

    Chapter 1 - Introduction to the Course and a Brief History of Fracturing

    01-01 - Hydraulic Fracturing Market

    01-02 - Course Objectives

    01-03 - What is Hydraulic Fracturing

    01-04 - Fracturing as an Integrated Technology

    Chapter 2 - Equipment and Operations

    02-01 - First Experimental and First Commercial Frac Treatments

    02-02 - Treating Iron

    02-03 - Wellhead Rig-up

    02-04 - Equipment Setup  Sample Lesson

    02-05 - Equipment and Pump Descriptions

    02-06 - Job Setup

    02-07 - Offshore Workboats

    02-08 - Safety and Hazards

    Chapter 3 - Stresses and Conductivity

    03-01 - The Many Stresses/Pressures Experienced in Fracturing

    03-02 - Stress Magnitude

    03-03 - Effect of Geologic Structures

    03-04 - Stress Logs and Borehole Breakouts

    03-05 - Stress Azimuth Effects

    03-06 - Determination of Stress Differences

    03-07 - Stress Measurement

    03-08 - Effect of Stress on Proppant

    03-09 - Demonstration of Stress and Proppant Conductivity using Spreadsheet and Fracschool 1 Problem

    Chapter 4 - Reservoir Response, Post Frac Production, and the Effect of Transient Flow

    04-01 - Variables Affecting Post -Frac Productivity

    04-02 - Flow Regimes

    04-03 - Equivalent Wellbore Radius (Rw’)

    04-04 - Dimensionless Fracture Conductivity (Fcd)

    04-05 - Calculation of “Folds of Increase” FOI

    04-06 - Limitation of the Calculation

    04-07 - Folds of Increase for Acid Fracturing

    04-08 - Fracture Transient Flow Effects

    04-09 - Natural Fractures

    Chapter 5 - Fracture Geometry Basic and the Major Fracture Design Variables

    05-01 - Basic theory – Material Balance Equation

    05-02 = H vs Hloss vs Hnet

    05-03 - Variables and Their Definitions

    05-04 - PKN, GdK and Radial Fracture Models

    05-05 - Fracture Geometry and Net Pressure

    05-06 - Apparent Toughness

    05-07 - In-Situ Stress Variations vs Fracture Height

    05-08 - Lumped Pseudo 3D Model

    05-09 - Sensitivity Problem Exercise and Results

    Chapter 6 - Fracture Design Variables (HECKµQ)

    06-01 - Fracture Height

    06-02 - Modulus

    06-03 - Fluid Loss

    06-04 - K1c

    06-05 - Fluid Viscosity

    06-06 - Pump Rate

    06-07 - Development of a Basis of Design Using Spreadsheet

    Chapter 7 - Treatment Design Options

    07-01 - Perfect Transport Fluids

    07-02 - Banking Fluids

    07-03 - Tip Screenout (TSO) Designs

    07-04 - Develop a Pump Schedule for Fracschool 1 Using Spreadsheet

    Chapter 8 - Fracture Closure Stress, Pressure Decline Analysis and Measurement Techniques

    08-01 - Pressure Analysis Workflow

    08-02 - Micro-Frac Stress Tests

    08-03 - Step-Rate Tests

    08-04 - DFIT Injection-Decline Stress Test

    08-05 - Mini-Frac

    08-06 - Constant Rate Flow Back Test

    08-07 - Pulse/Rebound Test

    08-08 - Step-Down Test

    08-09 - Pressure Decline Behavior Type Curve

    08-10 - “β” Factor Net Pressure Correction

    08-11 - Material Balance from Closure Time vs Pressure Behavior From ∆P* and Ps

    08-12 - Dimensionless Closure Time vs Fluid Efficiency

    08-13 - Exercise using Fracschool 1 and Spreadsheet

    Chapter 9 - Minifrac Pressure Decline Analysis

    09-01 - Bottomhole Treating Pressure Interpretation

    09-02 - Nolte-Smith Diagnostic Log-Log Net Pressure Plot

    09-03 - Nolte-Smith Field Examples

    09-04 - Fracture Videos

    09-05 - Exercise Using Fracschool 1 and Spreadsheet

    Chapter 10 - Proppant Selection

    10-01 - Importance of Conductivity

    10-02 - Proppant Types

    10-03 - Proppant Usage and Forecast

    10-04 - Natural Frac Sands

    10-05 - Resin Coated Proppants

    10-06 - Ceramic Proppants

    10-07 - Gravel Selection for Unconsolidated Sands

    10-08 - Long Term Conductivity Measurements

    10-09 - API Standards for Proppants

    10-10 - “Other” Proppants (tagged, Chemical tracers, Ultra lightweight etc.)

    10-11 - Conductivity Loss Mechanisms

    10-12 - Flow Convergence

    Chapter 11 - Fluid Chemistry and Selection

    11-01 - Rheological Models

    11-02 - Frac Fluid Types and Additives

    11-03 - Guar and Guar Based Derivatives

    11-04 - HPG, CMG and CMHPG

    11-05 - Friction Reducers

    11-06 - Visco-Elastic Thickeners

    11-07 - Crosslinkers

    11-08 - Breakers

    11-09 - Other Additives (pH buffers, Gel Stabilizers, FLA, Clay Control)

    11-10 - Oil Based Fracturing Fluids

    11-11 - Shear History Viscosity Measurements

    Chapter 12 - Fracture Diagnostic Techniques and Tools

    12-01 - Post-Frac Temperature Surveys

    12-02 - Temperature Surveys

    12-03 - Post Frac Radioactive Tracers

    12-04 - Chemical Tracers

    12-05 - Micro Seismic Monitoring

    12-06 - Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DTS and DAS)

    12-07 - Tiltmeters

    Chapter 13 - Perforating and Perforation Strategies

    13-01 - Normal Perforating Gun Questions

    13-02 - Geomechanics of Horizontal Wells

    13-03 - Stage and Cluster Spacing

    13-04 - Limited Entry and Perforation Erosion

    Chapter 14 - Treatment Execution/Quality Control and Safety

    14-01 - What is Quality Control

    14-02 - Pre-Job Planning

    14-03 - Logistics and Planning

    14-04 - Operation and Location Limits

    14-05 - Environmental Stewardship

    14-06 - Water Source and Quality

    14-07 - Fluid Testing and QC

    14-08 - Proppant Testing and QC

    14-09 - Pre-job Safety Meeting

    14-10 - Frac QC Checklist

    14-11 - Execution QC and Monitoring

    14-12 - Post Frac QC

    14-13 - Service Evaluation Form

    14-14 - Safety Video “There are no Clowns”

    Chapter 15 - Big Problem No. 1

    15-01 - Estimate Design Variables

    15-02 - Design Goals

    15-03 - Fracturing Pressure Data/Pressure History Matching

    15-04 - Final Design & Economics