Hydraulic Fracturing Course

Mike Smith and Carl Montgomery

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This Hydraulic Fracturing course provides a comprehensive and integrated overview of the science, engineering, and operational practices involved in hydraulic fracturing. Spanning 15 detailed chapters, it covers essential topics such as reservoir engineering, fracture mechanics, rock stresses, fracture pressure analysis, pump scheduling, and the selection of fracturing materials. The course emphasizes real-world applications through case histories, practical examples, and the use of Excel spreadsheets for 2-D fracture design modeling. It is designed to equip engineers working in or about to enter field or operational roles with the tools to optimize fracturing performance and improve well productivity economically and efficiently. The curriculum also highlights challenges in unconventional reservoirs and offshore environments, offering a step-by-step approach to design and execution of hydraulic fracturing jobs.Read more...

Who Should Take This Course
• Engineers in field or operations roles
• Professionals preparing for fracturing assignments
• Individuals interested in unconventional reservoirs
• Completion engineers seeking practical design skills

What You Will Learn
• Operational execution and quality control
• Design and analysis of fracture treatments
• Fundamentals of hydraulic fracturing theory
• Integration of reservoir and fracture mechanics

Why This Course Works
• Optimize fracture design and economics
• Maximize well productivity and longevity
• Improve completion efficiency and effectiveness
• Understand multidisciplinary fracturing challenges

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Course contents

    Chapter 2 - Equipment and Operations

    02-01 - First Experimental and First Commercial Frac Treatments (27 min.)

    02-02 - Treating Iron and Equipment Rig-Up (21 min.)

    02-03 - Job Setup & Safety (39 min.) Quiz

    Chapter 3 - Stresses and Conductivity

    03-01 - The Many Stresses/Pressures Experienced in Fracturing (11 min.)

    03-02 - Stress Magnitude (14 min.)

    03-03 - Effect of Geologic Structures (8 min.)

    03-04 - Stress Logs and Borehole Breakouts (17 min.)

    03-05 - Determination of Stress Differences (13 min.)

    03-06 - Stress Measurements (8 min.) Quiz

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

    04-01 - Variables Affecting Post -Frac Productivity (26 min.)

    04-02 - Folds of Increase for Acid Fracturing (15 min.)

    04-03 - Demonstration of Stress & Proppant Conductivity (Frac School 1 Problem) (9 min.)

    04-04 - Frac School 1 Problem - Part 2 (3 min.) Quiz

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

    05-01 - Fluid Selection - 4 Cases (14 min.)

    05-02 - Basic Theory - Material Balance Equation (14 min.)

    05-03 - Fracture Geometry and Net Pressure (6 min.)

    05-04 - Apparent Toughness (9 min.)

    05-05 - In-situ Stress variations vs Fracture height (9 min.)

    05-06 - Lumped Pseudo 3D Model (7 min.)

    05-07 - Sensitivity Problem Exercise and Results (17 min.)

    Chapter 6 - Fracture Design Variables (HECKµQ)

    06-01 - Fracture Height (29 min.)

    06-02 - Frac School #1: Frac Geometry (5 min.)

    06-03 - Modulus (16 min.)

    06-04 - Fracschool #1 - Modulus Estimation (7 min.)

    06-05 - Fluid Loss (26 min.)

    06-06 - Frac School #1 - Fluid Loss Estimation (6 min.)

    06-07 - KIc (6 min.)

    06-08 - Fluid Viscosity (20 min.)

    06-09 - Frac School #1 - Fluid Viscosity (2 min.)

    06-10 - Pump Rate (10 min.)

    06-11 - Frac School #1 - Pump Schedule (7 min.) Quiz

    Chapter 7 - Treatment Design Options

    07-01 - Perfect Transport Fluids (19 min.)

    07-02 - Tip Screen-out (TSO) Designs (12 min.) Quiz

    Chapter 8 - Fracture Closure Stress & Pressure Decline Analysis

    08-01 - Pressure Analysis Workflow (14 min.)

    08-02 - Micro-Frac Stress Tests (26 min.)

    08-03 - Step-Rate Tests (27 min.)

    08-04 - Frac School #1 - DFIT Injection-Decline Stress Test (13 min.) Quiz

    Chapter 9 - Minifrac Pressure Decline Analysis

    09-01 - Bottomhole Treating Pressure (17 min.)

    09-02 - Nolte-Smith Diagnostic Log-Log Net Pressure Plot (18 min.)

    09-03 - Nolte-Smith Field Examples (3 min.)

    09-04 - Interpreting Shut-In Pressure Decline (12 min.)

    09-05 - Frac School #1 - Pressure Decline Analysis (22 min.)

    09-06 - Minifrac Pressure Decline Analysis (11 min.) Quiz

    Chapter 10 - Proppant Selection

    10-01 - Importance of Conductivity (25 min.)

    10-02 - Proppant Types (8 min.)

    10-03 - Proppant Usage and API Standards (11 min.)

    10-04 - Natural Frac Sands (25 min.) Quiz

    Chapter 11 - Fluid Chemistry and Selection

    11-01 - Fracturing Fluid Chemistry (16 min.)

    11-02 - Guar & Guar Based Derivatives (22 min.)

    11-03 - Other Gellant Chemical Structures (14 min.)

    11-04 - Breakers (20 min.)

    11-05 - Clay Control Agents (15 min.) Quiz

    Chapter 12 - Fracture Diagnostic Techniques and Tools

    12-01 - Post-Frac Temperature Surveys (9 min.)

    12-02 - Post-Frac Radioactive Tracers (19 min.)

    12-03 - Micro Seismic Monitoring (24 min.)

    12-04 - Chemical Tracers (6 min.) Quiz

    Chapter 13 - Perforating and Perforation Strategies

    13-01 - Normal Perforating Gun Questions (15 min.)

    13-02 - Limited Entry and Perforation Erosion (9 min.) Quiz

    Chapter 14 - Treatment Execution/Quality Control and Safety

    14-01 - What Is Quality Control? (14 min.)

    14-02 - Environmental Stewardship (39 min.)

    14-03 - Post Frac Quality Control (5 min.)

    14-04 - Fracturing Safety: There Are No Clowns (6 min.) Quiz

    Chapter 15 - Big Problem No. 1

    15-01 - Estimate Design Variables (17 min.)

    15-02 - Fracturing Pressure Data & Pressure History Matching (20 min.)