Applications of Mini Fracs

Diagnostic Fracture Injection Test (DFIT)

 Benefits of Mini Frac Test

GNSGA: Pressure decline monitoring in progres DPR

23.07.17 SLB 210 Wells: GNSGA

Mini-fall off test carried out with 1. Carried out SRT with Clay treated water 
Clay treated water at GNSGA: Obsvd Surface Pr.: 9124 psi@ 9 bpm 
PI - 3744-56 M @ 24 spm ISIP: 6989 psi
Fluid volume pumped: 50 bbls

Start time: 11.50 am 2. Carried out Callibration injection test with

Max. Pressure: 7860 psi@6.9 bpm  Cross Linked Gel
Fluid volume pumped: 40 bbls, Obsvd Surface Pr.: 9631 psi @ 13 bpm
ISIP- 6694 psi ISIP post Callibration: 7818 psi
Cross linked Gel pumpd: 255 bbls

At 1900 hrs: 
THP: 6175 psi Pressure decline monitoring post callibration
CHP: 2500 psi injection in progress.
 Benefits of Mini Frac Test

1. Estimate reservoir parameters needed for frac design: K, Pr, leakoff,

natural fractures in a short period of time.

2. Determine critical injection pressure of the cap rock for flooding and
disposal projects.

3. Optimize fluid injection in EOR: Avoid over/under injection

4. Optimize drawdown during flow back to avoid frac damage.

Mini Frac Test
 Information Obtained from Mini Frac Test

1. Fracture Propagation Pressure

2. Instantaneous Shut-in Pressure (ISIP)

3. Fracture Gradient (ISIP/depth)

4. Fracture Closure Pressure (FCP or Pc)

5. Reservoir Pore Pressure (Pp)

6. Formation Permeability (K)

7. Net Fracture Pressure (NFP or Pn)

8. Identify Leakoff Mechanism

9. Flow Regimes
 In-Situ Stress Field

Deep wells: vertical fractures Shallow wells (depth < 1000 ft)
Horizontal fractures
 How To Determine Stress Direction?

Fracture Micro-Image Log (FMI Log) Caliper Logs

Openhole logging tools; measure Based on the shape of the borehole
the resistivity to create images. to determine the maximum stress.
 World Stress Map

Horizontal section should be drilled perpendicular to the max stress.

The fractures is perpendicular to the well  Best Fracs
 Why Minimum Stress (s3) is Important?

Proppants should be hard enough to withstand s3 + pressure drawndown

 Mini Frac Typical Pressure Profile

ISIP: the minimum pressure required to hold a fracture open.

Pf > ISIP > Pc
 Fracture Dominated Analysis

FCP or Pc is determined based on the intersection between two straight lines

 G-Function

G-function is an analytical technique used to define the closure pressure

and the types of leak-off.

G-function is a dimensionless function of shut-in time normalized to

pumping time. (Kenneth G. Nolte, 1979).
 
t: total test time = Pumping + shut-in

tp: pumping time

G(DtD): G-function time

G(DtD)c: G-fuction time at fracture closure

h: fluid efficiency
Normal Leakoff
 Frac (Fluid) Efficiency (h)
 

Low leakoff is an indication of low permeability.

 Frac (Fluid) Efficiency (h)

For Gc = 3 h = 60% High leakoff or high fluid loss

For Gc = 30 h = 94% Low leakoff or low fluid loss.

Where Gc is the G-function time at fracture closure.

Pressure Dependent Leakoff (PDL)
 Pressure Dependent Leakoff (PDL)

PDL occurs when secondary fractures exists in the formation and

intersect with the main fracture.

G-function shows a large hump above the straight line.

The end of the hump identifies the fissure opening pressure.

Derivative of the G-function from the straight line determine FCP.

Fracture Tip Extension (FTE)
 Fracture Tip Extension

Fracture tip extension occurs when a fracture continues to grow even

after injection is stopped and the well is shut-in. It is a phenomenon that
occurs in very low permeability reservoirs. Injected fluid energy, which
normally would be released through leakoff, is transferred to the ends of
the fracture resulting in fracture tip extension.

The G-function derivative G*dP/dG initially exhibits a large positive

slope that continuous to decrease with shut-in time yielding a concave-
down curvature.

Any straight line fit through the G-function derivative intersects the y-
axis above the origin.
 Fracture Tip Extension with Flowback

Gc is very high (> 30).

Shut-in time is high.

Flowback is necessary. it
is recommended the
flowback rate is
approximately 1/6 to ¼
of the last injection rate.
Fracture Height Recession (FHR)
 Fracture Height Recession (FHR)

FHR occurs if the fracture propagates through adjoining impermeable

layers during injection.

The G-fuction derivative G*dP/dG lies below the straight line

extrapolated through the normal leakoff data.

Both G-function and the first derivative exhibits a concave up trend.

Use of Square Root of Time to Determine Pc
 After Closure Analysis (ACA)

Fracture Linear Flow Pseudo-radial Flow

Flow Regime Diagnoses After Closure
 Determination of Pc (FCP)

In general, there are three methods to determine the PC:

1. G-Function Plot

2. Square Root Plot

3. Log-log Diagnostic Plot

 Net Fracture Pressure vs. Fracture Network Complexity

The more complex the formation, the more natural fractures may exist
and the higher is the Net Fracture Pressure.
Net Fracture Pressure (Progress of Fracture Extension)
 Net Fracture Pressure (Progress of Fracture Extension)

I – Confined height; unrestricted extension.

II – Constant NFP plateau can result in unstable growth, fluid loss or

fissures opening.

III – Fracture growth ceases … continued injection increases width of the

fracture; balloon effect or tip screenout.

IV – Unstable height. During fracturing, if a barrier is crossed and

encountered a lower stress zone, an accelerated width growth will occur,
which is undesirable; should terminate injection.
 After Closure Analysis (ACA)

1. Flow regime diagnostic plot (DP vs Dt)

Assume a value of PR. (DP = Pt - PR)

Confirm flow regimes (radial, linear)

Estimate reservoir pressure, Pr

2. Radial flow analysis

Confirm reservoir pressure

Estimate formation permeability.

 After Closure Analysis (ACA)

1. Flow regime diagnostic plot (DP vs Dt):

Fall-off data is plotted on a log-log of dP = Pt - PR vs. the square of the

time function “FL”.

 
2 −1 𝑡 𝑐
𝐹 𝐿 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛
𝜋 𝑡√
FL : Dimensionless time function

Pt : Pressure at shut-in “t”

PR : Static reservoir pressure

tc : Time at fracture closure pressure

Identification of Radial Flow Regime

 
2 −1 𝑡 𝑐
𝐹 𝐿 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛
𝜋 √𝑡
 Radial Flow Analysis (Similar to Horner Plot)

2. Radial flow analysis

  where x 1.6
 Permeability Estimation from G-Function

This empirical formular gives an estimate of the permeability when after

cosure radial flow data are not available.
  0.0086 𝜇 𝑓 √ 0.01 ( 𝐼𝑆𝐼𝑃 − 𝑃 𝑐 )
𝑘= 1.96
𝜙 𝑐𝑡 ( 𝐺 𝑐 𝐸 𝑟 𝑝 /0.038 )
K : formation permeability md
mf : fluid viscosity cp
f : porosity fraction
ct : Total compressibility psi-1
Gc : G-Function at closure pressure
E : Young Modulus Mmpsi
rp : leakoff height gross frac height ratio
 Mini Frac Design

Test Duration:

The lower the injection pressure, the shorter the fall-off period to reach
radial flow.

The shorter the injection period, the shorter the fall-off period.
Injection Period, minute Permeability, md Time to Pc, hour
5 0.1 0.2 (12 mins)
20 0.1 1.0
5 0.01 2–3
5 0.0001 10

Time to radial flow regime is approximate 3 times it takes to reach

closure pressure.
 Estimation of Fracture Pressure Gradient

 
Eaton’s Formula:

FG : Fracture pressure gradient psi/ft

sob : Overburden stress psi

Pp : Pore pressure psi

u : Poisson’s ratio (limestone 0.27; sandstone 0.33)

 Impact of Ambient Temperature on DFIT

The cyclic change in the ambient temperature has affected both

wellhead and Pwf data for uninsulated wellhead. (JPT Sept 2014)
 Impact of Ambient Temperature on DFIT

The cyclic change in the ambient temperature has affected both

wellhead and Pwf data for uninsulated wellhead. (JPT Sept 2014)
 Benefits of Insulating Wellhead

Smooth data
during radial
flow
 Mini Frac Test - Case Study – Duvernay Formation

Injection pressures are too high; injection period is a little too long 25mins
 Mini Frac Test - Case Study – Duvernay Formation

Wellbore storage; first slope of -1 at 20 hrs, radial flow? NO….

Mini Frac Test - Case Study – Duvernay Formation
Determination of K and PR
Determination of K and PR
Effect of Pressure Draw-down on Proppant Design

Low DPdrawdown.

High DPdrawdown.

sprop >> Pc + DPdrawdown.