Understanding Shale Fractures Leads To Better Production,

Lower Cost
Bill Dershowitz and Mark Cottrell, Golder Associat
August 1, 2011
DFN simulation is shedding new light on natural and hydraulic fracture systems.
Much of the public and political concern about shale gas extraction is centered on water impacts.
This includes complaints from residents in states such as Pennsylvania and New York that their water
wells have become contaminated with methane, speculation by some environmental groups that the
fluids used in the hydraulic fracturing process will migrate upward to levels where it can contaminate
groundwater, and concern that spills will impact surface water.
Such concerns, whether legitimate or not, are threatening development of an extremely valuable
energy source, with estimated recoverable reserves currently estimated at more than 60 Tcf in the US
(worth approximately US $250 billion at a wellhead price of US $4/mcf).
Shales hold enormous potential. The Barnett shale underlying the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas
has produced natural gas commercially since 1981, when Mitchell Energy drilled the first gas well.
Today, improved technologies are moving the shale gas industry toward ever safer, cleaner, and more
efficient production.
This DFN computer-based model shows natural fractures in a rock mass with each
indicated by color. (Images courtesy of Golder Associates)
Natural fractures are key
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Natural fractures exist in almost all shale gas reservoirs. In many, the fractures are healed or sealed
and are therefore assumed to play no role in production. There is increasing evidence that natural
fractures influence the hydraulic fracturing process, the delivery of gas to the wellbore, and the total
oil content (TOC) or richness of the gas shale itself and thus the "grade" of the resource. Natural
fractures also can influence the vertical extent of fracs, the vertical gas flow, and the potential for
environmental impacts.
Discrete fracture network (DFN) analysis of natural fracture systems provides a new tool to better
understand the hydraulic fracturing process and the production of gas resources from such tight rocks.
Although the DFN approach was introduced to the oil industry in the 1980s, the ability of DFN
simulators to incorporate both natural and hydraulic fractures is relatively recent. This ability depends
on improved understanding of the underlying mechanics of hydraulic fracturing.
This computer-based model shows the tributary
drainage volume for fractures in a rock mass,
illustrating the amount of interference between gas
production wells.
Until recently, all frac fluid that did not directly support fracture propagation was treated as "leak off"
and accompanied by a reduction in the hydraulic efficiency of the process. It is now recognized that
fracing also can reactivate natural fractures, providing an increased tributary drainage volume for gas
production. Natural fractures thus have a dual role in some reservoirs, higher natural fracture
densities imply reduced production, while in other reservoirs, higher natural fracture intensities are
indicative of higher production possibilities.
Similarly, when considering the potential environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing, fully
understanding the direction and extent of any hydraulic fracture treatment prior to implementing the
frac is beneficial.
The vertical height of the hydraulic fracture is controlled by the presence of lower modulus rock units
above the reservoir layer hydraulic fractures consistently terminate when they encounter these
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ductile quenching units. The existence of high fracture intensities in these overlying units means those
units are softer and therefore better able to terminate vertical frac propagation. It is through such
geological understanding that the risks to the environment from hydraulic fracturing can be
effectively controlled.
Improved observations of natural fracture systems through careful log interpretation can provide
essential insights to understanding fully the in situ stress state essential for improving fracing design
and gas production and maintaining environmental safety.
DFN modeling couples the geomechanics and fluid flow in the fracture network and the rock matrix
and supports the design of a well-constrained, reliable, and productive drilling and fracing program.
Golder Associates has developed and used FracMan DFN models for both natural and hydraulic
fracture assessment. FracMan provides a key tool for improving production from shale gas and
understanding and reducing environmental risks. The predevelopment analysis of hydraulic fracturing
and fluid flow demonstrates the care being taken to manage gas and fluid migration and can go a long
way toward assuring regulators and other stakeholders, such as local residents and political leaders,
that their concerns are being satisfied.
This DFN model shows the natural fractures with simulations of the microseismic
response that can be expected during hydraulic fracturing.
Microseismic monitoring comes of age
Recent advances in microseismic monitoring, including the development of low-energy surface-based
monitoring techniques, provide a key insight to the hydraulic fracturing process. This can be used to
validate DFN geomechanical analyses and to help demonstrate control of fracing operations to
environmental regulators.
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Microseismic monitoring detects the hundreds of small seismic events that occur when rocks slip past
each other during network fluid flowing. Using arrays of geophones to record and triangulate
microseismic events makes it possible to build a 3-D image of the fracturing rock mass. This image
can be combined with the simulated microseismic picture generated inside the Frac-Man model,
providing understanding and validation to both the DFN modeling and the fracing process.
Geomechanical modeling also can support a company's decision-making process. It can contribute to
the planning of drilling, completion, and stimulation and production strategies required for horizontal
multifrac wells designed to complement natural fracture systems. Geomechanics can help optimize
the best trajectory of a well; it can help determine the in situ stress conditions for safe and efficient
fracing around geohazards. And it also can help determine the optimal pressure conditions during
drilling to avoid unwanted processes like hole collapse and formation damage.
No two shale gas reservoirs are the same (even within the same basin). It is of paramount importance
that integrated approaches be used to simultaneously address safe and efficient production from shale
reservoirs.
Through combining geomechanics, petrophysics, and seismology, the use of horizontal wells and
hydraulic fracture stimulation can be used to safely develop shale based resources.
This image is a simulation of the microseismic response during hydraulic fracturing
in a rock mass. Small earthquakes generated as parts of the rock mass slide past each
other.
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