Interpreting Uncemented Multistage Hydraulic-Fracturing Completion Effectiveness Using Fiber-Optic DTS Injection Data

Summary Tight-gas, low-permeability reservoirs offer a tremendous challenge with respect to effectively completing and draining a target reservoir. Openhole-packer completions in horizontal wells offer a cost-efficient means of accessing the entire lateral section, assuming the target pay can be effectively stimulated. The challenge with openhole completions compared to more conventional cased, cemented, and limited-entry perforated completions is understanding and controlling hydraulic-fracture geometry; specifically, the number and location of fracture-initiation points and the fracturing-fluid flow into the near-wellbore (NWB) area of the reservoir. Fiber-optic-based distributed temperature sensing (DTS) offers a method for identifying, quantifying, and evaluating the NWB fracture geometry, the fracturing-fluid distribution in these broad openhole sections, and overall stimulation effectiveness. DTS can also reveal success or issues with respect to effective zonal isolation when using mechanical isolation during the hydraulic-fracturing process. In this particular case study, a lateral well in a basin-centered gas (BCG) area was completed with swellpacker interval isolation using fracture sleeves for reservoir access. By coupling fracture-treatment responses and openhole log characteristics with the NWB DTS data during pumping and warm-back, an integrated assessment of the completion stimulation effectiveness and efficiency was performed. The end result of this assessment provided an improved understanding of the current completion performance and allowed optimization of openhole completion projects for future wells in this same area.