First Global Application Combining Digital Engineered Breakdown with Pulsing Technique for Highly Conductive Fractures with Proppant Agglomerates, Improving Subsurface Behavior and Maximizing Reservoir Productivity

Abstract

Abstract To evaluate and report the benefits of artificial intelligence driven digital engineered breakdown in a pulsed fracturing technique that has been successfully applied for the first time globally in the western desert of Egypt. In this paper, we will discuss how the artificial intelligence driven digital engineered breakdown can affect the production performance of a pulsed fracturing treatment. When formation breakdown is controlled, there are several benefits observed in the fracture geometry and its placement. However, this has never been applied in a pulsed fracturing treatment where creating a dominant fracture is believed to provide better distribution of proppant agglomerates allowing for enhanced fracture conductivity created by void space between the agglomerates. The productivity benefits of the engineered breakdown will be evaluated. A treatment combining both the pulsing technique and the digital engineered breakdown will be reviewed in details such as well geographic data, reservoir quality, openhole log interpretation, pressure response and production models after matching actual data. The treatment will be compared with offset well that was treated with pulsed fracturing technique but without the digital engineered breakdown. Better pressure response was observed during the treatment and higher proppant concentrations were accepted by the formation with much favorable pressure response compared to offset wells. Post frac well tests indicate excellent production performance for the given reservoir quality observed from the logs in comparison to offset wells. Digital applications in fracturing have been recently improving the way we stimulate formations. This novel combination of pulsed fracturing and digital engineered breakdown shows productivity benefits that is crucial in current market conditions to maximize efficiency of operators assets.