Abstract
Using rotary sidewalls cores from a deep natural gas exploration well, a small E&P company recently measured natural fracture intensity, orientation, and openness in four separate potential target horizons. Results pin-pointed one zone having high fracture intensity and open fractures. Another zone with similar fracture intensity was identified as having closed fractures. Along with information on fracture strike, results were used to evaluate the risk of stimulating the well versus drilling a horizontal lateral. Historical production data from the play suggest that natural fractures are key to outstanding production, yet conventional well logs provided little usable information on natural fracture attributes in the four potential completion targets. Why? The vertical well did not intersect visible fractures. Sidewall cores also lack fractures visible to the unaided eye. So how were the measurements used in the fracture evaluation obtained?
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