Method for formation fracture characterization in highly inclined wells using multiaxial induction well logging instruments

A system for fracture characterization, comprising:

• a processor and a display, the processor programmed to perform actions comprising;
• (a) accept as input to a computer multiaxial electromagnetic induction measurements corresponding to measurements made along two mutually orthogonal magnetic dipole axes perpendicular to an axis of the wellbore, the measurements corresponding to at least one receiver spacing from a transmitter, the measurements representing induced voltage in a receiver having a same dipole moment direction as a dipole moment direction of a transmitter,
• (b) calculating a first derivative with respect to wellbore depth of the multiaxial electromagnetic induction measurements,
• (c) determining at least one peak and an amplitude thereof of the first derivative,
• (d) using the peak and the amplitude to determine a location and an aperture of at least one fracture traversing the wellbore and;
• displaying the determined first derivatives with respect to wellbore depth on the display.

A method for well logging, comprising:

• (a) moving a multiaxial electromagnetic induction instrument along a wellbore drilled through subsurface formations;
• (b) energizing at least one multiaxial electromagnetic transmitter to impart an electromagnetic field in the subsurface formations along a plurality of magnetic dipole direction;
• (c) measuring induced voltage at at least one spaced apart position from the at least one multiaxial transmitter, the measuring resulting in signals corresponding to induced voltage along two mutually orthogonal magnetic dipole moment axes each perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the wellbore;
• (d) calculating a first derivative with respect to wellbore depth of the induced voltages;
• (e) determining at least one peak and an amplitude thereof of the first derivatives;
• and
• (f) using the peak and the amplitude to determine a location and an aperture of at least one fracture traversing the wellbore by displaying the first derivative with respect to wellbore depth.