# US 11,306,572 B2 · Hydraulic fracturing modelling and control

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- Number: US 11,306,572 B2
- Document ID: US11306572B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/899,210
- Filed: 2020-06-11
- Published: 2021-01-14
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2019-07-12
- Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
- Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
- Inventors: William Owen Alexander Ruhle; Ronald Glen Dusterhoft; Ajish Potty; Joshua Lane Camp
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306572B2

## CPC

- E21B 43/26: by forming crevices or fractures
- E21B 47/06: Measuring temperature or pressure
- E21B 47/07: Temperature
- E21B 47/10: Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements
- E21B 49/00: Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells
- G01L 1/22: using resistance strain gauges
- G01V 1/18: Receiving elements, e.g. seismometer, geophone {or torque detectors, for localised single point measurements}
- G01V 1/40: specially adapted for well-logging
- G01V 8/10: Detecting, e.g. by using light barriers (by reflection from the object G01S17/00)
- G06N 5/045: Explanation of inference; Explainable artificial intelligence [XAI]; Interpretable artificial intelligence
- G06N 20/00: Machine learning
- E21B 43/14: Obtaining from a multiple-zone well
- E21B 43/2607: {Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations}
- E21B 43/267: reinforcing fractures by propping
- E21B 2200/20: Computer models or simulations, e.g. for reservoirs under production, drill bits
- G01V 2210/1429: Subsurface, e.g. in borehole or below weathering layer or mud line
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G)
- G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02)
- G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS

## Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to systems and methods for controlling a hydraulic fracturing job. A fracturing completion model can be applied to identify a plurality of possible fracturing completion plans for completing one or more wellbores at a target completion. The plurality of possible fracturing completion plans can include varying values of fracturing completion parameters and/or reservoir parameters. Completion characteristic data of the one or more wellbores can be gathered in response to application of at least a portion of a fracturing completion plan of the possible fracturing completion plans. Further, the completion characteristic data can be used to determine whether to apply a different fracturing completion plan of the possible fracturing completion plans. In turn, if it is determined to apply the different fracturing completion plan, then the method can include facilitating switching to the different fracturing completion plan in completing the one or more wellbores.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
applying a fracturing completion model to identify a plurality of possible fracturing completion plans for completing one or more wellbores at a target completion, wherein the plurality of possible fracturing completion plans include varying values of either or both fracturing completion parameters and reservoir parameters;
identifying simulations corresponding to each of the plurality of possible fracturing completion plans;
gathering completion characteristic data of the one or more wellbores in response to application of at least a portion of a fracturing completion plan of the possible fracturing completion plans in completing the one or more wellbores;
receiving client data including geological data of the one or more wellbores and a target completion plan designated by a client, the target completion plan specifying desired characteristics in completing the one or more wellbores;
receiving internal data including geological data of past fracturing completion plans;
determining whether to apply a different fracturing completion plan of the possible fracturing completion plans by applying a completion plan selection model based on the completion characteristic data, the client data, the internal data, and the simulations; and
facilitating switching to the different fracturing completion plan in completing the one or more wellbores if it is determined to apply the different fracturing completion plan.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the fracturing completion and reservoir parameters include one or a combination of fluid control parameters, proppant control parameters, and additive control parameters.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the completion characteristic data includes surface diagnostics data of the one or more wellbores in response to application of at least the portion of the fracturing completion plan.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the surface diagnostics data includes one or a combination of surface pressure at the one or more wellbores, injection characteristics of either or both fluid and proppant into the one or more wellbores, and injection characteristics of one or more additives.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the completion characteristic data includes subsurface diagnostics data of the one or more wellbores in response to application of the fracturing completion model.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the subsurface diagnostics data includes one or a combination of flowrates per perforation cluster in the one or more wellbores, flowrates per perforation in the one or more wellbores, temperature on stages of the one or more wellbores, microseismic activity in the one or more wellbores, acoustic measurements in the one or more wellbores, strain measurements in the one or more wellbores, and one or more instantaneous shut in pressures in the one or more wellbores.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the subsurface diagnostics data is gathered using at least one of:
one or more fiber optic cables;
one or more acoustic sensors; and
one or more strain sensors.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising retraining the fracturing completion model based, at least in part, on the completion characteristic data and the one or more fracturing completion plans of the plurality of possible fracturing completion plans applied in completing the one or more wellbores.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
correlating the completion characteristic data and the one or more fracturing completion plans; and
retraining the fracturing completion model based on the completion characteristic data correlated with the one or more fracturing completion plans.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the completion characteristic data and the one or more fracturing completion plans are correlated based on times that the one or more fracturing completion plans are executed in completing the one or more wellbores to generate the completion characteristic data.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the fracturing completion plan is an initial fracturing completing plan executed to begin completion of the one or more wellbores.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the initial fracturing completion plan is selected from the plurality of possible fracturing completion plans without the completion characteristic data.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the initial fracturing completion plan is selected from the plurality of possible fracturing completion plans based on a predicted accuracy of the initial fracturing completion plan in achieving the target completion in the one or more wellbores.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of possible fracturing completion plans are identified by either or both:
applying the fracturing completion model to a simulated subsurface fracture grid of the one or more wellbores; and
applying the fracturing completion model to varying values of the fracturing completion parameters and/or the reservoir parameters as uncertainty parameters.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the completion plan selection model is trained based on the completion characteristics data.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein facilitating switching to the different fracturing completion plan further comprises either or both:
providing the different fracturing completion plan to a fracturing control system of a fracturing system completing the one or more wellbores, wherein the fracturing control system is configured to autonomously control the fracturing system to complete the one or more wellbores, at least in part, according to the different fracturing completion plan; and
presenting instructions for implementing the different fracturing completion plan to one or more operators of the fracturing system completing the one or more wellbores.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
reapplying the fracturing completion model to identify a plurality of reformulated possible fracturing completion plans for further completing the one or more wellbores at the target completion; and
facilitating completion of the one or more wellbores towards the target completion according to one or more reformulated fracturing completion plans of the plurality of reformulated possible fracturing completion plans.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:
gathering additional completion characteristic data of the one or more wellbores in response to application of at least a portion of a reformulated fracturing completion plan of the reformulated possible fracturing completion plans in completing the one or more wellbores;
determining whether to apply a different reformulated fracturing completion plan of the reformulated possible fracturing completion plans based on the additional completion characteristics data; and
facilitating switching to the different reformulated fracturing completion plan in completing the one or more wellbores if it is determined to apply the different reformulated fracturing completion plan.

### Claim 19

A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
at least one computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
applying a fracturing completion model to identify a plurality of possible fracturing completion plans for completing one or more wellbores at a target completion, wherein the plurality of possible fracturing completion plans include varying values of either or both fracturing completion parameters and reservoir parameters;
identifying simulations corresponding to each of the plurality of possible fracturing completion plans;
gathering completion characteristic data of the one or more wellbores in response to application of at least a portion of a fracturing completion plan of the possible fracturing completion plans in completing the one or more wellbores;
receiving client data including geological data of the one or more wellbores and a target completion plan designated by a client;
receiving internal data including geological data of past fracturing completion plans from a third party, the target completion plan specifying desired characteristics in completing the one or more wellbores;
determining whether to apply a different fracturing completion plan of the possible fracturing completion plans by applying a completion plan selection model based on the completion characteristic data, the client data, the internal data, and the simulations; and
facilitating switching to the different fracturing completion plan in completing the one or more wellbores if it is determined to apply the different fracturing completion plan.

### Claim 20

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
applying a fracturing completion model to identify a plurality of possible fracturing completion plans for completing one or more wellbores at a target completion, wherein the plurality of possible fracturing completion plans include varying values of either or both fracturing completion parameters and reservoir parameters;
identifying simulations corresponding to each of the plurality of possible fracturing completion plans;
gathering completion characteristic data of the one or more wellbores in response to application of at least a portion of a fracturing completion plan of the possible fracturing completion plans in completing the one or more wellbores;
receiving client data including geological data of the one or more wellbores and a target completion plan designated by a client, the target completion plan specifying desired characteristics in completing the one or more wellbores;
receiving internal data including geological data of past fracturing completion plans from a third party;
determining whether to apply a different fracturing completion plan of the possible fracturing completion plans by applying a completion plan selection model based on the completion characteristic data, the client data, the internal data, and the simulations; and
facilitating switching to the different fracturing completion plan in completing the one or more wellbores if it is determined to apply the different fracturing completion plan.