# US 11,308,409 B1 · Method of determining fracture interference in a hydraulically fractured well

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- Number: US 11,308,409 B1
- Document ID: US11308409B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/789,150
- Filed: 2020-02-12
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-12
- Assignees: Enovate Corp.
- Applicants: Enovate Corp.
- Inventors: Oscar Mauricio Molina Ortiz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308409B1

## CPC

- E21B 49/008: {by injection test; by analysing pressure variations in an injection or production test, e.g. for estimating the skin factor (measuring pressure E21B47/06)}
- G06N 5/048: Fuzzy inferencing
- E21B 43/17: Interconnecting two or more wells by fracturing or otherwise attacking the formation ({E21B43/2405,} E21B43/247 take precedence)
- 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
- G06N 5/02: Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
- G06N 20/00: Machine learning
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS

## Abstract

A method for quantifying frac hits within a few days using a novel pressure-transient analysis technique called differential pressure-transient analysis (DPTA). Unlike pressure transient analysis (PTA) methods, focused on single-well analyses, DPTA evaluates pressure response from two or more wells simultaneously to (1) determine the existence of frac hits, and (2) determine the degree of interference, defined as the ratio of inter-connected to total number of primary fractures from a given well. The output from (2) can be subsequently used to accurately predict oil and/or gas production rates for infill and offset wells.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of determining fracture interference in a hydraulically fractured well, comprising:
a. drilling a target well proximate an existing well;
b. fracturing the target well;
c. flowing back the target well;
d. measuring and collecting sensor data at the target well and the existing well; and
e. quantifying a magnitude of interference between the target well and the existing well by applying an algorithm to the collected sensor data and modeling a quantitative pressure loss at the target well.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the existing well is shut-in.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the existing well is pressurized.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the existing well is flowed at a constant flow rate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the existing well is flowed at a constant pressure.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the target well is flowed back at a constant flow rate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes pressure, temperature, flow rate, fluid velocity, or fluid density.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the quantitative pressure loss is modeled by analogizing a pipe fitting between the target well and the existing well.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the pipe fitting is a valve, an expander, a reducer, or an orifice plate.