Methods for monitoring temperature-vs-depth characteristics in a borehole during and after hydraulic fracture treatments
AssigneeThe Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
InventorRoger N. Anderson
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Abstract
A method for monitoring in real time the growth of an hydraulic fracture in an earth formation traversed by a well borehole. Growth of the fracture is observed by measuring the temperature of the borehole fluid at selected times during the fracturing process. The temperature measurements are made by use of a string of vertically-spaced temperature sensors extending over the entire fracture depth interval, and a temperature-vs-depth profile of the fracture interval is generated in real time at the surface. Post-fracture temperature monitoring of the fracture zone affords information useful in estimating fracture volume and in well-flow planning and production scheduling.
Claims15
A method for monitoring the hydraulic fracture of an earth formation traversed by a well borehole, comprising:
- placing a string of vertically-spaced temperature sensors in the well borehole over a depth interval to be subjected to hydraulic fracturing treatment;
- producing a fracture in the earth formation surrounding said depth interval by applying hydraulic pressure thereto, whereby the borehole fluid is caused to flow into the formation fracture;
- and
- measuring the temperature of the borehole fluid at said vertically-spaced temperature sensors at least at selected times during the fracture-producing step to provide information of the growth of the fracture in real time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.