Method for growth of a hydraulic fracture along a well bore annulus and creating a permeable well bore annulus

Abstract

A method for growth of a hydraulic fracture or a tall frac is described wherein the tall frac is disposed next to a well bore using a sandpacked annulus. Also, a method for creating a permeable well bore annulus is disclosed. The method for creating the tall frac includes creating a linear-sourced, cylindrical stress field by maneuvering the intersection of two independent friction-controlled pressure gradients of a frac pad fluid. The intersection of these two frac pad fluid pressure gradients can be controlled when the frac pad fluid traverses along a well bore sandpacked annulus. The first pressure gradient is created by controlling the fluid flow rate and the consequent, friction pressure loss in the frac pad fluid flow through a portion of the sandpacked annulus, located above the top of the upwardly propagating tall frac hydraulic fracture. The first pressure gradient must be significantly greater than the average gradient of the formation, frac-extension pressure gradient. The second pressure gradient is created by the friction loss of the volume flow rate of the frac pad fluid flowing through the combined parallel paths of the sandpacked annulus and the open hydraulic fracture which is propagating outward in the adjacent rock formation below the top of the upwardly propagating tall frac. The second pressure gradient, below the top of the upward-propagating tall frac, should be about equal to or less than the average gradient of the formation, frac-extension pressure gradient at this location.

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