ADVANCES IN FRACTURED RESERVOIR

CHARACTERIZATION

D.K. NORMAN C.H. GARRETT

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PETROLEUM SOCIETY OF CIM PAPER NO. 88-39-1 11 THIS IS A PREPRINT - SUBJECT TO CORRECTION ADVANCES IN FRACTURED RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION By David K' Norman Core Labora'ories Canada Chri, H. Garrett Core Lat>oratories Lld PUBLICATION RIGHTS RESERVED THIS PAPER IS TO BE PRESENTED AT THE 39th ANNUAL TECHNICAL MEETING OF THE PETROLEUM SOCIETY OF CIM HELD IN CALGARY, JUNE 12 - 16, 1988. DISCUSSION OF THIS PAPER IS INVITED. SUCH DISCUSSION MAY BE PRESENTED AT THE TECHNICAL MEETING AND WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR PUBLICATION IN CIM JOURNALS IF FILED IN WRITING WITH
THE TECHNICAL PROGRAM CHAIRMAN PRIOR TO THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING. Abstract An increasing awareness of the role played by natural fractures and of the importance of hydraulic stimulation of petroleum reservoirs has lead to new developments in analytical testing and equipment: The Electromagnetic Goniometer (EMG- 200) 2. In-situ stress orientations from velocity anisotropy measurements and epi- fluorescence analysis 3. The X-ray Computerized Tomography (CT) Scanner.
The Electromagnetic Goniometer provides a rapid fracture measurement system that is unique and more accurate than any other core fracture measuring system to date. Acoustic Velocity Anisotropy and Epi- fluorescence Analysis can be used to sis determine in-situ horizontal stress orientations. Variations in compressional acoustic wave velocity are caused by microfractures that form when core is removed from the ambient stress regime. Epi-fluorescence analysis of oriented thin sections permits measurement of microfracture orientations and screens the
core for other heterogeneties which may cause acoustic velocity anisotropy. Ambient horizontal stress orientat-.ons can be used to predict hydraulic fracture propagation direction. The CT scanner provides a state of the art method for evaluating fractured rocks. Core can now be viewed to evaluate the three dimensional relationship of matrix and fractures.
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PETROLEUM SOCIETY OF CIM PAPER NO. 88-39-111

THIS IS A PREPRINT - SUBJECT TO CORRECTION

ADVANCES IN FRACTURED
,. RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION

By
David K. Norman
Care Laborlllcnes Canada
Chris H. Garren
Care Laboralonas LLd

- .... ;

PUBLICATION RIGHTS RESERVED

THIS PAPER IS TO BE PRESENTED AT THE 391h ANNUAL TECHNICAL MEETING OF THE PETROLEUM
SOCIETY OF CIM HELD IN CALGARY, JUNE 12 . 16, 1988. DISCUSSION OF THIS PAPER IS INVITED. SUCH " ,;,

DISCUSSION MAY BE PRESENTED ATTHE TECHNICAL MEETING AND WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR PUBLICATION
IN CIM JOURNALS IF FILED IN WRITING WITH THE TECHNICAL PROGRAM CHAIRMAN PRIOR TO THE
CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING.
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Abstract determ~ne in-situ horizontal stress

An i~creasing awareness of the role played
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orientations. Variations in compressional
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by natural fractures and of the importance acoustic wave velocity are caused by
of hydraulic stimulation of petroleum micro fractures that form when core is
~eservoir5 has lead to new developments in removed from the ambient stress regime.
analytical testing and equipment: Epi-fluorescence analysis of oriented
l. The Electrom~gnetic Gon~ometer (EMG- thin sect~ons permits measurement of
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micro fracture orientations and screens ':.
2_ :. -.:-
In-situ stress orientations from the core for other heterogeneties which
velocity anisotropy measurements and epl- may cause acoustic velocity an~sotropy.
fluorescence analysis Ambient horizontal stress orientations --
J. 'fhe X-ray Computerized Tomography (CT) can be used to predict hydraulic fracture
Scan~er. propagation direction.
The Electromagnetic Goniometer provides a
rapid fracture measurement system that is The C'I' scanner pl'ovides a state of the
unique and more accurate than any other art method for evaluating fractured
core fracture measuring system to date. rocks. Core can now be v iewed to
evaluate three
the dimens~onal
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Acoustic Velocity
1t.nisotropy and Epi- relationship of matrix and fractures. ::.,:.:
fluorescence Analysis can be used to
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Introduction unit 1nterprets thls information to
The evaluat~on of f~actured reservoirs generatl::' tin:' ~u~ltioll and O~lentatlan of
throughout the world has become increas- the st,)'lus_ Stylus location is deter-
lngly important the in
last 10 years_ m~ned to an accuracy of 0.032 inches root
Recent texts by Nelson , Aguilera 2 and Van
l mean square (Rl"lS) ~ith a resolution of
Golf-Racht] illustrate the importance of 0_016 inch.:-s Rl'lS. The digitizer 1S
fractures in hydrocarbon rt!servoir geology capable of collecting data continuously,
and dlSCUSS the different app~oaches to or with d iootswitch, t...-.'!nsmitting
understanding these complicated reser- discrete po~nts to the host computer_
voirs-o A recent advance in fracture
measurement technology is the Electron~c Just above thE: source rests the core
Goniometer, a f~st and accurate instrument holder wh~ch accommodates cores ranging
for measuring fracture orientation and from 5 to 15 cms in diameter and up to 75
't-ecording descrlptlve fracture data_ ems in length_ The core lies horizontal-
Another new technology, acoustic veloclty 11' betv.'een two 5 em dlameter rollers,
anisotropy performed ~n conJunction with perm1tting the analyst to ~nspect any
epi-fluorescence thln-section analysis of portion of the core w1th a turn 0 f the
microf~acture orientations 15 an effective handle _ The ends of the core are
and economic means of determining in-situ visible, and do not need to be trlnuned.
stress o~~entations. X-ray Computerized A shaft encoder records the amount of
Tomography leT) Scanning technolog 1' 1-0 ta t10n 0 f the core as the core 1S
provides images of slices of core perm~t turned on the rollers_ The shaft encoder
ting evaluatlon of the three dimensional located several feet below the
aspects of matrix and fracture interac- d1gitizing surface to avoid 1nterference
tion_ with the electromagnet1c field generated
by the sourcE_ The shaft encoder 1S
The EMG-200 geared to the rollers wlth a pulley and
The Electromagnetic Gcniometer, EMG-200, t~m~ng belL The rollers are covered
uses a threE' dimensional digitizer, wlth molded pol~urethan~ to eliminate
interfaced ~ith a PC work-stat lon_ The PC an} slippage of the core as it 15 rotated
performs data storage and data manipula- du~ing me3surements_ The electromagnet1c
tion functions (Garrett et a1 4 ) The EHG- gonlometer can be used to digitize planar
200 consists princlpally of the JSFACE, or Ilnear features 1n oriented corE such
three-dlmenslonal dlgitizer developed by as f1-accures, slickens1des or bedd1ng.
Polhemus Navigation Systems (Raab 5 )_ The The core must be nom1nally cyll~dr1cal.

dlgltlzer consists of an electromagnetic logical coordinate system is one 1n

source, a sensor, and an electronics unit_ whlch tilE z axis is the core axis_ The
The source and sensor each contain three other coordinate axes are perpendicular
orthogonally or len ted co~ls_ The source to the 'Z axis. AZ1muth orientatlons are
15 mounted a fev.' inches be 1m..' the table me3.sured l-elat1ve to a vector in tho::
top where the core sample is placed for core's horlzontal plane, drawn from th~

study_ The sensor lS housed in a hand cDre axis to the scrlbe, or reference
held stylus_ Curren~s flow1ng through the 11ne, and termed the x-aX1S_ The ~ela-

source coils induce magnet1c f1elds that t10nship of the x, y, and z axes to the
1n tUrn indu-:::-c small, but detectable core is ~llustrated in Fig. 1_ The x and
currents 1n the sensor. The electronic rotatE about the z-aX1S as the

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