Perforation Placement Optimization: A Modified Hydraulic Fracturing Technique

The success of a hydraulic fracture treatment is greatly enhanced by control of the created fracture geometry. This problem is most serious if the boundary lithologies are not highly stressed as compared to the pay zone and do not form an effective barrier to upward migration. Reservoirs with this nature are common in many areas, including the Douglas Creek Arch, Green River Basin, Uintah Basin, San Juan Basin, and Central Alberta. The Perforation Placement Optimization technique involves the determination of perforation locations such that the hydraulic fracture contact area within the pay zone is optimized. Where the upper boundary lithologies are not highly stressed as compared to the pay zone, the fracture will migrate predominantly upward into weak boundary lithologies. Where weak boundaries exist, the extent of the exposed fracture area that can be contained within the pay zone is strongly dependent on the location of the perforations and the gross height of the pay formation. Initiating the