ABSTRACT: As high-permeability reservoirs approach their last years of productivity, the oil and gas production will likely come from low-permeability formations that require hydraulic fracture stimulation to be economically feasible. The introduction of hydraulic fracturing as part of the normal completion procedure in fields located in the Upper Valley of the Magdalena basin in Colombia has achieved a twofold increase in the oilfield production. Companies need tools that help them determine how successfully the hydraulic fractures have optimized well production and field development. These tools should provide information about hydraulic fracture conductivity, geometry, complexity, and orientation. A new workflow for a time-lapse anisotropy analysis using data from an acoustic scanning platform is used to estimate the fracture height growth from the hydraulic fractures created in a typical well. The application of the acoustic scanning platform technology as a fracture optimization tool allows a comprehensive evaluation of the post stimulation production results. This provides precise information for calibration of the existing geomechanical model, which will result in an optimized fracture design and corresponding positive effect in well production and field development.
INTRODUCTION Understanding the mechanics and geometry of hydraulic fractures has been a challenge since the first hydraulic fracture jobs were performed. The first aspect considered when designing a hydraulic fracture job is the reservoir characteristics. In low permeability reservoirs, which are the most common reservoirs stimulated, industry experts have established that the fracture length is the overriding factor for increased productivity and recovery (Ali et al. 2002). From a reservoir-development point of view, a practical understanding of the hydraulic fracture geometry and orientation will enable engineers to determine the well spacing and hence the field development strategy to extract more hydrocarbons. Simulation engineers use hydraulic fracture simulators to design and predict optimal treatments.