Precise Fracture Initiation Using Dynamic Fluid Movement Allows Effective Fracture Development in Deviated Wellbores

Abstract In deviated wellbores with long perforated intervals, conventional fracture initiation with wellbore pressurization often creates multiple fracture initiations, resulting in severe fracture tortuosity. When this happens, treatments are generally plagued with high injection pressures, low injection rates and, quite often, early screenouts. One solution to the problem of multiple fractures is to use the fluid’s own dynamic movement to divert flow to a specific point. This method accurately positions and directs fracture initiation. With proper planning, a single fracture can be initiated and proppant can be easily placed without tortuosity effects. This paper discusses the use of the dynamic fluid movement treatment in a well positioned on an incline through the pay section. Premature screenout had occurred when proppant first entered the formation on a previous treatment attempt, and fracture modeling indicated that multiple fractures were the apparent cause of the screenout. When the dynamic fluid movement method was used on a subsequent treatment, a fracture was initiated properly, and a large proppant treatment was placed successfully.