Means and Method for Assessing the Geometry of a Subterranean Fracture During or After a Hydraulic Fracturing Treatment

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of fracturing a subterranean formation including the step of pumping at least one device actively transmitting data that provide information on the device position, and further comprising the step of assessing the fracture geometry based on the positions of said at least one device or pumping metallic elements, preferably as proppant agents, and further locating the position of said metallic elements with a tool selected from the group consisting of magnetometers, resistivity tools, electromagnetic devices and ultra-long arrays of electrodes. The invention allows monitoring of the fracture geometry and proppant placement.

1 . A method of fracturing a subterranean formation comprising injecting a fracturing fluid, into a hydraulic fracture created into a subterranean formation, wherein at least a portion of the fracturing fluid comprises at least one device actively transmitting data that provide information on the device position, and further comprising the step of assessing the fracture geometry based on the positions of said devices.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said devices are electronic devices.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said devices are radio frequency or other EM wave transmitters.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said devices are—acoustic devices.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said devices are ultrasonic transceivers.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one device is pumped during the pad stage and at least one device is pumped during the tail portion.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said devices also transmit information as to the temperature of the surrounding formation.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said devices also transmit information as to the pressure.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of devices is injected, said devices organized in a wireless network.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the devices are electronic transmitters and the method further includes the deployment of at least an antenna.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein antennas are mounted on non-conductive balls that are pumped with the fluid and seat in some of the perforations relaying the signals from sensors behind the casing wall.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the antenna is trailed by the transmitter within the fracture while the transmitter is pumped.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , where the device is an optical fiber deployed through the perforation.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the optical fiber is further deployed through the fracture.  
     
     
         15 . A method of fracturing a subterranean formation comprising injecting a fracturing fluid, into a hydraulic fracture created into a subterranean formation, wherein at least a portion of the fracturing fluid comprises metallic elements and further comprising the step of locating the position of said metallic elements with a tool selected from the group consisting of magnetometers, resistivity tools, electromagnetic devices and ultra-long arrays of electrodes.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said metallic material comprises elongated particles having a length to equivalent diameter greater than 5.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said particles have a shape with a lengthaspect ration greater than 10.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said elongated particles have a wire-segment shape.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said elongated particles are in a material selected from the group consisting of iron, ferrite, low carbon steel, stainless steel and iron-alloys.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , where said elongated particles consists of metallic wires having a hardness of between 45 and 55 Rockwell.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said elongated particles are resin-coated.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said elongated particles have a length of between 1 and 25 mm.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said elongated particles have a length of between about 2 and about 15 mm.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said elongated particles have a diameter of between about 0.1 mm and about 1 mm.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said individual particles of said elongated particulate material have a diameter of between about 0.2 mm and about 0.5 mm.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the geometry of the fracture is monitored in real-time during the hydraulic fracturing treatment.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the geometry of the fracture is monitored in real-time during the hydraulic fracturing treatment.