System and method for performing stimulation operations

Abstract

A system and method is provided for performing a fracturing operation about a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation. The method may acquire integrated wellsite data. The method may generate a mechanical earth model using the integrated wellsite data. The method may simulate an intersection of an induced hydraulic fracture with a natural fracture using the mechanical earth model. The method may determine intersection properties of the intersected natural fracture. The method may also generate a stimulation plan using the mechanical earth model and the intersection properties. The stimulation plan may include a fluid viscosity or a rate of injection of a fracturing fluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of performing a fracturing operation about a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 acquiring integrated wellsite data, wherein the integrated wellsite data comprise geomechanical properties of the subterranean formation and geometrical properties of one or more natural fractures in the subterranean formation;   generating a mechanical earth model using the integrated wellsite data;   simulating an intersection of one or more induced hydraulic fractures with the one or more natural fractures using the mechanical earth model;   determining one or more intersection properties of an intersected natural fracture; and   generating a stimulation plan using the mechanical earth model and the one or more intersection properties.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more intersection properties comprise an amount of fracturing fluid leak-off from an induced hydraulic fracture into the one or more natural fractures. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more intersection properties comprise continuity of fluid mass in a natural fracture, fracturing fluid leak-off into the subterranean formation from natural fracture walls, pressure sensitive natural fracture permeability, fluid rheology in a natural fracture, a change in natural fracture permeability, a change in stress within a region of a natural fracture, a change in pressure within a region of a natural fracture, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein simulating the intersection comprises modeling an opened zone of a natural fracture that is filled with fracturing fluid from an induced hydraulic fracture, wherein fluid pressure in the opened zone exceeds the normal stress of the natural fracture. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein simulating the intersection comprises modeling a closed zone of a natural fracture that is invaded with fracturing fluid from an induced hydraulic fracture, wherein fluid pressure in the closed zone is above the pore pressure of the natural fracture and below the closure stress of the natural fracture. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein simulating the intersection comprises modeling a closed zone of a natural fracture that is filled with original reservoir fluid and no invading fracturing fluid, wherein fluid pressure in the closed zone is above the pore pressure of the natural fracture. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising simulating a propagation of a network of induced hydraulic fractures. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein simulating the intersection comprises modeling shear failure or shear slip in a natural fracture. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more intersection properties comprise an increase in permeability in the one or more natural fractures intersected by the one or more induced hydraulic fractures. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing a stimulation operation based on the stimulation plan. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising validating the simulated intersection based on observed data acquired from the stimulation operation. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulation plan comprises a fluid viscosity of a fracturing fluid or a rate of injection of a fracturing fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising adjusting at least one of the fluid viscosity and the rate of injection of the fracturing fluid to optimize the one or more intersection properties. 
     
     
         14 . A method of performing a fracturing operation about a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 acquiring integrated wellsite data, wherein the integrated wellsite data comprise geomechanical properties of the subterranean formation and geometrical properties of one or more natural fractures in the subterranean formation;   generating a mechanical earth model using the integrated wellsite data;   simulating an intersection of one or more induced hydraulic fractures with the one or more natural fractures using the mechanical earth model;   determining one or more intersection properties of an intersected natural fracture; and   predicting hydrocarbon production from the subterranean formation using the one or more intersection properties.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the hydrocarbon production prediction uses observed data acquired from a stimulation operation that had been performed based on the mechanical earth model. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein predicting the hydrocarbon production comprises predicting permeability of a reservoir in the subterranean formation using the one or more intersection properties. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein simulating the intersection comprises at least one of:
 modeling an opened zone of a natural fracture that is filled with fracturing fluid from an induced hydraulic fracture, wherein fluid pressure in the opened zone exceeds the normal stress of the natural fracture;   modeling an invaded closed zone of the natural fracture that is invaded with fracturing fluid from the induced hydraulic fracture, wherein fluid pressure in the invaded closed zone is above pore pressure in the natural fracture and below the closure stress of the natural fracture; and   modeling a non-invaded closed zone of the natural fracture that is filled with original reservoir fluid and no invading fracturing fluid, wherein fluid pressure in the non-invaded closed zone is above the pore pressure of the natural fracture.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein modeling the opened zone or one of the closed zones of the natural fracture comprises using one or more of the following parameters:
 flowrate of invading fracturing fluid;   length of a zone in the natural fracture;   width of a zone in the natural fracture;   shear displacement;   hydraulic fracture aperture;   reservoir permeability;   natural fracture permeability; and   pressure field.   
     
     
         19 . A method of performing a fracturing operation about a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 acquiring integrated wellsite data, wherein the integrated wellsite data comprise geomechanical properties of the subterranean formation and geometrical properties of one or more natural fractures in the subterranean formation;   generating a mechanical earth model using the integrated wellsite data;   simulating an intersection of one or more induced hydraulic fractures with the one or more natural fractures using the mechanical earth model;   determining one or more intersection properties of one or more intersected natural fracture; and   comparing the one or more intersection properties with microseismic events in observed data acquired from a stimulation operation based on the mechanical earth model.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein simulating the intersection comprises at least one of:
 modeling an opened zone of a natural fracture that is filled with fracturing fluid from an induced hydraulic fracture, wherein fluid pressure in the opened zone exceeds the normal stress of the natural fracture;   modeling an invaded closed zone of the natural fracture that is invaded with fracturing fluid from the induced hydraulic fracture, wherein fluid pressure in the invaded closed zone is above pore pressure in the natural fracture and below the closure stress of the natural fracture; and   modeling a non-invaded closed zone of the natural fracture that is filled with original reservoir fluid and no invading fracturing fluid, wherein fluid pressure in the non-invaded closed zone is above the pore pressure of the natural fracture.   
     
     
         21 . A method of performing a fracturing operation about a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 acquiring integrated wellsite data, wherein the integrated wellsite data comprise geomechanical properties of the subterranean formation and geometrical properties of one or more natural fractures in the subterranean formation;   generating a mechanical earth model using the integrated wellsite data;   simulating leak-off of fracturing fluid from one or more induced hydraulic fractures into the one or more natural fractures using the mechanical earth model;   generating a stimulation plan using the mechanical earth model; and   adjusting one or more operating parameters of the stimulation plan based on the simulated leak-off to achieve an optimized leak-off from the one or more induced hydraulic fractures into the one or more natural fractures.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more operating parameters of the stimulation plan comprise at least one of the following:
 fluid viscosity of the fracturing fluid;   rate of injection of the fracturing fluid;   fluid ingredient in the fracturing fluid;   additives in the fracturing fluid that affect a leak-off property;   proppant size in the fracturing fluid; and   proppant concentration in the fracturing fluid.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein simulating the leak-off of fracturing fluid comprises at least one of:
 modeling an opened zone of a natural fracture that is filled with fracturing fluid from an induced hydraulic fracture, wherein fluid pressure in the opened zone exceeds the normal stress of the natural fracture;   modeling an invaded closed zone of the natural fracture that is invaded with fracturing fluid from the induced hydraulic fracture, wherein fluid pressure in the invaded closed zone is above pore pressure in the natural fracture and below the closure stress of the natural fracture; and   modeling a non-invaded closed zone of the natural fracture that is filled with original reservoir fluid and no invading fracturing fluid, wherein fluid pressure in the non-invaded closed zone is above the pore pressure of the natural fracture.