System and Method for Determining Parameters corresponding to Hydraulic Connection between Monitor Well and Treatment Well

Abstract

A method involves detecting parameters corresponding to a hydraulic connection between a monitor well and a treatment well. Such method includes hydraulic fracturing a stage of the treatment well to form hydraulic fractures extending into a surrounding formation, where at least a portion of the hydraulic fractures enable a hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well that is located in the same field as the treatment well or in an adjacent field. The method also includes measuring fluid influx data corresponding to the wellbore of the monitor well during the hydraulic fracturing of the stage of the treatment well, as well as determining one or more parameters corresponding to the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well using the measured fluid influx data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for detecting parameters corresponding to a hydraulic connection between a monitor well and a treatment well, comprising:
 hydraulic fracturing a stage of a treatment well to form hydraulic fractures extending into a surrounding formation, wherein at least a portion of the hydraulic fractures enable a hydraulic connection between the treatment well and a monitor well that is located in a same field as the treatment well or in an adjacent field;   during the hydraulic fracturing of the stage of the treatment well, measuring fluid influx data corresponding to a wellbore of the monitor well; and   determining at least one parameter corresponding to the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well using the measured fluid influx data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one parameter corresponding to the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well using the measured fluid influx data comprises detecting hydraulic fracture arrival at the monitor well using the measured fluid influx data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one parameter corresponding to the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well using the measured fluid influx data comprises determining at least one of:
 a fracture growth pattern of at least one of the hydraulic fractures;   a number of hydraulic fractures that have arrived at the monitor well;   an azimuth of at least one of the hydraulic fractures; or   a conductivity of at least one of the hydraulic fractures.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one parameter corresponding to the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well using the measured fluid influx data comprises determining at least one of:
 proppant arrival at the monitor well;   an intensity of the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well; or   a degree of isolation integrity in the monitor well.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one parameter corresponding to the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well using the measured fluid influx data comprises determining changes in at least a portion of the hydraulic fractures over time using the measured fluid influx data. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising coupling the measured fluid influx data to a hydraulic fracture model that represents a fracture system comprising the hydraulic fractures. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one parameter corresponding to the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well using the measured fluid influx data comprises determining at least one of:
 a post-shut-in continuity of the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well; or   a post-shut-in conductivity of the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising performing the method for multiple monitor wells that are located in the same field as the treatment well or in at least one adjacent field. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic connection is provided between perforations within the stage of the treatment well and perforations within a corresponding stage of the monitor well, and wherein the method further comprises configuring the treatment well and the monitor well such that the perforations within the stage of the treatment well and the perforations within the corresponding stage of the monitor well are offset by less than or equal to a predetermined distance in at least one direction. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising measuring the fluid influx data corresponding to the wellbore of the monitor well using at least one fluid influx sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising measuring the fluid influx data corresponding to the wellbore of the monitor well repeatedly or continuously during the hydraulic fracturing of the stage of the treatment well. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising generating a well spacing plan based on the at least one parameter. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising drilling at least one well in accordance with the well spacing plan. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising performing at least one of a hydraulic fracturing operation or a hydrocarbon production operation in accordance with the at least one parameter. 
     
     
         15 . A monitor well, comprising:
 a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region;   a fluid influx sensor that is configured to measure fluid influx data corresponding to the wellbore, wherein the fluid influx data correspond to a hydraulic connection between the monitor well and a treatment well, and wherein the hydraulic connection is formed via hydraulic fractures that originate from the treatment well and propagate through the subsurface region; and   a controller programmed to utilize the measured fluid influx data to determine at least one parameter corresponding to the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well.   
     
     
         16 . The monitor well of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is programmed to utilize the measured fluid influx data to determine the at least one parameter corresponding to the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well by detecting hydraulic fracture arrival at the monitor well using the measured fluid influx data. 
     
     
         17 . The monitor well of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is programmed to utilize the measured fluid influx data to determine the at least one parameter corresponding to the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well by determining at least one of the following parameters relating to the hydraulic fractures:
 a fracture growth pattern of at least one of the hydraulic fractures;   a number of hydraulic fractures that have arrived at the monitor well;   an azimuth of at least one of the hydraulic fractures; or   a conductivity of at least one of the hydraulic fractures.   
     
     
         18 . The monitor well of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is programmed to utilize the measured fluid influx data to determine the at least one parameter corresponding to the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well by determining at least one of:
 proppant arrival at the monitor well;   an intensity of the at least one hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well; or   a degree of isolation integrity in the monitor well.   
     
     
         19 . The monitor well of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is programmed to utilize the measured fluid influx data to determine the at least one parameter corresponding to the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well by detecting changes in at least a portion of the hydraulic fractures over time, as measured from the monitor well. 
     
     
         20 . The monitor well of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is programmed to couple the measured fluid influx data to a hydraulic fracture model that represents a fracture system comprising the hydraulic fractures. 
     
     
         21 . The monitor well of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is programmed to utilize the measured fluid influx data to determine the at least one parameter corresponding to the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well by determining at least one of:
 a post-shut-in continuity of the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well; or   a post-shut-in conductivity of the hydraulic connection between the treatment well and the monitor well.   
     
     
         22 . The monitor well of  claim 15 , wherein the fluid influx sensor comprises at least one of a pressure transducer or a fiber optic cable. 
     
     
         23 . The monitor well of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is programmed to:
 generate a well spacing plan based on the at least one parameter; and   cause the drilling of at least one well in accordance with the well spacing plan.