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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

Tulsa Geological Society

Abstract


2003 Midcontinent Section Meeting (Tulsa) Papers and Abstracts, 2003

Natural Fracture Control of Hydraulic Stimulations in the Carthage Cotton Valley Gas Field: Abstract

James Rutledge1

Abstract

We have improved the location precision, determined focal mechanism and computed the moment release of microearthquakes induced during a series of hydraulic fracture completions within the Cotton Valley formation of East Texas. Conventional gel-proppant treatments and treatments using treated water and very low proppant concentrations (waterfracs) were monitored. Waterfracs have been shown to be just as effective as the conventional gel-proppant treatments in Cotton Valley reservoirs, but at greatly reduced cost. Comparison of the seismicity induced by the two treatment types show similar distributions of event locations, focal mechanisms and moment release for common depth intervals. We interpret the induced seismicity to be primarily controlled by the natural fracture geometry and independent of treatment design.


 

Acknowledgments and Associated Footnotes

1 Los Alamos National Lab, Los Alamos, NM

Copyright © 2006 by the Tulsa Geological Society