Systems and methods for simulating subterranean regions having multi-scale fracture geometries. Non-intrusive embedded discrete fracture modeling formulations are applied in conjunction with commercial simulators to efficiently and accurately model subsurface transient flow characteristics in regions having complex hydraulic fractures, complex natural fractures, or a combination of both, and geometries including corner point grids.

A rock-piercing flexible rock drilling robot and a rock breaking method therefor are disclosed. The robot includes a control system, a head, and at least one tail. The head includes a head housing, a propulsion turntable, a drilling mechanism, a hydraulic propulsion system, a first driving mechanism, and a second driving mechanism. The propulsion turntable includes a drill bit located at a center thereof and a cutting turntable arranged around the drill bit. The first driving mechanism is connected to the drill bit, and the second driving mechanism is connected to the cutting turntable. The tail includes a tail housing, an advancing and retreating power system, and a fixed support system. The head and the tail are connected through a flexible component, and the tails are connected through flexible components.

This disclosure presents a system, method, and apparatus for preventing fracture communication between wells, the system comprising: a sensor coupled to a fracking wellhead, circulating fluid line, or standpipe of a well and configured to convert acoustic vibrations in fracking fluid in the well into an electrical signal; a memory configured to store the electrical signal; a machine-learning system configured to analyze current frequency components of the electrical signal in a window of time and to identify impending fracture communication between the well and an offset well, the machine-learning system having been trained on previous frequency components of electrical signals measured during previous instances of fracture communication between wells; and a user interface configured to return a notification of the impending fracture communication to an operator of the well.

The present disclosure provides a method of processing data obtained from distributed optical fiber sensors to detect acoustic energy generated by a poroelastic effect of fractures in a structure, such as a rock formation. The sensing fiber of an optical fiber distributed sensing system may be deployed in the vicinity of the region where fracturing is occurring, for example, along a well that is offset from a treatment well undergoing hydraulic fracturing. The DAS data obtained from along the sensing fiber is processed to measure changes in the low-frequency strain caused by the poroelastic effects in the rock as the fractures open and close. This measured strain rate data is iteratively processed at each instant time to identify fracture opening features (characterised as compression-tension-compression) that are correlated with fracture closing features (characterised as tension-compression-tension) as a function of depth, to thereby identify and locate fracture hits in the vicinity of the sensing fiber.

A DAS VSP technique is used to determine the induced fracture height and fracture density of an induced fracture region. The DAS VSP technique obtains pre-hydraulic fracturing DAS VSP survey time-lapse data to establish a baseline reference for the direct acoustic wave travel time. The DAS VSP technique obtains one or more time-lapse data corresponding to the subsequent monitor surveys conducted after each hydraulic fracturing stage along the well. Forward modeling is used to determine a theoretical acoustic wave travel time difference. The forward modeling uses seismic anisotropy to describe the behavior of seismic waves traveling through the induced fracture regions. An inversion scheme is then used to invert for the induced fracture height and the fracture density using the forward modeling. The two extracted induced fracture characteristics may then be used to determine optimal hydraulic fracturing parameters.

A method of predicting hydraulic fracturing and associated risks of hydraulic fracturing operation is proposed. The methods use the mathematical simulation which allow to predict the geometry of a hydraulic fracture and location of fluids, propping agents (proppant), fibers and other materials therein. Reconsidering the fracturing design allows to remedy the possible risks (overflush, screen-out, bridging, gel contamination, temperature effects).

A wireline width measuring apparatus and associated method which may be used to measure static and dynamic fracture width in fractures used for energy storage, water injection, or hydrocarbon production. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining a depth of the formation fracture, determining the depth of the bottom of the wellbore, positioning a caliper tool string comprising a caliper apparatus at the bottom of the wellbore, wherein the caliper apparatus is positioned at a depth capable of measuring movement of a window cut into a casing of the wellbore at the depth of the formation fracture, inflating the fracture by injecting a fluid into the fracture, uninflating the fracture by producing the fluid from the fracture, and measuring movement of the window cut into the wellbore while the fracture is inflated and uninflated.

Methods and systems for characterizing fractures in a subterranean formation are provided. The method includes introducing an encapsulated explosive unit into a casing located in a wellbore within the subterranean formation and maintaining the encapsulated explosive unit in a stage of the casing. The method also includes detonating the encapsulated explosive unit within the stage to generate a pressure wave that passes through a group of perforations and into the fractures and measuring a reflected pressure wave using a pressure sensor coupled to the bridge plug to produce a pressure measurement. The method further includes converting the pressure measurement into an acoustic signal correlated with the pressure measurement by an acoustic signal generator contained in the bridge plug and transmitting the acoustic signal to apply acoustic pressure on a fiber optic cable coupled to an exterior surface of the casing.

A method may include obtaining fracture image data regarding a geological region of interest. The method may further include determining various fractures in the fracture image data using a first artificial neural network and a pixel-searching process. The method may further include determining a fracture model using the fractures, a second artificial neural network, and borehole image data. The method may further include determining various fracture permeability values using the fracture model and a third artificial neural network. The method may further include determining various matrix permeability values for the geological region of interest using core sample data. The method may further include generating a coarsened grid model for the geological region of interest using a fourth artificial neural network, the matrix permeability values, and the fracture permeability values.

A method for fracture dynamic hydraulic properties estimation and reservoir simulation may include obtaining a first set of images of a first fracture. The method may include obtaining a first set of fracture detections from the first set of images, generating a plurality of numerical calculations based on the first set of fracture detections, and generating a second model based on the plurality of numerical calculations and the first set of fracture detections. The method may further include obtaining a second set of images of a second fracture of a new reservoir, generating a second set of fracture detections of the second fracture, and generating dynamic hydraulic estimations of the second fracture. The method may also include generating a three-dimensional reservoir simulation and determining a plurality of recovery schemes for the new reservoir.