Summary During the development of an unconventional play, wells are drilled and completed in batches, and depending on the development plans, current and expected energy market trends, as well as other developmental considerations, new wells are drilled and hydraulically fractured later near existing producing laterals. This creates challenges in terms of optimizing resource recovery and reducing interwell communication. A novel approach is proposed that utilizes systematic composite sampling and analysis of drilling mud returns to look for and quantitatively identify sand particles. The workflow involves cleaning, drying, and segregation of samples into sizes of interest to us (size distribution of pumped proppant in offset parent wells). These samples are imaged at a very high resolution and analyzed for grains using characteristic optical imaging properties to classify proppant sand particles using computer vision algorithms. Further analysis, such as elemental compositional analysis, is used to validate the results from the imaging workflow. We present a case study from the Permian Basin, where a new child well was used as a test case to prove this technology at the Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site (HFTS-2) in Delaware Basin. We introduce new proppant parameters that help identify sustained proppant zones vs. localized propped fractures. We have used additional diagnostics and data collected at the test site to validate observations from the proppant log and have successfully interpreted significantly propped vs. unpropped zones. A key finding from this test has been the significant proppant transport distances observed away from parent wells. Observable proppant was found at a lateral distance of approximately 425 m for one set of parent wells and more than 915 m for another set of parent wells. While a major limitation of this technique is the sampling rate, given adequate sampling, the proposed technology represents a systematic and one-of-a-kind interpretation of spatial proppant distribution while drilling infill wells. It provides us with unique opportunities to better understand the current state of the reservoir being targeted, including zones that are likely highly drained relative to others, and how the planned hydraulic fracturing of child wells can be improved.

中文翻译：

---

非常规页岩井加密钻井新型支撑剂测井技术

总结 在非常规油气开发过程中，分批钻完井，根据开发计划、当前和预期的能源市场趋势以及其他开发考虑，稍后在现有生产支管附近钻新井并进行水力压裂. 这在优化资源回收和减少井间通信方面带来了挑战。提出了一种新方法，该方法利用系统的复合采样和钻井泥浆返回分析来寻找和定量识别砂粒。工作流程包括清洗、干燥和将样品分离成我们感兴趣的尺寸（偏置母井中泵送支撑剂的尺寸分布）。这些样品以非常高的分辨率成像，并使用特征光学成像特性分析颗粒，以使用计算机视觉算法对支撑剂砂粒进行分类。进一步的分析，例如元素组成分析，用于验证成像工作流程的结果。我们展示了一个来自二叠纪盆地的案例研究，其中一口新的儿童井被用作测试案例，以在特拉华盆地的水力压裂试验场 (HFTS-2) 证明这项技术。我们引入了新的支撑剂参数，有助于识别持续的支撑剂区域与局部支撑裂缝。我们使用了在测试现场收集的额外诊断和数据来验证支撑剂测井的观察结果，并成功地解释了显着支撑区与非支撑区。该测试的一个重要发现是观察到远离母井的支撑剂输送距离显着。一组母井的横向距离约为 425 m，另一组母井的横向距离超过 915 m，可观察到支撑剂。虽然该技术的一个主要限制是采样率，但如果有足够的采样，所提出的技术代表了在钻加密井时对空间支撑剂分布的系统和独一无二的解释。它为我们提供了独特的机会来更好地了解目标油藏的当前状态，包括相对于其他地区可能高度排水的区域，以及如何改进计划中的子井水力压裂。一组母井的横向距离约为 425 m，另一组母井的横向距离超过 915 m，可观察到支撑剂。虽然该技术的一个主要限制是采样率，但如果有足够的采样，所提出的技术代表了在钻加密井时对空间支撑剂分布的系统和独一无二的解释。它为我们提供了独特的机会来更好地了解目标油藏的当前状态，包括相对于其他地区可能高度排水的区域，以及如何改进计划中的子井水力压裂。一组母井的横向距离约为 425 m，另一组母井的横向距离超过 915 m，可观察到支撑剂。虽然该技术的一个主要限制是采样率，但如果有足够的采样，所提出的技术代表了在钻加密井时对空间支撑剂分布的系统和独一无二的解释。它为我们提供了独特的机会来更好地了解目标油藏的当前状态，包括相对于其他地区可能高度排水的区域，以及如何改进计划中的子井水力压裂。所提出的技术代表了在钻加密井时对空间支撑剂分布的系统和独一无二的解释。它为我们提供了独特的机会来更好地了解目标油藏的当前状态，包括相对于其他地区可能高度排水的区域，以及如何改进计划中的子井水力压裂。所提出的技术代表了在钻加密井时对空间支撑剂分布的系统和独一无二的解释。它为我们提供了独特的机会来更好地了解目标油藏的当前状态，包括相对于其他地区可能高度排水的区域，以及如何改进计划中的子井水力压裂。