PEN201

Drilling Engineering

Lesson 4
Fracture Gradients

Dr. Samir khaled

Fracture Gradients PEN201 Drilling Engineering Slide 1
 Prediction of Fracture
Gradients
Theoretical Fracture Experimental Frac.
Gradient Grad

Hubbert & Willis  Leak-off Tests

Matthews & Kelly
Ben Eaton

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 2

 Prediction of Fracture Gradients
Well Planning
Theoretical Fracture Gradient Determination
Hubbert & Willis
Matthews & Kelly
Ben Eaton
Comparison of Results

Experimental Frac. Grad. Determination

Leak-off Tests

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 3

 Read:
Applied Drilling Engineering, Ch. 6

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 4

 Well Planning
When planning exploration or wildcat,
where there is little or no reliable offset well
data, the fracture gradient can be estimated
using various predictive techniques.
Safe drilling practices require that the
following be considered when
planning a well:
 Pore pressure determination
 Fracture gradient determination
 Casing setting depth selection
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 5
 Fig. 7.21

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 6

 fracture
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 7
Formation Pressure and Matrix Stress

Given: Well depth is 14,000 ft.

Formation pore pressure expressed
in equivalent mud weight is 9.2 lb/gal.
Overburden stress is 1.00 psi/ft.
Calculate:
1. Pore pressure, psi/ft , at 14,000 ft
2. Pore pressure, psi, at 14,000 ft
3. Matrix stress, psi/ft
4. Matrix stress, psi
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 8
Formation Pressure and Matrix Stress

S =S  PP + 
overburden pore matrix
stress = pressure + stress
(psi)
8. Fracture Gradients (psi)
PETE 661 Drilling Engineering (psi) Slide 9
Formation Pressure and Matrix Stress
Depth = 14,000 ft.
Pore Pressure = 9.2 lb/gal equivalent
Calculations:
Overburden stress = 1.00 psi/ft.

1. Pore pressure gradient

= 0.433 psi/ft * 9.2/8.33 = 0.052 * 9.2
= 0.478 psi/ft
2. Pore pressure at 14,000 ft
= 0.478 psi/ft * 14,000 ft
= 6,692 psig
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 10
Formation Pressure and Matrix Stress

Calculations:
3. Matrix stress gradient,
SP psi
S P 
or   psi/ft
D D D
 S P
i.e.,    1.000  0.478  psi / ft
D D D

 / D = 0.522 psi/ft
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 11
Formation Pressure and Matrix Stress

Calculations:

4. Matrix stress at 14,000 ft

= 0.522 psi/ft * 14,000 ft

 = 7,308 psi

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 12

 Fracture Gradient Determination

In order to avoid lost circulation while

drilling it is important to know the variation
of fracture gradient with depth.

Leak-off tests represent an experimental

approach to fracture gradient determination.
Below are listed and discussed three
approaches to calculating the fracture
gradient.
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 13
 Fracture Gradient Determination

1  2P 
1. Hubbert & Willis: Fmin  1  
3 D 
1  P
Fmax  1  
2  D
where F = fracture gradient, psi/ft
P
= pore pressure gradient, psi/ft
D

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 14

 Fracture Gradient Determination

2. Matthews & Kelly:

K i P
F  
D D

where Ki = matrix stress coefficient

 = vertical matrix stress, psi
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 15
 Fracture Gradient Determination

3. Ben Eaton:

S P  g  P
F    *   
 D   1 g  D

where S = overburden stress, psi

g = Poisson’s ratio

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 16

 Example

A Texas Gulf Coast well has a pore pressure

gradient of 0.735 psi/ft. Well depth = 11,000 ft.

Calculate the fracture gradient in units of lb/gal

using each of the above three methods.

Summarize the results in tabular form, showing

answers, in units of lb/gal and also in psi/ft.

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 17

 Example - Hubbert and Willis

1. Hubbert & Willis: 1  2P 

Fmin  1  
3 D 
P psi
The pore pressure gradient,  0.735
D ft

1 psi
Fmin  1  2 * 0.735  0.823
3 ft
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 18
 Example - Hubbert and Willis

Also,
0.823 psi/ft
Fmin 
 psi/ft 
0.052  
 lb/gal 

Fmin  15.83 lb/gal

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 19

 Example - Hubbert and Willis

1  P
 1  0.735 
1
Fmax  1  
2  D 2

= 0.8675 psi/ft

Fmax = 16.68 lb/gal

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 20

 Example

P K i
2. Matthews & Kelly F  
D D
In this case P and D are known,  may be
calculated, and K i is determined graphically.

(i) First, determine the pore pressure gradient.

P
 0.735 psi / ft ( given )
D
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 21
 Example - Matthews and Kelly

(ii) Next, calculate the matrix stress.

S=P+ S  overburden, psi 

  matrix stress, psi 
 
=S-P  
= 1.00 * D - 0.735 * D P  pore pressure, psi

D  depth, ft 

= 0.265 * D
= 0.265 * 11,000
 = 2,915 psi
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 22
 Example - Matthews and Kelly

(iii) Now determine the depth, Di , where,

under normally pressured conditions, the
rock matrix stress,  would be 2,915 psi.
Sn = Pn + n n = “normal”
1.00 * Di = 0.465 * Di + 2,915
Di * (1 - 0.465) = 2,915

2,915
Di   5,449 ft
0.535
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 23
 Example -
Matthews and
Kelly

(iv) Find Ki from

the plot on the
right, for
Di = 5,449 ft

For a south Texas

Gulf Coast well,
Ki = 0.685
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 24
5,449
Depth, Di

0.685

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Ki Slide 25

 Example - Matthews and Kelly
K i P
(v) Now calculate F: F  
D D

0.685 * 2,915
F   0.735
11,000
 0 .9165 psi / ft
0.9165
F   17.63 lb / gal
0.052
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 26
 Example

Ben Eaton:

S P  g  P
F    *   
 D   1 g  D

S
? g?
D
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 27
 Variable Overburden Stress by
Eaton

At 11,000 ft
S/D = 0.96 psi/ft

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 28

 Fig. 5-5

At 11,000 ft
g = 0.46

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 29

 Example - Ben Eaton

From above graphs,  S P  g  P

F      
 D D  1  g  D
at 11,000 ft.:
S
 0.96 psi / ft; g  0.46
D

 0.46 
F  0.96  0.735     0.735
 1  0.46 
F = 0.9267 psi/ft
= 17.82 lb/gal
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 30
 Summary of Results

Fracture Gradient
psi.ft lb/gal
Hubbert & Willis minimum: 0.823 15.83
Hubbert & Willis maximum: 0.868 16.68
Mathews & Kelly: 0.917 17.63
Ben Eaton: 0.927 17.82

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 31

 Summary of Results

 Ben Eaton considers

variation in pore pressure gradient,
overburden stress and
Poisson’s ratio,

and is probably the most accurate of

the three methods. The last two
methods are actually quite similar, and
usually yield similar results.

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 32

 Similarities

Ben Eaton:

S P  g  P
F    *   
 D   1 g  D

 Ki P
F  
D D

Matthews and Kelly:

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 33
 Experimental Determination of
Fracture Gradient

The leak-off test

 Run and cement casing

 Drill out ~ 10 ft
below the casing seat
 Close the BOPs
 Pump slowly and
monitor the pressure
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 34
 LEAK-OFF TEST PROCDURE
 From points 1-2 the rock is
deforming elastically in
response to pressure

 At point 3 the rock starts to

deform plastically

 Near point 2 point 3 marks

the first noted deviation from
linear relationship of
pressure vs. volume and is
known as the leak-off point
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 35
 LEAK-OFF TEST PROCDURE

 If the test wear continued to

deform plastically until it
fractures Point 4 is known as
formation breakdown
pressure

 Point 5 True fracture gradient

value is known as the
fracture propagation
pressure and is equal to the
minimum horizontal stress

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 36

 45
80
105
120
120
120
120
120
120
40
20

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 37

 Experimental Determination of
Fracture Gradient

Example:
In a leak-off test below the
casing seat at 4,000 ft, leak-off
was found to occur when the
standpipe pressure was 1,000
psi. MW = 9 lb/gal.

What is the fracture gradient?

8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering Slide 38
 Example
Leak-off pressure = PS + DPHYD
= 1,000 + 0.052 * 9 * 4,000
= 2,872 psi

PLEAK OFF 2,872 psi


D 4,000 ft

Fracture gradient = 0.718 psi/ft

EMW = ?
8. Fracture Gradients PETE 661 Drilling Engineering 13.8 lb/gal Slide 39