Observational analysis reveals improved production in tight reservoirs with multi-stage fracturing, indicating effective fracture propagation techniques.
The Sulige Gas Field's unconventional resources face development challenges due to tight reservoirs, low initial pressure, and strong heterogeneity, resulting in subeconomic production and rapid decline in vertical wells. To enhance resource recovery, Well SN0224-12H implemented horizontal drilling with staged volumetric fracturing. Integrated geo-engineering analysis evaluated hydraulic fracture propagation through lithological, petrophysical, and geomechanical characterization. Fracture modeling assessed geological controls (stress contrast, layer thickness, rock mechanics) and operational parameters (fluid viscosity, injection rate), validated by field microseismic monitoring. Innovative design features included non-uniform fine-cutting multi-cluster perforations and fracture-controlled parameter optimization. Advanced diagnostics (tracer injection, electromagnetic/microseismic monitoring) characterized 3D fracture networks, confirming that extended-reach horizontals with fine-cutting/high-intensity fracturing enable economically viable tight gas development, providing transferable insights for analogous unconventional plays.
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Jin et al. (2025) studied this question.
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