ProTechnics Technical Bibliography


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  • Measuring Hydraulic Fracture Width Behind Casing Using a Radioactive Proppant, J.C. Reis, Kevin Fisher, David Holcomb, SPE 31105, February 1996.

    ABSTRACT

    Measuring Hydraulic Fracture Width Behind Casing Using a Radioactive Proppant

    Knowing the width of a hydraulic fracture behind casing can be useful in evaluating both reservoir performance and fracture design methods. This paper presents a method to obtain the widths of hydraulic fractures behind casing using radioactive, isotope-traced proppants. A tool-specific relationship between the gamma-ray flux detected in a wellbore and the fracture width was developed using Monte Carlo stimulation of gamma ray transport around a wellbore. This method provides fracture width estimates with a vertical resolution of about one foot. The method has been successfully used in the field and compares favorably with other methods for evaluating fracture widths.