How far can hydraulic fractures go? A comparative analysis of water flowback, tracer, and microseismic data from the Horn River Basin

摘要

The potential environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing is a significant public concern. A key question is: How far can fractures go beyond the well? We analyze microseismic, pressure interaction (frac-hit and interference), and tracer data recorded during fracturing of and production from 52 wells in the Horn River Basin. The results show that the wells communicate through fracture-like pathways which allow water, gas, and proppant flow. The lateral and vertical well communications occur at distances above 1 km and up to 130 m, respectively. Well communication may last for over 1.7 years possibly due to proppant flow, which prevents complete fracture closure during flowback and post-flowback processes.