Methods for monitoring temperature-vs-depth characteristics in a borehole during and after hydraulic fracture treatments

摘要

A method for monitoring in real time the growth of an hydraulic fracture in an earth formation traversed by a well borehole. Growth of the fracture is observed by measuring the temperature of the borehole fluid at selected times during the fracturing process. The temperature measurements are made by use of a string of vertically-spaced temperature sensors extending over the entire fracture depth interval, and a temperature-vs-depth profile of the fracture interval is generated in real time at the surface. Post-fracture temperature monitoring of the fracture zone affords information useful in estimating fracture volume and in well-flow planning and production scheduling.