A subsurface formation surrounding a deviated borehole and having original in-situ stresses that favor the propagation of a vertical fracture is penetrated by a cased borehole. The casing is perforated at a pair of spaced-apart intervals to form a pair of sets of perforations. Fracturing fluid is initially pumped down said cased borehole and out one of said sets of perforations to form a first fracture that is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the least principal in-situ horizontal stress. The propagation of this first vertical fracture changes the in-situ stresses so as to favor the propagation of a second vertical fracture. This is oriented in a direction parallel to the direction of the least principal in-situ horizontal stress. Thereafter, while maintaining pressure in the first vertical fracture, fracturing fluid is pumped down said cased borehole and out of the other of said sets of perforations to form such a second vertical fracture which will now link naturally occurring fractures in the formation to the deviated wellbore.
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