Abstract: To control adverse vertical height growth of the fracture created during hydraulic fracturing treatments of subterranean formations, a nonproppant fluid stage is injected during the treatment. The nonproppant stage comprises a transport fluid and a flow block material. The flow block material can be any particulate used as a fracture proppant, and has a particle size distribution which is sufficient to form a substantially impermeable barrier to fluid flow into the vertical extremities of the fracture. The particle size distribution preferably comprises at least two different particles sizes.

Abstract: During fracture treatment of a subterranean formation, multiple hydraulic fracturing cycles are performed wherein the bottomhole treating pressure of a wellbore is controlled to not exceed a maximum bottomhole treating pressure for the formation, thereby attaining maximum principle fracture extension and limiting initiation of secondary fractures transverse to the principle fracture extension.

Abstract: During injection of fracture fluid into a subterranean formation, the bottomhole treating pressure at which the change in pressure is essentially zero is determined. This pressure is the maximum which should be attained for that formation during fracture and is useful for designing subsequent fracture treatments within the same subterranean formation.

Abstract: A method of determining the minimum in-situ stress of an underground formation penetrated by a well. The method includes injecting a fluid at a certain rate into the formation to produce fractures in the formation, backflowing the injected fluid from the well at a rate less than the injection rate, and measuring the well fluid pressure decrease during the backflow to establish the pressure at which the fractures close.