Abstract: A system and method to determine closure pressure in a wellbore that can include, flowing a fracturing fluid into the wellbore during a fracturing operation of at least one stage and forming a fracture, sensing fluid pressure and a flow rate of the fracturing fluid during the fracturing operation and communicating the sensed data to a controller, plotting data points of the sensed data to a visualization device which is configured to visually present the data points to an operator as a plot, fitting a curve to the data points which represent statistically-relevant minimum pressure data at various flow rates, determining an intercept of the first curve with a zero flow rate axis of the plot, determining the closure pressure based on a pressure value of the intercept, and determining an average fracture permeability based on the closure pressure.

Abstract: A method may comprise identifying one or more pressure dissipation mechanisms that drop pressure within a fluid handling system, identifying one or more open flowpath elements, performing a matching algorithm with an information handling system, and initializing the matching algorithm with an estimate of a coefficient. A system may comprise a fluid handling system and an information handling system. The fluid handling system may comprise a fluid supply vessel, wherein the fluid supply vessel is disposed on a surface, pumping equipment, wherein the pumping equipment is attached to the fluid supply vessel and disposed on the surface; a wellbore supply conduit, wherein the wellbore supply conduit is attached to the pumping equipment and disposed in a formation, and a flowpath element, wherein the flowpath element fluidly couples the wellbore supply conduit to the formation.

Abstract: A method of controlling a pumping stage of a fracturing fleet at a wellsite with a set of electric frac pumps to deliver fracturing fluids into a target formation at a steady pressure value. An global control process on a computer system communicatively connected to the plurality of pumping units can communicate a unit setpoint to each pumping unit, monitor the sensor measurements, compare the periodic datasets to a target pressure, and modify the fluid output of the pump units to achieve the target pressure during the pumping operation. The global control process can direct at least one pumping unit to deliver a fracturing treatment at a pressure higher or lower than the target pressure in response to changing wellbore environment pressures.

Abstract: A method of controlling a pumping stage of a fracturing fleet at a wellsite with a set of electric frac pumps to deliver fracturing fluids into a target formation at a steady pressure value. An global control process on a computer system communicatively connected to the plurality of pumping units can communicate a unit setpoint to each pumping unit, monitor the sensor measurements, compare the periodic datasets to a target pressure, and modify the fluid output of the pump units to achieve the target pressure during the pumping operation. The global control process can direct at least one pumping unit to deliver a fracturing treatment at a pressure higher or lower than the target pressure in response to changing wellbore environment pressures.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring mechanical properties of a rock formation. The apparatus includes force application fixtures configured to apply opposing compressive forces to a disc-shaped sample of a core plug specimen from the rock formation. Each of the force application fixtures include an applicant portion having an end cap. The end cap has a shaped surface that is configured to conform with a portion of a non-planar side of the disc-shaped sample such that substantially an entire volume of the disc-shaped sample experiences a compressive stress when the opposing compressive forces are applied to the portions of the non-planar side. A system and method for measuring mechanical properties of a rock formation are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system includes a first instrumented bridge plug positionable in a downhole wellbore environment. The first instrumented bridge plug includes an acoustic source for transmitting an acoustic signal. The system also includes a second instrumented bridge plug positionable in the downhole wellbore environment. The second instrumented bridge plug includes an acoustic sensor for receiving a reflected acoustic signal originating from the acoustic signal. The reflected acoustic signal being usable to interpret wellbore formation characteristics of the downhole wellbore environment.

Abstract: A method may comprise plotting treatment data to form a plot of the treatment data, fitting a function to the plot of the treatment data, determining an intercept of the function, calculating one or more coefficients, plotting the one or more coefficients on a histogram, and identifying one or more active flowpath elements on the histogram. A system may comprise a fluid handling system and an information handling system. The fluid handling system may comprise a fluid supply vessel, wherein the fluid supply vessel is disposed on a surface; pumping equipment, wherein the pumping equipment it attached to the fluid supply vessel and disposed on the surface; wellbore supply conduit, wherein the wellbore supply conduit is attached to the pumping equipment and disposed in a formation; and a plurality of flowpath elements, wherein the flowpath elements fluidly couple the wellbore supply conduit to the formation.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring mechanical properties of a downhole material, including first and second fixtures each of the fixtures containing a force application fixture to apply a stress to a specimen of the downhole material. A confining sleeve wraps around portions of the first and second fixtures to form a sealed specimen chamber defined by an inner surface of the confining sleeve and ends of the first and second fixtures nearest the specimen. Wall of a confining chamber contain the first and second fixtures, the confining sleeve and the specimen therein. The confining chamber holds a hydraulic fluid therein such that the hydraulic fluid can exert a confining pressure on the confining sleeve to maintain the seal of the specimen chamber and to maintain contact between the inner surface of the confining sleeve and the specimen when the stress is applied to the specimen.

Abstract: A method for real time crush testing of proppants including loading proppant into an apparatus comprising: a body with a chamber to accept a piston and proppant; a pressure piston; a pressure transducer located in the bottom of the chamber; and a displacement sensor; compressing the proppant with the pressure; calculating the amount of proppant material in the proppant pack; increasing pressure on the proppant pack until the sample is crushed; calculating proppant strength from at least the displacement sensor data. An apparatus includes a body with a chamber to accept a piston and proppant; a pressure piston; a pressure transducer located in the bottom of the chamber; and a displacement sensor.

Abstract: Methods of diverting fluid flow, controlling fluid loss, and/or providing zonal isolation in subterranean formations are provided. In some embodiments, the methods comprise: providing a particulate material that comprises an electrically controlled propellant; placing the particulate material in at least a first portion of the subterranean formation; introducing a treatment fluid into the subterranean formation; and allowing the particulate material to at least partially divert the flow of the treatment fluid away from the first portion of the formation.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a method and system that estimates the number of active fractures for a given hydraulic fracturing fluid pressure. The hydraulic fracturing pressure can be correlated to a corresponding hydraulic fracturing fluid absorption rate of downhole fractures. Using the pressure and rate correlation, an active fracture ratio can be determined and then utilized to estimate the number of active fractures at a given hydraulic fracturing fluid pressure. In other aspects, a target fluid pressure is represented by a curve or other shape corresponding to a fluid friction model so that the fluid pressure correlation to the fluid absorption rate can be utilized to compute the active fracture ratio. The disclosed system is operable to control a well site pump system to adjust the fluid pressure and fluid composition, to monitor the downhole fluid, to collect the fluid values, and to compute an estimated active fracture ratio.

Abstract: A fracture simulation system is provided to determine anisotropic effective permeability of rock formations having natural fractures therein.

Abstract: A system includes a first instrumented bridge plug positionable in a downhole wellbore environment. The first instrumented bridge plug includes an acoustic source for transmitting an acoustic signal. The system also includes a second instrumented bridge plug positionable in the downhole wellbore environment. The second instrumented bridge plug includes an acoustic sensor for receiving a reflected acoustic signal originating from the acoustic signal. The reflected acoustic signal being usable to interpret wellbore formation characteristics of the downhole wellbore environment.

Abstract: A method may comprise identifying one or more pressure dissipation mechanisms that drop pressure within a fluid handling system, identifying one or more open flowpath elements, performing a matching algorithm with an information handling system, and initializing the matching algorithm with an estimate of a coefficient. A system may comprise a fluid handling system and an information handling system. The fluid handling system may comprise a fluid supply vessel, wherein the fluid supply vessel is disposed on a surface, pumping equipment, wherein the pumping equipment is attached to the fluid supply vessel and disposed on the surface; a wellbore supply conduit, wherein the wellbore supply conduit is attached to the pumping equipment and disposed in a formation, and a flowpath element, wherein the flowpath element fluidly couples the wellbore supply conduit to the formation.

Abstract: A well system includes a fiber-optic cable positionable downhole along a length of a wellbore. The well system further includes an opto-electrical interface to communicatively couple to the fiber-optic cable to monitor acoustic vibrations within the wellbore. Additionally, the well system includes a processing device and a memory device that includes instructions executable by the processing device to cause the processing device to perform operations. The operations include receiving data representing the acoustic vibrations from the opto-electrical interface. Further, the operations include identifying deficiencies of a hydraulic fracturing operation using the data representing the acoustic vibrations. Additionally, the operations include generating a modified fracturing plan using the deficiencies of the hydraulic fracturing operation.

Abstract: A system and method to determine closure pressure in a wellbore that can include, flowing a fracturing fluid into the wellbore during a fracturing operation of at least one stage and forming a fracture, sensing fluid pressure and a flow rate of the fracturing fluid during the fracturing operation and communicating the sensed data to a controller, plotting data points of the sensed data to a visualization device which is configured to visually present the data points to an operator as a plot, fitting a curve to the data points which represent statistically-relevant minimum pressure data at various flow rates, determining an intercept of the first curve with a zero flow rate axis of the plot, determining the closure pressure based on a pressure value of the intercept, and determining an average fracture permeability based on the closure pressure.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure in a wellbore of a formation, a processor communicably coupled with the pressure sensor, and a machine-readable medium. The machine-readable medium has program code executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to obtain a set of measurements with the pressure sensor, determine an effective wellbore compressibility coefficient based on the set of measurements, and determine an effective wellbore diameter based on an initial wellbore diameter and the effective wellbore compressibility coefficient.

Abstract: Systems and methods using electrically controlled propellant to operate equipment in subterranean formations are provided. In some embodiments, the methods comprise: providing a tool assembly that comprises a tool body and an electrically controlled propellant; and placing the tool assembly in at least a portion of a subterranean formation. Electrical current may be applied to at least a portion of the electrically controlled propellant to ignite the portion of the propellant to operate a portion of the tool assembly.

Abstract: A method may comprise plotting treatment data to form a plot of the treatment data, fitting a function to the plot of the treatment data, determining an intercept of the function, calculating one or more coefficients, plotting the one or more coefficients on a histogram, and identifying one or more active flowpath elements on the histogram. A system may comprise a fluid handling system and an information handling system. The fluid handling system may comprise a fluid supply vessel, wherein the fluid supply vessel is disposed on a surface; pumping equipment, wherein the pumping equipment it attached to the fluid supply vessel and disposed on the surface; wellbore supply conduit, wherein the wellbore supply conduit is attached to the pumping equipment and disposed in a formation; and a plurality of flowpath elements, wherein the flowpath elements fluidly couple the wellbore supply conduit to the formation.

Abstract: The disclosure improves the analysis of the hydraulic fracturing (HF) break down process of a well system. The analysis can use as inputs collected HF data such as the HF fluid pressure, HF fluid flow rate, and HF fluid composition over one or more time intervals. In some aspects, the perforation parameters and stratigraphic well placement can also be used as inputs. The analysis can also use as inputs the HF model inputs that were used in collecting the HF data. The analysis can determine an effectiveness parameter of the received inputs. HF model inputs can be selected that would best fit a HF job plan goal for the current well system. In some aspects, the HF model inputs can be communicated to a well system controller of the current well system to further direct HF job plan operations.