Print this pageInterpretation of Subsurface Fracture Systems by Changing
Prediction 
Resolution
WU, HAIQING, DAVID D. POLLARD, ATILLA AYDIN, and LAIRD B. THOMPSON
Progress on the prediction of subsurface fracture systems using borehole
image data has been made by developing a new technology based on current
understanding of the physics of fracture growth in sedimentary rocks. The
prediction method has been incorporated into software, PRED2/3D, that scans
borehole image data and outputs 3D visualizations of fracture parameters in the
surrounding reservoir. There are several techniques for changing the visual
resolution of a predicted fracture network: (1) increasing or decreasing the
length of the scanning window; (2) changing the dimensions of the prediction
volume; or (3) studying individual fracture sets. Changing the resolution of the
fracture network emphasizes different geological features of the network. For
example, decreasing the length of the scanning window provides more details on
fracture geometry; and investigating individual fracture sets leads to a
determination of their relative ages.
FMS databases for two horizontal
boreholes, Mobil Canada 1-14 and 7-14, in
the Rainbow Field AA pool, Alberta, Canada, have been processed and evaluated
using PRED2/3D to illustrate the prediction capabilities.