September 14th, 2023 DGS Luncheon Presentation – Dr. Ge Jin, Colorado School of Mines – Reservoir Characterization Project

Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in the DJ Basin: What are the Controlling Factors?

Dr. Ge Jin

Abstract:

Over the last decade, the Reservoir Characterization Project has undertaken three distinct projects across the Denver-Julesburg Basin to characterize hydraulic fracture propagation in the Niobrara and Codell formations. These three projects are located in different parts of the basin, with two of them situated just 15 miles apart. Despite their proximity, the fracture propagation behavior — as constrained by distributed fiber-optic sensing measurements, microseismic data, and image logs — exhibits dramatic differences across all three projects. In this presentation, we will first present the observations and diagnostic methods used to characterize hydraulic fractures in these projects. Subsequently, we will delve into the potential influential factors on fracture propagation. These factors include horizontal and vertical stress variations, pre-existing natural fractures and faults, and zipper fracturing sequences. We conclude that hydraulic fracture propagation in the DJ Basin is considerably more complex than in other unconventional basins in North America. The stress conditions and reservoir properties exhibit significant lateral and vertical variations, resulting in intricate fracture orientations. This poses challenges for the effective development of unconventional resources for DJ operators.

Dr. Ge Jin is Assistant Professor of Geophysics and co-director of Reservoir Characterization Project (rcp.mines.edu) at Colorado School of Mines. His research mainly focuses on Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensing (DFOS) applications in Geophysics. He has been working on DFOS-related research projects since 2014 and has authored dozens of publications and patents in this field. He is also interested in machine-learning applications and seismic imaging. He currently leads a research group focusing on hydraulic fracturing monitoring and reservoir characterization using DFOS measurements. Dr. Jin obtained his Ph.D. in Geophysics from Columbia University in the City of New York, and dual B.S. in Geophysics and Computer Science from Peking University. He worked as a research geophysicist in the oil industry for five years before joining the university in 2019.