Silo area, Wyoming; Differential compaction fracturing can significantly affect production

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Oil and Gas Journal; (USA)

OSTI ID:6498230

Thomas, G ^[1]

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1. Thomas and Associates, Denver, CO (US)

With the advent of horizontal drilling, fractured shale and chalk reservoirs have become important targets in the search for oil and gas deposits. Equally important in the search has been the corollary question of just where in the fractured reservoir do the most fractures occur While reservoir fracturing is generally thought to be either the result of mechanical stress (tectonic) or hydrostatic stress, another cause of fracturing not generally recognized is differential compaction stress over paleotopography. This paper explains the general principles of compaction fracturing and by examples from Silo field in the Denver basin shows the production significance of such fracturing.

• OSTI ID: 6498230
• Journal Information: Oil and Gas Journal; (USA), Vol. 88:42; ISSN 0030-1388
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
OIL FIELDS
DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
WYOMING
COMPACTING
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FRACTURED RESERVOIRS
HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
OIL SHALES
SEISMIC SURVEYS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
TECTONICS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DRILLING
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RECOVERY
RESOURCES
SURVEYS
USA
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
030300 - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
& Processing
020200 - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration