Computational Model Predicts Breakdown Pressures in Unconventional Plays

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Unconventional shale reservoirs are characterized by extreme low permeability and high in-situ stress. Multistage hydraulic fracturing plays a key role in developing such reservoirs. However, depending on the in-situ stress magnitude or regime, breakdown pressures can be too extreme to achieve, given available surface horsepower and downhole completion capabilities. This paper presents a newly developed model to predict the breakdown pressures in cased and perforated wells.

Introduction

In unconventional shale reservoirs, multi­stage hydraulic fracturing often is applied to stimulate a number of clusters across the target zone.