Paper: Designing Permian Basin Fracture Treatments Using 3D Fracture Simulators

Three dimensional hydraulic fracture simulators have become increasingly popular in the Permian Basin. The choice of input parameters to these simulators can be critical to obtaining reasonable results. When sufficient effort is put forth to estimate these parameters, fracture height can be predicted prior to the job. This can be critical if water bearing zones are in close proximity to the hydrocarbon zones of interest. Field examples are discussed from the Delaware, San Andres, and Spraberry to demonstrate the value of proper parameter selection for 3D models in predicting fracture height.