COURSE DURATION: 5 days

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COURSE LEVEL: Intermediate

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DESIGNED FOR YOU, IF YOU ARE...
•    Production Engineers
•    Reservoir Engineers
•    HF field supervisors and engineers
•    Geologists and Geophysics

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By the end of the course you will feel confident in your understanding of:
•    Understand the principles and applications of formation fracturing 
•    Design and implement hydraulic fracturing operations effectively.
•    Address environmental and regulatory challenges associated with fracturing.
•    Designing a Frac Job.
•    Selection of Additives
•    Selection of Surface Equipment
•    Main parameters and KPI’s for a successful Fracking Operation.

How will this Training Course be presented?
This Course will be presented using properly designed slides, some with animation and several videos on relevant issues. Teaching methods include also calculations on related issues.
Several examples of actual Fracturing Programs will be presented. 

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DAILY AGENDA

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Day 1: Fundamentals of Hydraulic Fracturing

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1.1 Introduction to Hydraulic Fracturing

• Objectives and history

• Economic and production rationale

• Overview of conventional vs. unconventional applications

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1.2 Geomechanics Essentials

• Understanding reservoir types and characteristics

• Stress profiles and fracture gradients

• Rock mechanical properties: Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio

• In-situ stress determination and implications for fracture design

• Identifying formations suitable for fracturing

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1.3 Fracture Geometry and Propagation Mechanics

• Types of fractures: bi-wing, complex, T-shaped

• Fracture height growth and containment

• Fracture modeling overview: PKN, KGD, and radial models

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1.4 Diagnostics and Evaluation Methods

• Diagnostic Fracture Injection Test (DFIT)

• Understanding the concept of Mini Frac

• Data acquisition for fracture design

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Day 2: Fracturing Fluids and Proppants

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2.1 Fracturing Fluids Chemistry

• Types of fracturing fluids: water-based, oil-based, and foam-based fluids

• Fracture propagation and fluid mechanics

• Viscous, slickwater, and hybrid systems

• Fluid additives: gelling agents, breakers, crosslinkers

• Fluid selection for sandstone vs. carbonate

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2.2 Proppant Selection and Transport

• Proppant types: sand, resin-coated, ceramic

• Proppant transport mechanics and settling

• Effects of closure stress and embedment

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2.3 Fluid-Rock Interaction

• Fluid leakoff and filtration

• Fluid compatibility with formation minerals

• Damage mechanisms: clay swelling, fines migration

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2.4 Fracturing Equipment and Operations

• Surface equipment layout and required safety principles

• Real-time monitoring and control

• Pressure matching and treating schedule execution

• Calculate the horsepower requirement for the job.

 

 

Day 3: Sandstone Fracturing – Challenges and Optimization

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3.1 Characteristics of Sandstone Reservoirs

• Mineralogy, porosity, and permeability

• Natural fractures and heterogeneity

• Influence of formation damage and water sensitivity

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3.2 Sandstone Fracture Design

• Fluid and proppant strategies for sandstones

• Acid fracturing vs. propped fracturing in tight sandstones

• Formation damage mitigation during fracturing

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3.3 Case Studies and Design Exercises

• Pre-fracturing preparation and site assessment

• Safety considerations during fracturing operation

• Interactive design

• Sensitivity analysis: fluid rate, viscosity, proppant size

• Field case study on sandstone fracturing

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3.4 Fracture Conductivity and Post-Frac Cleanup

• Conductivity testing methods

• Factors affecting long-term conductivity

• Post-frac flowback strategies

 

Day 4: Carbonate Fracturing – Acid Fracturing Focus

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4.1 Characteristics of Carbonate Formations

• Lithology: limestone vs. dolomite

• Natural fractures and matrix complexity

• High-temperature/high-pressure (HTHP) considerations

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4.2 Acid Fracturing Design Principles

• Acid selection: HCl, emulsified, gelled acids

• Reaction kinetics and acid penetration

• Wormholing and etching mechanisms

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4.3 Case Studies and Design Exercises

• Deep carbonate fracturing case studies

• Etching pattern analysis and acid placement simulation

• Designing acid-frac jobs under high-temperature conditions

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4.4 Zonal Isolation and Multi-Stage Acid Fracturing

• Mechanical and chemical diversion techniques

• Ball-drop and plug-and-perf methods

• Multi-Stage Acid Fracturing execution and downhole equipment

 

 

Day 5: Advanced Topics, Modeling & Field Integration

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5.1 FracPacs  

• Types of Frac Packs and application in Well Stimulation and Sand Control

 

5.2 Refracturing and Unconventional Applications

 

• Fracturing in shale formations

• Candidate selection criteria

• Refracturing in mature sandstone and carbonate wells

• Economic evaluation and risk management

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5.3 Operational Challenges and Risk Management

• Environmental and regulatory considerations

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5.4 Final Workshop and Assessment

• Group project: Full fracture design for sandstone and carbonate wells

• Oral presentations and peer review

• Final assessment and feedback

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Deliverables:

• Course manual (PDF)

• Case study data sets

• Fracture design Excel templates

• Certificate of Completion

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INSTRUCTOR

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TBA