A Quantitative Investigation of the Fracture Pump-ln/Flowback Test

Abstract

Abstract Fracture closure pressure is an important parameter for fracture treatment design and evaluation. The pump-in/flowback (PIFB) test is frequently used to estimate its magnitude. The test is attractive because bottomhole pressures during flowback develop a distinct and repeatable signature. This is in contrast to the pump-in/shut-in test where strong indications of fracture closure are rarely seen. Various techniques exist for extracting closure pressure from the flowback pressure response. Unfortunately, these procedures give different estimates for closure pressure and their theoretical bases are not well established. We present results that place the PIFB test on a more solid foundation. A numerical model is used to simulate the PIFB test and glean physical mechanisms contributing to the response. Based on our simulation results, we propose an interpretation procedure which gives better estimates for closure pressure than existing techniques.