Can We Evaluate the Effectiveness of Diverting Agent Only by Hydraulic Fracturing Pressure Signals

TongXuan Gu, HanYi Wang, Shuang Zheng

Conventional industry practice evaluates the effectiveness of diverting agents in hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells by monitoring treatment pressure, predicated on the assumption that a pressure increase signifies the successful plugging of dominant fractures and subsequent fluid diversion. This study critically examines the reliability of using pressure response as a sole diagnostic metric. Utilizing a fully implicit 3-D geomechanical fracture simulator, we investigate the complex interplay between treatment pressure and the spatial distribution of open perforations. Our simulation results demonstrate that a rise in treatment pressure is a non-unique indicator; it does not necessarily confirm the plugging of a dominant fracture but may instead result from plugging at disparate clusters. Consequently, relying exclusively on pressure spikes may lead to misleading assessments of diversion efficiency. These findings necessitate a fundamental revision of current field evaluation protocols to incorporate more robust diagnostic tools