Application of surface tiltmeter fracture mapping in Changqing Oilfield

To obtain such parameters as the fracture azimuth and dimension of hydraulic fracturing accurately is significant to the development of Changqing low permeability reservoirs. The test method through the surface tiltmeter is one of the most advanced techniques for fracture monitoring in the world. It uses high-sensitivity instruments to monitor the deformation resulted from fracturing and geophysical inversion to confirm the azimuth, obliquity and spacing. Compared to the other methods, the surface tiltmeter can be used to measure the azimuth and spacing of fractures exactly. The principle, resettlement requirements, technical indicators of the surface tiltmeter are introduced in this paper. It is the first time the monitoring method through the surface tiltmeter was introduced to China. The method has been tested in two wells in Sulige and Yulin gas fields. The azimuth of hydraulic fracturing is about NW70°and there is about 20% horizontal component in fracturing. The application of the monitoring method enables us to know the complexity of extension in hydraulic fracturing and improves improving the fracturing design.