Fracture Detection and Structural Dip Analysis from Oil-Base Microresistivity Image Logs in a Horizontal Well: A Case Study from the Silurian Longmaxi Shale; #42278 (2018)

A large amount of mud loss and the cluster design of hydraulic fracture stimulation in an oil-based mud horizontal well motivated running oilbase microresistivity image logs in a 1600 m horizontal section in the Silurian Longmaxi Shale. The image log interpretation reveals the distribution of natural fractures in the horizontal section and indicates that the horizontal section cuts through the structural fault identified from structural dip analysis. However, the total mud loss of 342 m occurred near the natural fractures in the horizontal section. This suggests that the fractures could cause a large amount of the mud loss. The attributes of the fractures and the fault were used as important inputs for the cluster design of hydraulic fracture stimulation in the horizontal well.