Investigation and selection of suitable layers in bangestan reservoir for hydraulic fracturing operation

Hydraulic fracturing is a process applied to boreholes to improve the ability of fluids (such as oil and gas) to flow to the hole and be recovered. Recent investigation has shown that fractures can play a major role in the productivity of low permeability formations. The Ahwaz oil field is one of the largest in South West Iran. The Bangestan reservoir in this field, with a suitable amount of oil in place and good rock reservoirs, has been selected for the present research work. The pressure profile has been calculated in tight reservoirs in a few wells, for the purpose of hydraulic fracturing operation studies. In this work, the pore pressure was calculated by using the available field data in the carbonated reservoir of the Ahwaz field. The results indicate that the Ham formation could be a good candidate for hydraulic fracturing. © Sharif University of Technology, December 2009.