In many petroleum provinces, there
is a strong correlation between high fracture density and production
of hydrocarbons. An increase in fracture density often marks subsurface
features that influenced the deposition of reservoir units, the post-depositional
tectonic fracture enhancement of reservoirs, the location of enhanced
generation and expulsion of hydrocarbons from source rock, and areas
where geochemical or geobotanical changes in surface cover have enhanced
the visibility of the fractures. In almost all settings, a high degree
of fracturing improves producibility. It is also interesting to note
that in many producing fields, bottom hole pressure mirrors fracture
density. Our analysis provides contour maps of fracture density allowing
us to see the lateral extent of these subsurface features and deep-seated
fracture zones.
