Integrating fully coupled geomechanical modeling with microsesmicity for the analysis of refracturing treatment

•Fully coupled geomechanical modeling and microseismic analysis was integrated to study the refracture treatment.•Practical diagnostic of diversion effectiveness based on microseismic moment and suggestions for completion optimization.•Insight for the diagnostic of refracture treatment and can help improve the overall refracturing project success.

In this work, fully coupled geomechanical modeling and microseismic analysis was integrated to study the impact of isolation and near-wellbore friction on the refracture treatment of a typical Eagle Ford well. The case study shows that depletion-induced changes in stress can enhance diversion, and the distribution of fluid between fractures in depleted and undepleted areas evolves during the treatment. The geomechanical model is used to identify the characteristic pressure signature and microseismic patterns associated with different hydraulic fracture geometries. A practical diagnostic of diversion effectiveness based on microseismic moment is derived from advanced microseismic analysis of the geomechanical response, and some options for completion optimization are suggested. While conventional microseismic analysis is often inadequate to determine whether refracture treatments stimulate undepleted areas or simply re-stimulate already-depleted areas, the Eagle Ford refracture treatment case study in this paper demonstrates the application of microseismic geomechanics to assess the effectiveness of diversion and estimate the distribution of fluid between previously stimulated and unstimulated areas.