ENHANCING COMPLEX FRACTURE GEOMETRY IN SUBTERRANEAN FORMATIONS

摘要

Methods including isolating a first treatment zone comprising an opening into a subterranean formation. A high-viscosity treatment fluid (HVTF) is introduced through the opening and incrementally increased fracturing rate steps (IIFRSs) are applied to create or enhance a dominate fracture, wherein between each IIFRS a downhole pressure slope over time will increase, decline, or stabilize at a measured pressure slope. The measured pressure slope is evaluated to determine whether an increasing pressure slope, a stabilizing pressure slope, or a declining pressure slope exists to determine whether and when to apply a subsequent IIFRS. The result is increasing a volume of the dominate fracture due to efficient dominate fracturing with generated back pressure until a first maximum fracturing rate is reached.