Case Study: Chevron improves fracture design and stress profiling with SLB microfracture testing

Microfracture Tests Directly Measure Geomechanical Properties in the Avalon Shale

Chevron needed a reliable way to measure minimum in situ stress and fracture gradients in the low-permeability Avalon Shale in the Delaware Basin. Working with SLB, the team used the MDT modular formation dynamics tester to perform microfracture tests where conventional minifracturing and formation testing methods were not effective.

SLB configured the MDT tester with a Dual-Packer Module to isolate short intervals and inject only a few gallons of fluid, enabling fast, repeatable stress measurements with minimal friction effects or time lag. The results matched fracture injection tests and sonic-log-derived stress gradients, helping Chevron calibrate geomechanical models, predict fracture height and growth, and design more accurate multistage fracture treatments.

Chevron

Mayank Malik

Formation Testing SME