Excess Anisotropy: A Method to Predict Frequency of Resistive Fractures in the Wolfcamp Shale

A horizontal well in the Wolfcamp Formation within the Delaware Basin exhibits cross-dipole sonic log anisotropy varying from 0.0% to 29.7% over the reservoir interval. Massive limestones exhibit little anisotropy while shales and intervals with high fracture counts have high anisotropy. Integrated analysis of acoustic, image and triple combo open-hole log data indicates that the computed volume of shale log is a strong predictor of anisotropy with a simple linear relationship. However, there is much anisotropy that is not accounted for by this lithologically related linear relationship. We refer to the residual obtained by subtracting the predicted anisotropy using this relationship from the measured anisotropy from a cross-dipole sonic tool as the excess anisotropy. The excess anisotropy is the remaining anisotropy that is not accounted for by linear regression between the volume of shale log and the measured anisotropy. We find that the excess anisotropy is linearly correlated to the resistive fracture density. Linear regression between the two variables yields a statistically significant relationship that enables a rough estimation of the resistive fracture frequency from the excess anisotropy. Validation in a second well produces a similar correlation to fracture frequency.