Approach Reveals Insights Into Well Communication, Pressure Interference Issues By Arman Khodabakhshnejad OUSTON-To optimize the economics of unconven- H tional reservoir development, operators must maximize production by drilling horizontal "child" wells on reduced spacing to efficiently drain hydrocarbons from low-permeability reservoirs. However, tighter well spacing can lead to well communication challenges, pressure interference and drainage overlap issues that diminish development economics. Communication between wells during hydraulic fracturing operations can negatively impact treatment performance by diverting energy (i.e., fluid and proppant) to previously stimulated stages or zones. By generating real-time 3-D characterizations of microseismic events to evaluate the created fracture network, continuous surface and downhole microseismic monitoring provides a unique opportunity to evaluate communication and pressure interference among wells in close proximity. To this end, a physics-based reservoir model has been developed that integrates microseismic monitoring data with reservoir property measurements to analyze the effectiveness of completion designs and frac treatments, and reveal new insights into communication and pressure interference during stimulation. MAY 2019 45