The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 30, 1977
Filed:
Jul. 06, 1976
Arfon Harry Jones, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Henri Samuel Swolfs, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Sidney Joseph Green, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Terra Tek, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Abstract
This is an invention in a method for locating the azimuthal direction of fractures induced into an underground formation adjacent to a well bore. Practicing the method of the invention involves measurement of stresses created at or near ground surface by such fracture propagation, utilizing pressure sensitive devices making up stress meters which reflect those stress changes on standard pressure gauges. Such stress meters are preferably each placed at an optimum distance from a well bore and spaced therearound, and, when a fracture is induced in the formation around the well bore, preferably by hydraulic means, said stress meters measure surface stress changes as horizontal pressure changes, which pressure change measurements can then be used to mathematically determine the direction of the fracture.