Volume 32 Issue 1
Feb.  2026
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Article Contents
ZHANG J F,FENG Y C,HE B,et al.,2026. Refined characterization of the 3D fracture complexity index based on Well-Seismic Integration[J]. Journal of Geomechanics,32(1):184−196 doi: 10.12090/j.issn.1006-6616.2025059
Citation: ZHANG J F,FENG Y C,HE B,et al.,2026. Refined characterization of the 3D fracture complexity index based on Well-Seismic Integration[J]. Journal of Geomechanics,32(1):184−196 doi: 10.12090/j.issn.1006-6616.2025059

Refined characterization of the 3D fracture complexity index based on Well-Seismic Integration

doi: 10.12090/j.issn.1006-6616.2025059
Funds:  This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52074312), the CNPC Science and Technology Innovation Foundation (Grant No. 2021DQ02-0505), the Open Fund Project of the National Key Laboratory for the Enrichment Mechanism and Efficient Development of Shale Oil and Gas (Grant No. 36650000-24-ZC0609-0006), and the Major Science and Technology Project of Karamay City (Grant No. 20232023zdzx0003).
More Information
  • Received: 2025-06-03
  • Revised: 2026-01-11
  • Accepted: 2026-01-11
  • Available Online: 2026-01-13
  • Published: 2026-02-27
  •   Objective  The accurate characterization of formation fracture complexity is of great significance for evaluating lost circulation risks, hydraulic fracturing stimulation effectiveness, and various operational stages throughout the oil and gas drilling and production lifecycle. Addressing the limitation of the inability of existing fracture characteristic parameters to comprehensively represent fracture complexity, this study proposes a method for establishing a 3D fracture complexity index based on the concept of Well-Seismic Integration. Using an oilfield in the Bohai Sea, China, for a case study, this method refines the characterization of formation fracture complexity.   Methods  Considering the influence of both fracture aperture and fracture intensity on fracture complexity, we establish a 1D fracture complexity index model. This model is based on expert decision-making and well-logging data; it uses a combined subjective and objective weighting approach that integrates the Analytic Hierarchy Process and the Entropy Weight Method. Furthermore, the fracture development degree attribute volume derived from seismic inversion is used as a constraint condition for Kriging interpolation to construct the 3D fracture complexity index attribute volume.   Results  This method is used to derive the 1D fracture complexity index profiles of drilled wells. Comparing these profiles with borehole image logs shows that a higher fracture complexity index corresponds to a greater number of fractures or larger fracture apertures at the corresponding depth, confirming the feasibility of this method for characterizing fracture complexity. In the 3D fracture complexity index model, the attribute volume profile is extracted along the drilled well and compared with formation lithology and dual laterolog profiles. The results indicate that a higher fracture complexity index corresponds to a greater difference in dual laterolog responses. Furthermore, the lithology of this well interval is identified as granitic basement gneiss, further validating the reliability of this method.   Conclusions  A fracture complexity index was constructed using a combined weighting approach that integrates the subjective Analytic Hierarchy Process and the objective Entropy Weight Method. This index not only reflects the extent of fracture distribution but also captures the internal structural heterogeneity of fractures. It addresses the issue of low prediction accuracy in existing lost circulation risk prediction methods, which rely solely on fracture intensity as the fracture-characterizing parameter. Moreover, it compensates for the limitations of current methods for evaluating hydraulic fracturing stimulation, which assess compressibility based on a single factor, such as fracture intensity or fracture aperture. [ Significance ] The research provides a theoretical foundation and engineering guidance for predicting lost circulation risk and assessing compressibility.

     

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