ProFrac and Seismos Deploy Closed-Loop Fracturing at Commercial Scale Using Direct In-Well Measurements
Unlike systems that rely on offset well measurements to infer treatment well performance, this approach focuses directly on the targeted asset, the treatment well. It tracks subsurface performance through direct in-well measurements while pumping, detects deviations algorithmically, executes corrective action instantly, and validates the response within the same stage at any point. During deployment, average response time from data acquisition to automated treatment adjustment was under five minutes, with future targets below two minutes.
Industry research shows improved cluster-level fluid distribution, currently measured exclusively by the ProFrac-Seismos closed-loop system, can increase productivity by up to 20%, highlighting the value of real-time measurement and adjustment. These findings align with a recent
Intervention Methodology and Execution
The ProFrac-Seismos closed-loop control logic activated when intra-stage performance deviations were detected against defined envelopes and triggers. When criteria were met, the Seismos proprietary measurement system (SAFA™) and completion logic prescribed corrective interventions, and
Primary triggers included mid-stage perforation efficiency falling below the 70% threshold or a rapid PE degradation trend detected during the active stage. In response, surface parameters adjusted intra-stage included rate adjustments to improve cluster stimulation, friction reducer adjustments to maintain stable treating pressure, and other operational parameters controlled by ProPilot®.
As a result of the closed-loop optimization process, stages with intra-stage interventions experienced an additional 7% improvement in mid-stage perforation efficiency and 7.5% improvement in end-of-stage perforation efficiency compared to stages without intervention. There were no screen-outs attributable to intra-stage intervention adjustments and no additional non-productive time (NPT) introduced.
Why
Traditional frac execution often relies on treating pressure and post-job interpretation to infer downhole performance. Attempts to optimize the treatment well using offset responses face natural limitations because the treatment well lacks critical direct measurements indicative of performance. The ProFrac-Seismos closed loop changes that model by using real-time in-well measurements to guide decisions so treatments can be optimized as they are executed. Its integrated architecture is designed to scale control and learnings across stages and pads, combining real-time execution with a continuous improvement loop for design and operational decisioning.
Controlling the Frac Outcome
"We are no longer just measuring the well; we are controlling the frac outcome," said
About
About Seismos
Seismos delivers actionable data intelligence across the energy infrastructure, enabling greater situational awareness, confident decision-making, and superior performance. The company pioneered real-time frac optimization in 2018, which led to its portfolio of Closed-Loop automation, including physics-based subsurface measurement technologies, advanced completion logic systems, AI-based frac advisory systems and a vast data repository of hundreds of thousands of stages.
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