For operators developing shale reserves, determining an optimal infill well strategy can be technically challenging and plagued by multiple sources of uncertainty. Even under the best circumstances, multiple reservoir properties combine to create a complex blend of matrix permeability, natural faults and fractures, and landing interval properties that make ideal placement highly variable from pad to pad—especially within stacked reservoirs. While heterogeneity in the reservoir cannot be controlled, multiple strategies have been created to mitigate the risk of placing infill wells close enough for negative fracture interactions, instances where overlapping stimulated areas between wells undermines the economic value of one or both assets. These mitigation techniques almost exclusively focus on preventing fracture linkage, either by limiting fracture growth or by controlling the direction of propagation.

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