Abstract The potential environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing is a significant public concern. A key question is: How far can fractures go beyond the well? We analyze microseismic, pressure interaction (frac-hit and interference), and tracer data recorded during fracturing of and production from 52 wells in the Horn River Basin. The results show that the wells communicate through fracture-like pathways which allow water, gas, and proppant flow. The lateral and vertical well communications occur at distances above 1 km and up to 130 m, respectively. Well communication may last for over 1.7 years possibly due to proppant flow, which prevents complete fracture closure during flowback and post-flowback processes.

中文翻译：

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水力压裂能走多远：来自霍恩河流域的水回流、示踪剂和微地震数据的比较分析

摘要 水力压裂对环境的潜在影响是一个重要的公众关注的问题。一个关键问题是：裂缝可以超出井的范围吗？我们分析了霍恩河流域 52 口井在压裂和生产过程中记录的微地震、压力相互作用（压裂和干扰）和示踪数据。结果表明，这些井通过类似裂缝的通道连通，允许水、气和支撑剂流动。横向和垂直井通信分别发生在 1 km 以上和 130 m 的距离处。可能由于支撑剂流动，油井连通可能会持续 1.7 年以上，这会阻止返排和返排过程中的裂缝完全闭合。