{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,16]],"date-time":"2025-10-16T00:23:31Z","timestamp":1760574211464,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,14]],"date-time":"2025-10-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1760400000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Symmetry"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In horizontal well technology, hydraulic fracturing has been established as an essential technique for enhancing hydrocarbon production. However, the complex architecture of fracture networks challenges conventional monitoring methods. Micro-seismic monitoring, recognized for its superior resolution and sensitivity, enables precise fracture morphology characterization. This study advances diagnostic capabilities through integrated field\u2013laboratory investigations and multi-domain signal processing. Hydraulic fracturing experiments under varied geological conditions generated critical micro-seismic datasets, with quantitative analyses revealing asymmetric propagation patterns (total length 312 \u00b1 15 m, east wing 117 m\/west wing 194 m) forming a 13.37 \u00d7 104 m3 stimulated reservoir volume. Spatial event distribution exhibited density disparities correlating with geophone offsets (west wing 3.8 events\/m vs. east 1.2 events\/m at 420\u2013794 m distances). Advanced time\u2013frequency analyses and inversion algorithms differentiated signal characteristics demonstrating logarithmic SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio)\u2013magnitude relationships (SNR 0.49\u20134.82, R2 = 0.87), with near-field events (&lt;500 m) showing 68% reduced magnitude variance compared to far-field counterparts. Coupled numerical simulations confirmed stress field interactions where fracture trajectories deviated 5\u201315\u00b0 from principal stress directions due to prior-stage stress shadows. Branch fracture networks identified in Stages 4\/7\/9\/10 with orthogonal\/oblique intersections (45\u201365\u00b0 dip angles) enhanced stimulation reservoir volume (SRV) by 37\u201342% versus planar fractures. These geometric parameters\u2014including height (20 \u00b1 3 m), width (44 \u00b1 5 m), spacing, and complexity\u2014were quantitatively linked to micro-seismic response patterns. The developed diagnostic framework provides operational guidelines for optimizing fracture geometry control, demonstrating how heterogeneity-driven signal variations inform stimulation strategy adjustments to improve reservoir recovery and economic returns.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/sym17101732","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,15]],"date-time":"2025-10-15T06:06:32Z","timestamp":1760508392000},"page":"1732","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Characterizing Hydraulic Fracture Morphology and Propagation Patterns in Horizontal Well Stimulation via Micro-Seismic Monitoring Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Longbo","family":"Lin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xiaojun","family":"Xiong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhiyuan","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xiaohua","family":"Yan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hunan Geosun Hi-Technology Co., Ltd., Changsha 410006, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yifan","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hunan Geosun Hi-Technology Co., Ltd., Changsha 410006, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Van Der Baan, M., Eaton, D., and Dusseault, M. 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