Patent ID: 6935424

Claim:
A method of fracturing a formation, the method comprising: pumping fracturing fluid, during at least part of a fracturing job time period, into a well to initiate or extend a fracture in a formation with which the well communicates; using tiltmeters to sense at least one dimension of the fracture; generating signals in response to the at least one dimension of the fracture, within the fracturing job time period; and further pumping fracturing fluid, within the fracturing job time period, into the well in response to the generated signals, including controlling in response to the generated signals at least one of a pump rate of the further pumping and a viscosity of the further pumped fracturing fluid, wherein controlling in response to the generated signals includes comparing a measured magnitude of the at least one dimension of the fracture represented by the generated signals with a predetermined modeled magnitude of the same at least one dimension, the method including detecting a bridge in the fracture, wherein: detecting the bridge in the fracture includes measuring a treating pressure; using tiltmeters includes sensing a width of the fracture; and comparing the measured magnitude of the at least one dimension of the fracture represented by the generated signals with the predetermined modeled magnitude of the same at least one dimension includes comparing the width sensed by the tiltmeters with a predetermined width.