Patent ID: 8100177

Claim:
A method for determining the location and height of an induced fracture in a subterranean formation comprising: (a) obtaining a pre-fracture data set resulting from: (i) lowering into a borehole traversing a subterranean formation a pulsed neutron capture logging tool comprising a neutron source and a detector, (ii) emitting neutrons from the neutron source into the borehole and the subterranean formation, and (iii) detecting in the borehole thermal neutrons or capture gamma rays resulting from nuclear reactions in the borehole and the subterranean formation; (b) hydraulically fracturing the subterranean formation to generate a fracture with a slurry comprising a liquid and a proppant in which all or a fraction of such proppant includes a thermal neutron absorbing material, the proppant having a thermal neutron capture cross-section of at least about 90 capture units; (c) obtaining a post-fracture data set by: (i) lowering into the borehole traversing the subterranean formation a pulsed neutron capture logging tool comprising a neutron source and a detector, (ii) emitting neutrons from the last-mentioned neutron source into the borehole and the subterranean formation, (iii) detecting in the borehole thermal neutrons or capture gamma rays resulting from nuclear reactions in the borehole and the subterranean formation; (d) comparing the pre-fracture data set and the post-fracture data set to determine a location of the proppant; and (e) correlating the location of the proppant to a depth measurement of the borehole to determine the location and height of the fracture.