The application of improved differential evolution algorithm in electromagnetic fracture monitoring

Hydraulic fracturing is a pivotal technology in the development of unconventional tight reservoirs, in which accurate monitoring of fracture parameters is significant. This paper proposes an improved differential evolution algorithm (EMDE) to calculate the Effective Propped Volume (EPV) accurately. The forward simulation results demonstrate that when the transmitting source plane is in a particular position, the relationship between signals and a specific parameter is the most obvious, providing a basis for the application of inversion algorithms. Furthermore, the difference between the population center and the individual is added to accelerate the convergence of the EMDE algorithm. A simplified selection strategy of the simulated annealing algorithm is used to enhance the convergence speed and the ability to find the global optimal value of the objective function simultaneously. The one-stage and two-stages inversion strategies are designed to calculate the parameters. In the two-stage inversion, the second-stage is constrained by the forward simulation and the first-stage results. It indicates that the errors of the two-stages inversion can be controlled within 5%. Through the inversion simulation proposed in this paper, the feasibility of the electromagnetic method to monitor the EPV is verified, and it provides a theoretical guidance for subsequent fracturing construction adjustments.