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ABSTRACT: Well productivity in unconventional reservoirs depends on contacting good reservoir quality rock with sufficient
surface area, via hydraulic fracturing, and more importantly on preserving surface area and fracture conductivity over long-term
production. Thus, understanding the created fracture system is fundamental for understanding well production. In this paper we
present fracture propagation experiments on texturally complex, organic-rich, tight shale outcrop blocks of the Niobrara formation.
After hydraulically fracturing the block we conducted unpropped fracture conductivity measurements under changing closure
stress. Subsequently we re-fractured the block with proppant laden slick water. When the desired amount of sand was transported
and just before screening out, we stopped proppant injection and conducted fracture conductivity measurements on the propped
fracture. These measurements of propped and unpropped fracture conductivity were compared to corresponding measurements on
small samples. Results show that the larger fractures, whether propped or unpropped, retain higher fracture conductivity with
increasing stress. We also observe substantial fracture complexity associated with the textural complexity in the rock. As a result
there is substantial variability in the concentration and distribution of the proppant in the fracture. Post-test analysis allowed us to
describe the fractured system as consisting of four easily identifiable regions: the wellbore, the connection between the wellbore
and the fracture system, the near-wellbore fracture, and the far-wellbore fracture network. Understanding the role of each of these
regions to hydrocarbon production helps identifying the often competing causes of production decline over time. Results show that
the requirements for optimizing hydrocarbon flow in these four regions are different, but reasonable compromises can be made to
sustain production from the overall fracture system.