Hydraulic fracturing has been widely applied in shale gas exploitation because it improves the permeability of the rock matrix.Fracturing stimulation parameters such as the pumping rate, the fracturing sequence, and t...Hydraulic fracturing has been widely applied in shale gas exploitation because it improves the permeability of the rock matrix.Fracturing stimulation parameters such as the pumping rate, the fracturing sequence, and the fracture spacing significantly influence the distribution of the stimulated reservoir volume(SRV). In this research, we built a numerical model that incorporates the hydraulic fracturing process and predicts gas production. The simulation of fracture propagation is based on the extended finite element method(XFEM), which helps to calculate aspects of the fractures and the SRV; we imported the results into a production analysis model as the initial conditions for production prediction. Using the model, we investigated the effects of some key parameters such as rock cohesion, fracture spacing, pumping rate, and fracturing sequence on the shale gas production.Our results proved that the SRV was distributed in the vicinity of the main fractures, and the SRVs were connected between the fractures in a small fracture spacing. We obtained optimal spacing by analyzing the production increment. High pumping-rate treatment greatly changes the in-situ stress around the hydraulic fractures and enlarges the field of SRV. Simultaneous fracturing treatment improves the flow conductivity of formation more than sequential fracturing. This study provides insights into the hydraulic fracturing design for economical production.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11525211)the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province(Grant No.1908085QA32)+1 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.WK2480000003)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(Grant No.BK20170457)
文摘Hydraulic fracturing has been widely applied in shale gas exploitation because it improves the permeability of the rock matrix.Fracturing stimulation parameters such as the pumping rate, the fracturing sequence, and the fracture spacing significantly influence the distribution of the stimulated reservoir volume(SRV). In this research, we built a numerical model that incorporates the hydraulic fracturing process and predicts gas production. The simulation of fracture propagation is based on the extended finite element method(XFEM), which helps to calculate aspects of the fractures and the SRV; we imported the results into a production analysis model as the initial conditions for production prediction. Using the model, we investigated the effects of some key parameters such as rock cohesion, fracture spacing, pumping rate, and fracturing sequence on the shale gas production.Our results proved that the SRV was distributed in the vicinity of the main fractures, and the SRVs were connected between the fractures in a small fracture spacing. We obtained optimal spacing by analyzing the production increment. High pumping-rate treatment greatly changes the in-situ stress around the hydraulic fractures and enlarges the field of SRV. Simultaneous fracturing treatment improves the flow conductivity of formation more than sequential fracturing. This study provides insights into the hydraulic fracturing design for economical production.
