Hydraulic fracture initiation theory for a horizontal well in a coal seam

A series of experiments were pertbrmed to determine rock mechanical parameters related to hydraulic fracturing of coal. The effect of confining pressure and pore pressure on the strength of coal was stt, died. Experimental results show that the coal seam in the study areas has a relatively low elastic modulus, high Poisson＇s ratio, high fragility and is easily broken and compressed. The coal seam is considered as a transversely isotropic medium, since the physical properties in the direction of bedding plane and orthogonal to the bedding plane vary markedly. Based on the generalized plane strain model, stress distribution for an arbitrarily orientated wellbore in the coal seam was determined. In a horizontal well, hydraulic fracturing was lbund to initiate in the coal seam mass due to tensile failure, or from cleats due to shear or tensile failure. For those coal seams with abundant natural cleats, hydraulic fracture initiation can be induced by any of these mechanisms. In this study, hydraulic fracture initiation criteria tbr a horizontal well in a coal seam were established.

An experimental study of fracture initiation mechanisms during hydraulic fracturing

The mechanism of fracture initiation is the basic issue for hydraulic fracture technology. Because of the huge differences in fracture initiation mechanisms for different reservoirs,some successful fracturing techniques applied to porosity reservoirs are ineffectual for fractured reservoirs.Laboratory tests using a process simulation device were performed to confirm the characteristics of fracture initiation and propagation in different reservoirs.The influences of crustal stress field,confining pressure,and natural fractures on the fracture initiation and propagation are discussed.Experimental results demonstrate that stress concentration around the hole would significantly increase the fracture pressure of the rock.At the same time,natural fractures in the borehole wall would eliminate the stress concentration,which leads to a decrease in the fracture initiation pressure.

Mudcake effects on wellbore stress and fracture initiation pressure and implications for wellbore strengthening

Although a large volume of mudcake filtration test data is available in the literature, effects of mudcake on wellbore strengthening cannot be quantified without incorporating the data into a stress-analysis model. Traditional models for determining fracture initiation pressure （FIP） either consider a wellbore with an impermeable mudcake or with no mudcake at all. An analytical model considering permeable mudcake is proposed in this paper. The model can predict pore pressure and stress profiles around the wellbore, and consequently the FIP, for different mudcake thickness, permeability, and strength. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the effects of these mudcake parameters. The results show that a low-permeability mudcake enhances FIP, mainly through restricting fluid seepage and pore pressure increase in the near- wellbore region, rather than by mudcake strength. Fluid loss pressure （FLP） should be distinguished from FIP when a mudcake is present on the wellbore wall. Fracture may occur behind the mudcake at FIP without mudcake rupture. The small effect of mudcake strength on FIP does not mean its effect on FLP is small too. Mudcake strength may play an important role in maintaining integrity of the wellbore once a fracture has initiated behind the mudcake.

Numerical Investigation on Fracture Initiation Properties of Interface Crack in Dissimilar Steel Welded Joints

Fracture toughness property is of significant importance when evaluating structural safety.The current research of fracture toughness mainly focused on crack in homogeneous material and experimental results.When the crack is located in a welded joint with high-gradient microstructure and mechanical property distribution,it becomes difficult to evaluate the fracture toughness behavior since the stress distribution may be affected by various factors.In recent years,numerical method has become an ideal approach to reveal the essence and mechanism of fracture toughness behavior.This study focuses on the crack initiation behavior and driving force at different interfaces in dissimilar steel welded joints.The stress and strain fields around the crack tip lying at the interfaces of ductile-ductile,ductile-brittle and brittle-brittle materials are analyzed by the numerical simulation.For the interface of ductile-ductile materials,the strain concentration on the softer material side is responsible for ductile fracture initiation.For the ductile-brittle interface,the shielding effect of the ductile material plays an important role in decreasing the fracture driving force on the brittle material side.In the case of brittle-brittle interface,a careful matching is required,because the strength mismatch decreases the fracture driving force in one side,whereas the driving force in another side is increased.The results are deemed to offer support for the safety assessment of welded structures.

An analysis of the uniformity of multi-fracture initiation based on downhole video imaging technology: A case study of Mahu tight conglomerate in Junggar Basin, NW China

To solve the problem that the production of Mahu conglomerate reservoir is not up to expectation after the multi-cluster plus temporary plugging fracturing technology is applied in horizontal wells, stages 2–6 in the test well MaHW6285 are selected to carry out erosion tests with different pumping parameters. The downhole video imaging technology is used to monitor the degree of perforations erosion, and then the fracture initiation and proppant distribution of each cluster are analyzed. The results showed that proppant entered 76.7% of the perforations. The proppant was mainly distributed in a few perforation clusters, and the amount of proppant entered in most of the clusters was limited. The proppant distribution in Stage 4 was relatively uniform, and the fracture initiation of each cluster in the stage is more uniform. The proppant distribution in stages 2, 3, 5, and 6 was significantly uneven, and the uniform degree of fracture initiation in each cluster is low. More than 70% of the proppant dose in the stage entered clusters near the heel end, so the addition of diverters did not promote the uniform initiation of hydraulic fractures. There was a positive correlation between the amount of proppant added and the degree of perforations erosion, and the degree of perforations erosion ranged from 15% to 352%, with an average value of 74.5%, which was far higher than the statistical results of shale reservoir tests in North America. The use of 180° phase perforation(horizontal direction) can reduce the “Phase Bias” of perforations erosion, promote uniform perforations erosion and fluid inflow. The research results provide the basis for optimizing the pumping procedure, reducing the perforation erosion and improving the success rate of diversion.

COMPUTER SIMULATED ANALYSES ON DEFORMATION AND FRACTURE OF NON-CRACKED AND CRACKED SPECIMENS

A unified damage and fracture model,the combinatory work density model,which is suitable for ei- ther non-cracked body or cracked body has been suggested.In the present paper,the deformation and fracture of the two kinds of tensile spceimen and TPB specimen made of 40Cr steel have been simulated by using the new mod- el together with the large èlastic-plastic deformation finite element method.The results give a good picture of the whole deformation and fracture processes of the specimens in experiments;especially,the results on the TPB specimen can be used to obtain the relationship between load and displacement at the loading point P-Δ,and between crack ex- tension and displacement at the loading point Δα-Δ,the resistance curve J_R-Δa and the fracture toughness J_(IC).All the results are in remarkable agreement with those obtained by experiments.Therefore the model suggested here can be used to simulate crack initiation and propagation in non-cracked body and fracture initiation and crack stable propa- gation in cracked body.

A STUDY OF FRACTURE OF UNIDIRECTIONAL CF/SiC SINGLE EDGE-NOTCHED BEAM UNDER THREE-POINT BENDING- MACRO/MICRO-NUMERICAL MONTE CARLO SIMULATION

In this paper, the fracture process of a unidirectional CF/SiCsingle edge-notched beam (SENB) under three-point bending (TPB) isstudied by means of macro/micro-statistical Monte Car- lo simulation.The simulated P-Δcurves are in agreement with the experimentalresults before the peaks of curves, and the simulated microevolutionpatterns are in agreement with the patterns of the crack surfaces,which have verified this method. It is preliminarily demonstratedthat the second turning point in the compliance changing rate curvecorresponds to the fracture initiation for experi- ments on SENBunder TPB of unidirectional CF/SiC composites.

Formation of fractures in carbonate rocks by pad acid fracturing with different states of carbon dioxide

Carbonate outcrops were taken from Ma 51 sub-member in the Lower Paleozoic in the Yan’an gas field to conduct true tri-axial hydraulic fracturing experiments with water, liquid CO_(2) and supercritical CO_(2). CT scan was applied to analyze initiation and propagation laws of hydraulic fractures in carbonate rocks. The experiments show that supercritical CO_(2) has low viscosity, strong diffusivity and large filtration during fracturing, which is more liable to increase pore pressure of rocks around wellbore and decrease breakdown pressure of carbonate rocks. However, it would cost much more volume of supercritical CO_(2) than water to fracture rocks since the former increases the wellbore pressure more slowly during fracturing. For carbonate rocks with few natural fractures, tensional fractures are generated by fracturing with water and liquid CO_(2), and these fractures propagate along the maximum horizontal principal stress direction;while fracturing with supercritical CO_(2) can form shear fractures, whose morphology is rarely influenced by horizontal stress difference. Besides, the angle between propagation direction of these shear fractures near the wellbore and the maximum horizontal principal stress is 45°, and the fractures would gradually turn to propagate along the maximum horizontal principal stress when they extend to a certain distance from the wellbore, leading to an increase of fracture tortuosity compared with the former. For carbonate rocks with well-developed natural fractures, fracturing with fresh water is conducive to connect natural fractures with low approaching angle and form stepped fractures with simple morphology. The key to forming complex fractures after fracturing carbonate rocks is to connect the natural fractures with high approaching angle. It is easier for liquid CO_(2) with low viscosity to realize such connection. Multi-directional fractures with relatively complex morphology would be formed after fracturing with liquid CO_(2).

ON PROBLEMS OF FRACTURE OF MATERIALS IN COMPRESSION ALONG TWO INTERNAL PARALLEL CRACKS

The fracture of materials under the action of compressive forces, directed along cracks which are parallel in plane can,lot be described within the framework of the linear fracture mechanics. The criteria of fracture of the Griffith-Irvin or COC type, used in classical linear fracture mechanics, are not applicable in this problem, since these forces have no influence on stress intensity coefficients and on values of cracks opening([1, 2]). The problems of such a class may be described only by using new approaches. One of possible approaches is presented by the first author, which involves using linearized relations, derived from exact non-linear equations of deformable solid body mechanics([3, 4, 5]). It should be remarked here that this approach has been widely used in problems of deformable bodies stability. As a criterion of the initiation of fracture the criterion of local instability near defects of the crack type is used. In these cases the process of loss of stability initiates the fracture process.

Numerical simulations of supercritical carbon dioxide fracturing:A review

As an emerging waterless fracturing technology,supercritical carbon dioxide(SC-CO_(2))fracturing can reduce reservoir damage and dependence on water resources,and can also promote the reservoir stimulation and geological storage of carbon dioxide(CO_(2)).It is vital to figure out the laws in SC-CO_(2)fracturing for the large-scale field implementation of this technology.This paper reviews the numerical simulations of wellbore flow and heat transfer,fracture initiation and propagation,and proppant transport in SC-CO_(2)fracturing,including the numerical approaches and the obtained findings.It shows that the variations of wellbore temperature and pressure are complex and strongly transient.The wellhead pressure can be reduced by tubing and annulus co-injection or adding drag reducers into the fracturing fluid.Increasing the temperature of CO_(2)with wellhead heating can promote CO_(2)to reach the well bottom in the supercritical state.Compared with hydraulic fracturing,SC-CO_(2)fracturing has a lower fracture initiation pressure and can form a more complex fracture network,but the fracture width is narrower.The technology of SC-CO_(2)fracturing followed by thickened SC-CO_(2)fracturing,which combines with high injection rates and ultra-light proppants,can improve the placement effect of proppants while improving the complexity and width of fractures.The follow-up research is required to get a deeper insight into the SC-CO_(2)fracturing mechanisms and develop cost-effective drag reducers,thickeners,and ultra-light proppants.This paper can guide further research and promote the field application of SC-CO_(2)fracturing technology.

Multiple damage zones around hydraulic fractures generated by high-frequency pulsating hydraulic fracturing

Pulsating hydraulic fracturing(PHF)is a promising fracturing method and can generate a dynamic periodic pressure.The periodic pressure can induce fatigue failure of rocks and decrease initiation pressure of fracture.If the frequency of periodic pressure exceeds 10 Hz,the distribution of pressure along the main fracture will be heterogeneous,which is much different from the one induced by the common fracturing method.In this study,the impact of this special spatial feature of pressure on hydraulic fracture is mainly investigated.A coupled numerical simulation model is first proposed and verified through experimental and theoretical solutions.The mechanism of secondary fracture initiation around the main fracture is then discovered.In addition,sensitivity studies are conducted to find out the application potential of this new method.The results show that(1)this coupled numerical simulation model is accurate.Through comparison with experimental and theoretical data,the average error of this coupled model is less than 1.01%.(2)Even if a reservoir has no natural fracture,this heterogeneous distribution pressure can also cause many secondary fractures around the main fracture.(3)The mechanism of secondary fracture initiation is that this heterogeneous distribution pressure causes tensile stress at many locations along the main fracture.(4)Through adjusting the stimulation parameters,the stimulation efficiency can be improved.The average and amplitude of pressure can increase possibility of secondary fracture initiation.The frequency of this periodic pressure can increase number of secondary fractures.Even 6 secondary fractures along a 100 m-length main fracture can be generated.(5)The influence magnitudes of stimulation parameters are larger than ones of geomechanical properties,therefore,this new fracturing method has a wide application potential.

Fundamental study and utilization on supercritical CO_(2) fracturing developing unconventional resources:Current status,challenge and future perspectives

Under the fact that considerable explo ration and production of unconventional re sources and wo rsening global climate,reducing carbon emission and rationally utilizing carbon resources have been drawn increasing attention.Supercritical CO_(2)(SC-CO_(2)) has been proposed as anhydrous fracturing fluid to develop unconventional reservoirs,since its advantages of reducing water consumption,reservoir contamination etc.Well understanding of SC-CO_(2)fracturing mechanism and key influencing factors will exert significant impact on the application of this technology in the field.In this paper,the fundamental studies on SC-CO_(2)fracturing from the aspects of laboratory experiment and simulation are reviewed.The fracturing experimental setups,fracture monitoring and characterizing methods,unconventional formation categories,numerical simulation approaches,fracturing mechanism and field application etc.,are analyzed.The fundamental study results indicate that compared with conventional hydraulic fracturing,SC-CO_(2)fracturing can reduce fracture initiation pressure and easily induce complex fracture networks with multiple branches.The field test further verifies the application prospect and the possibility of carbon storage.However,due to the limitation of reservoir complexity and attributes of SC-CO_(2),massive challenges will be encountered in SC-CO_(2)fracturing.According to the current research status,the limitations in basic research and field application are summarized,and the future development direction of this technology and relevant suggestions are proposed.

Mechanical characterization of sisal reinforced cement mortar

This work aims at evaluating the mechanical behavior of sisal fiber reinforced cement mortar. The composite material was produced from a mixture of sand, cement, and water. Sisal fibers were added to the mixture in different lengths. Mechanical characterization of both the composite and the plain mortar was carried out using three point bend, compression, and impact tests. Specimens containing notches of different root radii were loaded in three point bending in an effort to determine the effect of the fibers on the fracture toughness of the material. The results obtained indicate that, while fiber reinforcement leads to a decrease in compressive strength, J-integral calculations at maximum load for the different notch root radii have indicated, particularly for the case of long fibers, a significant superiority of the reinforced material in comparison with the plain cement mortar, in consistence with the impact test data.

Definition of the general initial water penetration fracture criterion for concrete and its engineering application

A general initial water penetration(seepage) fracture criterion for concrete is proposed to predict whether or not harmful water penetration(hydraulic fracturing),other than microcracking,will occur in concrete structures in a severe high water pressure environment.The final regression,of the different macroscopic failure types in concrete to microscopic ModeⅠ c racking,allows the use of only one universal criterion to indicate the damage.Thus,a general initial water penetration fracture criterion is approximately defined as a strain magnitude of 1000×10-6,based on the concept of tensile strain derived from experimental results in the relevant literature.Then,the locations of harmful water penetration fracture(hydraulic fracture) in the high arch dam mass of the Jinping first class hydropower project are analyzed using the nonlinear finite element method(FEM) according to the proposed criterion.The proposed criterion also holds promise for other concrete structures in high water pressure environments.

Investigation on Fracture Properties of Single-Flawed Tunnel Model Under Medium-to-Low-Speed Impacts

Dynamic fractures occur frequently in geophysical processes and engineering applications.It is thus essential to study crack and failure behaviors,such as crack time-to-initiation,crack growth rate and arrest period under dynamic loading.In this study,impact experiments were implemented by utilizing the single-flawed tunnel specimens under drop-hammer impacts.Four brittle materials,i.e.,green sandstone,red sandstone,black sandstone and polymethyl methacrylate,were selected to make single-flawed tunnel specimens.Strain gauges and crack extension gauges were employed to measure the crack extension parameters.The properties of crack growth rate,crack time-to-initiation and arrest period of these four brittle materials were discussed and analyzed.The corresponding numerical simulation was performed by using the commercial software AUTODYN.The numerical results of crack growth rate and crack time-to-initiation agreed with the impact test results.The commercial software ABAQUS was applied to compute the dynamic stress intensity factors.The results show that both the dynamic initiation fracture toughness and the crack growth rate increase with the elastic moduli of these four types of brittle materials under the same loading conditions,whereas the crack time-to-initiation decreases with the increase in elastic moduli of the brittle materials under the same loading conditions.

Stability of interbed for salt cavern gas storage in solution mining considering cusp displacement catastrophe theory

Cusp displacement catastrophe theory can be introduced to propose a new method about instability failure of the interbed for gas storage cavern in bedded salt in solution mining.We can calculate initial fracture drawing pace of this interbed to obtain 2D and 3D gas storage shapes at this time.Moreover,Stability evaluation of strength reduction finite element method(FEM)based on this catastrophe theory can used to evaluate this interbed stability after initial fracture.A specific example is simulated to obtain the influence of the interbed depth,cavern internal pressure,and cavern building time on stability safety factor(SSF).The results indicate:the value of SSF will be lower with the increase of cavern building time in solution mining and the increase of interbed depth and also this value remains a rise with the increase of cavern internal pressure Especially,we can conclude that the second-fracture of the interbed may take place when this pressure is lower than 6 MPa or after 6 days later of the interbed after initial fracture.According to above analysis,some effective measures,namely elevating the tube up to the top of the interbed,or changing the circulation of in-and-out lines,can be introduced to avoid the negative effects when the secondfracture of the interbed may occur.