Using fracture-based continuum modeling of coupled geomechanical-hydrological processes for numerical simulation of hydraulic fracturing

This paper describes numerical simulation of hydraulic fracturing using fracture-based continuum modeling(FBCM)of coupled geomechanical-hydrological processes to evaluate a technique for high-density fracturing and fracture caging.The simulations are innovative because of modeling discrete fractures explicitly in continuum analysis.A key advantage of FBCM is that fracture initiation and propagation are modeled explicitly without changing the domain grid(i.e.no re-meshing).Further,multiple realizations of a preexisting fracture distribution can be analyzed using the same domain grid.The simulated hydraulic fracturing technique consists of pressurizing multiple wells simultaneously:initially without permeating fluids into the rock,to seed fractures uniformly and at high density in the wall rock of the wells;followed by fluid injection to propagate the seeded fracture density hydraulically.FBCM combines the ease of continuum modeling with the potential accuracy of modeling discrete fractures and fracturing explicitly.Fractures are modeled as piecewise planar based on intersections with domain elements;fracture geometry stored as continuum properties is used to calculate parameters needed to model individual fractures;and rock behavior is modeled through tensorial aggregation of the behavior of discrete fractures and unfractured rock.Simulations are presented for previously unfractured rock and for rock with preexisting fractures of horizontal,shallow-dipping,steeply dipping,or vertical orientation.Simulations of a single-well model are used to determine the pattern and spacing for a multiple-well design.The results illustrate high-density fracturing and fracture caging through simultaneous fluid injection in multiple wells:for previously unfractured rock or rock with preexisting shallow-dipping or horizontal fractures,and in situ vertical compressive stress greater than horizontal.If preexisting fractures are steeply dipping or vertical,and considering the same in situ stress condition,well pressurization without fluid permeation appears to be the only practical way to induce new fractures and contain fracturing within the target domain.

A review of reservoir damage during hydraulic fracturing of deep and ultra-deep reservoirs

Deep and ultra-deep reservoirs have gradually become the primary focus of hydrocarbon exploration as a result of a series of significant discoveries in deep hydrocarbon exploration worldwide.These reservoirs present unique challenges due to their deep burial depth(4500-8882 m),low matrix permeability,complex crustal stress conditions,high temperature and pressure(HTHP,150-200℃,105-155 MPa),coupled with high salinity of formation water.Consequently,the costs associated with their exploitation and development are exceptionally high.In deep and ultra-deep reservoirs,hydraulic fracturing is commonly used to achieve high and stable production.During hydraulic fracturing,a substantial volume of fluid is injected into the reservoir.However,statistical analysis reveals that the flowback rate is typically less than 30%,leaving the majority of the fluid trapped within the reservoir.Therefore,hydraulic fracturing in deep reservoirs not only enhances the reservoir permeability by creating artificial fractures but also damages reservoirs due to the fracturing fluids involved.The challenging“three-high”environment of a deep reservoir,characterized by high temperature,high pressure,and high salinity,exacerbates conventional forms of damage,including water sensitivity,retention of fracturing fluids,rock creep,and proppant breakage.In addition,specific damage mechanisms come into play,such as fracturing fluid decomposition at elevated temperatures and proppant diagenetic reactions at HTHP conditions.Presently,the foremost concern in deep oil and gas development lies in effectively assessing the damage inflicted on these reservoirs by hydraulic fracturing,comprehending the underlying mechanisms,and selecting appropriate solutions.It's noteworthy that the majority of existing studies on reservoir damage primarily focus on conventional reservoirs,with limited attention given to deep reservoirs and a lack of systematic summaries.In light of this,our approach entails initially summarizing the current knowledge pertaining to the types of fracturing fluids employed in deep and ultra-deep reservoirs.Subsequently,we delve into a systematic examination of the damage processes and mechanisms caused by fracturing fluids within the context of hydraulic fracturing in deep reservoirs,taking into account the unique reservoir characteristics of high temperature,high pressure,and high in-situ stress.In addition,we provide an overview of research progress related to high-temperature deep reservoir fracturing fluid and the damage of aqueous fracturing fluids to rock matrix,both artificial and natural fractures,and sand-packed fractures.We conclude by offering a summary of current research advancements and future directions,which hold significant potential for facilitating the efficient development of deep oil and gas reservoirs while effectively mitigating reservoir damage.

Physical and numerical investigations of target stratum selection for ground hydraulic fracturing of multiple hard roofs

Ground hydraulic fracturing plays a crucial role in controlling the far-field hard roof,making it imperative to identify the most suitable target stratum for effective control.Physical experiments are conducted based on engineering properties to simulate the gradual collapse of the roof during longwall top coal caving(LTCC).A numerical model is established using the material point method(MPM)and the strain-softening damage constitutive model according to the structure of the physical model.Numerical simulations are conducted to analyze the LTCC process under different hard roofs for ground hydraulic fracturing.The results show that ground hydraulic fracturing releases the energy and stress of the target stratum,resulting in a substantial lag in the fracturing of the overburden before collapse occurs in the hydraulic fracturing stratum.Ground hydraulic fracturing of a low hard roof reduces the lag effect of hydraulic fractures,dissipates the energy consumed by the fracture of the hard roof,and reduces the abutment stress.Therefore,it is advisable to prioritize the selection of the lower hard roof as the target stratum.

A phase-field model for simulating the propagation behavior of mixed-mode cracks during the hydraulic fracturing process in fractured reservoirs

A novel phase-field model for the propagation of mixed-mode hydraulic fractures,characterized by the formation of mixed-mode fractures due to the interactions between fluids and solids,is proposed.In this model,the driving force for the phase field consists of both tensile and shear components,with the fluid contribution primarily manifesting in the tension driving force.The displacement and pressure are solved simultaneously by an implicit method.The numerical solution's iterative format is established by the finite element discretization and Newton-Raphson(NR)iterative methods.The correctness of the model is verified through the uniaxial compression physical experiments on fluid-pressurized rocks,and the limitations of the hydraulic fracture expansion phase-field model,which only considers mode I fractures,are revealed.In addition,the influence of matrix mode II fracture toughness value,natural fracture mode II toughness value,and fracturing fluid injection rate on the hydraulic fracture propagation in porous media with natural fractures is studied.

Extreme massive hydraulic fracturing in deep coalbed methane horizontal wells:A case study of the Linxing Block,eastern Ordos Basin,NW China

Deep coal seams show low permeability,low elastic modulus,high Poisson’s ratio,strong plasticity,high fracture initiation pressure,difficulty in fracture extension,and difficulty in proppants addition.We proposed the concept of large-scale stimulation by fracture network,balanced propagation and effective support of fracture network in fracturing design and developed the extreme massive hydraulic fracturing technique for deep coalbed methane(CBM)horizontal wells.This technique involves massive injection with high pumping rate+high-intensity proppant injection+perforation with equal apertures and limited flow+temporary plugging and diverting fractures+slick water with integrated variable viscosity+graded proppants with multiple sizes.The technique was applied in the pioneering test of a multi-stage fracturing horizontal well in deep CBM of Linxing Block,eastern margin of the Ordos Basin.The injection flow rate is 18 m^(3)/min,proppant intensity is 2.1 m^(3)/m,and fracturing fluid intensity is 16.5 m^(3)/m.After fracturing,a complex fracture network was formed,with an average fracture length of 205 m.The stimulated reservoir volume was 1987×10^(4)m^(3),and the peak gas production rate reached 6.0×10^(4)m^(3)/d,which achieved efficient development of deep CBM.

Implications for fault reactivation and seismicity induced by hydraulic fracturing

Evaluating the physical mechanisms that link hydraulic fracturing(HF) operations to induced earthquakes and the anticipated form of the resulting events is significant in informing subsurface fluid injection operations. Current understanding supports the overriding role of the effective stress magnitude in triggering earthquakes, while the impact of change rate of effective stress has not been systematically addressed. In this work, a modified critical stiffness was brought up to investigate the likelihood, impact,and mitigation of induced seismicity during and after hydraulic fracturing by developing a poroelastic model based on rate-and-state fraction law and linear stability analysis. In the new criterion, the change rate of effective stress was considered a key variable to explore the evolution of this criterion and hence the likelihood of instability slip of fault. A coupled fluid flow-deformation model was used to represent the entire hydraulic fracturing process in COMSOL Multiphysics. The possibility of triggering an earthquake throughout the entire hydraulic fracturing process, from fracturing to cessation, was investigated considering different fault locations, orientations, and positions along the fault. The competition between the effects of the magnitude and change rate of effective stress was notable at each fracturing stage. The effective stress magnitude is a significant controlling factor during fracturing events, with the change rate dominating when fracturing is suddenly started or stopped. Instability dominates when the magnitude of the effective stress increases(constant injection at each fracturing stage) and the change rate of effective stress decreases(the injection process is suddenly stopped). Fracturing with a high injection rate, a fault adjacent to the hydraulic fracturing location and the position of the junction between the reservoir and fault are important to reduce the Coulomb failure stress(CFS) and enhance the critical stiffness as the significant disturbance of stresses at these positions in the coupled process. Therefore,notable attention should be given to the injection rate during fracturing, fault position, and position along faults as important considerations to help reduce the potential for induced seismicity. Our model was verified and confirmed using the case of the Longmaxi Formation in the Sichuan Basin, China, in which the reported microseismic data were correlated with high critical stiffness values. This work supplies new thoughts of the seismic risk associated with HF engineering.

Stress tensor determination by modified hydraulic tests on pre-existing fractures:Method and stress constraints

The hydraulic testing of pre-existing fractures(HTPF)is one of the most promising in situ stress measurement methods,particularly for three-dimensional stress tensor determination.However,the stress tensor determination based on the HTPF method requires at least six tests or a minimum of 14-15 tests(under different conditions)for reliable results.In this study,we modified the HTPF method by considering the shear stress on each pre-existing fracture,which increased the number of equations for the stress tensor determination and decreased the number of tests required.Different shear stresses were attributed to different fractures by random sampling;therefore,the stress tensors were obtained by searching for the optimal solution using the least squares criterion based on the Monte Carlo method.Thereafter,we constrained the stress tensor based on the tensile strength criterion,compressive strength criterion,and vertical stress constraints.The inverted stress tensors were presented and analyzed based on the tensorial nature of the stress using the Euclidean mean stress tensor.Two stress-measurement campaigns in Weifang(Shandong Province,China)and Mercantour road tunnel(France)were implemented to highlight the validity and efficiency of the modified HTPF(M-HTPF)method.The results showed that the M-HTPF method can be applied for stress tensor inversion using only three to four tests on pre-existing fractures,neglecting the stress gradient.The inversion results were confined to relatively small distribution dispersions and were significantly reliable and stable due to the shear stresses on the fractures and the stress constraints employed.The M-HTPF method is highly feasible and efficient for complete stress tensor determination in a single borehole.

Evaluating the stability and volumetric flowback rate of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures using the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method

The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a preliminary proppant settling test,from which a solid volume fraction of 0.575 is calibrated for the proppant pack in the fracture.In the established workflow to investigate proppant flowback,a displacement is applied to the fracture surfaces to compact the generated proppant pack as well as further mimicking proppant embedment under closure stress.When a pressure gradient is applied to drive the fluid-particle flow,a critical aperture-to-diameter ratio of 4 is observed,above which the proppant pack would collapse.The results also show that the volumetric proppant flowback rate increases quadratically with the fracture aperture,while a linear variation between the particle flux and the pressure gradient is exhibited for a fixed fracture aperture.The research outcome contributes towards an improved understanding of proppant flowback in hydraulic fractures,which also supports an optimised proppant size selection for hydraulic fracturing operations.

Estimation of the anisotropy of hydraulic conductivity through 3D fracture networks using the directional geological entropy

With an extension of the geological entropy concept in porous media,the approach called directional entrogram is applied to link hydraulic behavior to the anisotropy of the 3D fracture networks.A metric called directional entropic scale is used to measure the anisotropy of spatial order in different directions.Compared with the traditional connectivity indexes based on the statistics of fracture geometry,the directional entropic scale is capable to quantify the anisotropy of connectivity and hydraulic conductivity in heterogeneous 3D fracture networks.According to the numerical analysis of directional entrogram and fluid flow in a number of the 3D fracture networks,the hydraulic conductivities and entropic scales in different directions both increase with spatial order(i.e.,trace length decreasing and spacing increasing)and are independent of the dip angle.As a result,the nonlinear correlation between the hydraulic conductivities and entropic scales from different directions can be unified as quadratic polynomial function,which can shed light on the anisotropic effect of spatial order and global entropy on the heterogeneous hydraulic behaviors.

Numerical Analysis of Perforation during Hydraulic Fracture Initiation Based on Continuous-Discontinuous Element Method

Perforation is a pivotal technique employed to establish main flow channels within the reservoir formation at the outset of hydraulic fracturing operations.Optimizing perforation designs is critical for augmenting the efficacy of hydraulic fracturing and boosting oil or gas production.In this study,we employ a hybrid finite-discrete element method,known as the continuous–discontinuous element method(CDEM),to simulate the initiation of post-perforation hydraulic fractures and to derive enhanced design parameters.The model incorporates the four most prevalent perforation geometries,as delineated in an engineering technical report.Real-world perforations deviate from the ideal cylindrical shape,exhibiting variable cross-sectional profiles that typically manifest as an initial constriction followed by an expansion,a feature consistent across all four perforation types.Our simulations take into account variations in perforation hole geometries,cross-sectional diameters,and perforation lengths.The findings show that perforations generated by the 39g DP3 HMX perforating bullet yield the lowest breakdown pressure,which inversely correlates with increases in sectional diameter and perforation length.Moreover,this study reveals the relationship between breakdown pressure and fracture degree,providing valuable insights for engineers and designers to refine perforation strategies.

Mutual impact of true triaxial stress, borehole orientation and bedding inclination on laboratory hydraulic fracturing of Lushan shale

Unconventional resources like shale gas has been the focus of intense research and development for two decades. Apart from intrinsic geologic factors that control the gas shale productivity (e.g. organic matter content, bedding planes, natural fractures, porosity and stress regime among others), external factors like wellbore orientation and stimulation design play a role. In this study, we present a series of true triaxial hydraulic fracturing experiments conducted on Lushan shale to investigate the interplay of internal factors (bedding, natural fractures and in situ stress) and external factors (wellbore orientation) on the growth process of fracture networks in cubic specimens of 200 mm in length. We observe relatively low breakdown pressure and fracture propagation pressure as the wellbore orientation and/or the maximum in situ stress is subparallel to the shale bedding plane. The wellbore orientation has a more prominent effect on the breakdown pressure, but its effect is tapered with increasing angle of bedding inclination. The shale breakdown is followed by an abrupt response in sample displacement, which reflects the stimulated fracture volume. Based on fluid tracer analysis, the morphology of hydraulic fractures (HF) is divided into four categories. Among the categories, activation of bedding planes (bedding failure, BF) and natural fractures (NF) significantly increase bifurcation and fractured areas. Under the same stress regime, a horizontal wellbore is more favorable to enhance the complexity of hydraulic fracture networks. This is attributed to the relatively large surface area in contact with the bedding plane for the horizontal borehole compared to the case with a vertical wellbore. These findings provide important references for hydraulic fracturing design in shale reservoirs.

An unequal fracturing stage spacing optimization model for hydraulic fracturing that considers cementing interface integrity

Determining reasonable fracturing stage spacing is the key to horizontal well fracturing.Different from traditional stage spacing optimization methods based on the principle of maximum stimulated reservoir volume,in this paper,by considering the integrity of the wellbore interface,a fracture propagation model was established based on displacement discontinuity method and the competition mechanism of multifracture joint expansion,leading to the proposal of an unequal stage spacing optimization model.The results show that in the first stage,the interfacial fractures spread symmetrically along the axis of the central point during that stage,while in the second and subsequent stages,the interfacial fractures of each cluster extend asymmetrically along the left and right sides.There are two kinds of interface connectivity behaviour:in one,the existing fractures first extend and connect within the stage,and in the other,the fractures first extend in the direction close to the previous stage,with the specific behaviour depending on the combined effect of stress shadow and flow competition during hydraulic fracture expansion.The stage spacing is positively correlated with the number of fractures and Young’s modulus of the cement and formation and is negatively correlated with the cluster spacing and horizontal principal stress difference.The sensitivity is the strongest when the Young’s modulus of the cement sheath is 10-20 GPa,and the sensitivity of the horizontal principal stress difference is the weakest.

Comparative assessment of mechanical and chemical fluid diversion techniques during hydraulic fracturing in horizontal wells

The application of fluid diversion during hydraulic fracturing is an evolving technology and has become popular amongst E&P operators over the past few years.The primary objective of the fluid diversion is to improve hydraulic fracturing treatment by increasing stimulated reservoir volume and improving hydrocarbon recovery.This is possible by achieving any of the following objectives:creating uniform distribution of treatment slurry within the target zone;treating unstimulated and under-stimulated zones;or by increasing fracture density by creating a complex fracture network.The fluid diversion application is also helpful in decreasing the number of stages(by increasing stage length)for multi-stage plug-n-perf(PnP)fracturing treatment.It is also applied to prevent fracture-driven interactions between adjacent wells,which is currently a major issue,especially in shale.In addition,for successful refracturing treatment,the diverter application is essential for isolating the existing fractures and redirecting the treatment slurry to the desired unstimulated zones.The diversion methods can be broadly categorized into the mechanical and chemical diversion.Several established mechanical diversion techniques are frac plugs,expandable casing patches,expandable liners,swellable packers,straddle packer assembly,sand plugs,frac sleeves,perforation ball sealers,and limited entry technique.The different chemical diversion techniques are particulates,fibers,gels,surfactants,perforation pods,and composite diverting.This paper describes the current status of established mechanical and chemical diverter technologies and examines their comparative advantages and challenges.Various techniques are suitable for diverter application,but the technique is selected based on the desired objective and conditions of the wellbore and reservoir.The general guidelines for selecting diversion techniques and operational considerations are also provided in the paper.The diagnosis of diversion treatment plays an essential role in diversion technique selection and optimization of selection parameters for the subsequent treatments.Therefore,the application of conventional surface pressure monitoring techniques and advanced diagnostic tools to evaluate diversion effectiveness are briefly described.Presently no standard laboratory testing method is established for the performance evaluation of diverting agents.Therefore,researchers have implemented various laboratory methods,which are briefly summarized in the paper.Significant insight into the diversion technology and guidelines for its selection and successful implementation is provided to help engineers to increase the effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing treatments.The limitations of individual diversion techniques are clarified,which provide the future scope of research for improvement in various diversion technologies.

The role of natural fracture activation in hydraulic fracturing for deep unconventional geo-energy reservoir stimulation

The presence of sealed or semi-sealed,multiscale natural fracture systems appears to be crucial for the successful stimulation of deep reservoirs.To explore the reaction of such systems to reservoir stimulation,a new numerical simulation approach for hydraulic stimulation has been developed,trying to establish a realistic model of the physics involved.Our new model successfully reproduces dynamic fracture activation,network generation,and overall reservoir permeability enhancement.Its outputs indicate that natural fractures facilitate stimulation far beyond the near-wellbore area,and can significantly improve the hydraulic conductivity of unconventional geo-energy reservoirs.According to our model,the fracture activation patterns are jointly determined by the occurrence of natural fractures and the in situ stress.High-density natural fractures,high-fluid pressure,and low effective stress environments promote the formation of complex fracture networks during stimulation.Multistage or multicluster fracturing treatments with an appropriate spacing also increase the stimulated reservoir area(SRA).The simulation scheme demonstrated in this work offers the possibility to elucidate the complex multiphysical couplings seen in the field through detailed site-specific modeling.

Numerical study of hydraulic fracturing in the sectorial well-factory considering well interference and stress shadowing

In the Changqing Oilfield in northwest China, when traditional petroleum exploitation encounters forestry reserves or water source protection areas, sectorial well-factory design is proposed. The most distinct feature of a sectorial well-factory is the deviation of the well from the minimum horizontal principal stress, resulting in hydraulic fracture deflection after the initiation, along with possible well interference (i.e., fracture hit) and fracture coalescence in the oblique wells. Four indexes describing well deflection are then proposed according to fracture morphology. Several fracturing designs, including stage arrangement, fracturing sequences, and fracturing techniques are applied to study the feasibility of the sectorial well-factory design. The results show that the “gradual” or “sparse” stage arrangement, large injection rate, and simultaneous multifracture treatment can help to optimize the fracture morphology and stimulation design. However, the subsequent stress shadowing effect usually adversely affects the fracturing of adjacent wells. With a small initial horizontal stress difference, large injection rate and staggered stage arrangement can achieve ideal stimulation performance. Our results can provide a guidance for optimizing stimulation design in unconventional well-factory while taking into account environmental protection.

Effect of hydraulic fracturing induced stress field on weak surface activation during unconventional reservoir development

Unconventional reservoirs usually contain many weak surfaces such as faults,laminae and natural fractures,and effective activation and utilization of these weak surfaces in reservoirs can significantly improve the extraction effect.In hydraulic fracturing,when the artificial fracture approaches the natural fracture,the natural fracture would be influenced by both the original in-situ stress field and the hydraulic fracturing-induced stress field.In this paper,the hydraulic fracturing-induced stress field is calculated based on the relative position of hydraulic fracture and natural fracture,the original in-situ stress,the net pressure inside the hydraulic fracture and the pore pressure of the formation.Furthermore,the stability model of the natural fracture is established by combining the Mohr-Coulomb rupture criterion,and extensive parametric studies are conducted to explore the impact of each parameter on the stability of the natural fracture.The validity of the proposed model is verified by comparing with the reservoir characteristics and fracturing process of the X-well 150e155 formation in the Songliao Basin.It is found that the stress field induced by the hydraulic fracture inhibits the activation of the natural fracture after the artificial fracture crossed the natural fracture.Therefore,for similar reservoirs as X-well 150e155,it is suggested to connect natural fractures with hydraulic fractures first and then activate natural fractures which can effectively utilize the natural fractures and form a complex fracture network.

Laboratory study of the factors affecting hydraulic fracturing effect for inter-salt oil shale layers,Qianjiang Depression,China

This study aims to investigate the potential factors affecting hydraulic fracturing of inter-salt oil shale reservoirs in the Qianjiang Depression,China.Using the inter-salt shale samples,the re-crystallization seepage tests,rock mechanical tests under high temperature and pressure,salt rock creep tests,and direct shear tests were conducted.The testing results suggest several major factors that affect hydraulic fracturing effects in the end.First,the seepage of reservoir and fracturing fluid through hydraulic frac-tures leads to salt dissolution and crystallization,reducing the effective seepage area of fractures.Second,the salt crystal may block the pore throats or micro fractures after brine invades the shale,decreasing the overall permeability.Third,the low strength and obvious plasticity of inter-salt shale and the strong creep characteristics of salt rock raise difficulties for proppant to effectively support fracture walls,thereby sharply narrowing the hydraulic fracture width.Lastly,the weak interfaces(bedding planes and lithology interfaces)in inter-salt oil shale reservoirs restrict the height of hydraulic fractures,resulting in the disconnection of seepage channels between multiple inter-salt shale reservoirs.Thus,several factors together reduce reservoir permeability,weaken the fluid flow capacity in the fracture,narrow the fracture width,and limit the effective stimulation volume,resulting in weaken the effect hydraulic fracturing.

Extraction and identifcation of spectrum characteristics of coal and rock hydraulic fracturing and uniaxial compression signals

Microseismic(MS)events generated during coal and rock hydraulic fracturing(HF)include wet events caused by fracturing fuid injection,in addition to dry events caused by stress perturbations.The mixture of these two events makes efective fracturing MS events pickup difcult.This study is based on physical experiments of diferent coal and rock HF and uniaxial compression.The diferences of waveform characteristic parameters of various coal and rock ruptures were analyzed using the Hilbert–Huang transform,leading to some useful conclusions.The phase characteristics of the acoustic emission(AE)energy difered signifcantly and responded well to the pumping pressure curve.The AE waveforms of HF exhibit similar energy and frequency distribution characteristics after Empirical mode decomposition.The main frequency bands for coal,sandstone,and shale samples are 100–300 kHz,while the mudstone sample is in the range of 50–150 kHz.The decay ratios for coal,sandstone,shale and mudstone samples are 0.78,0.83,0.67 and 0.85,respectively.When compared to the uniaxial compression test,the main frequency bands of HF were reduced for coal,sandstone and mudstone samples,whereas shale remained essentially unchanged.The duration,instantaneous energy,and total energy of the HF waveform are smaller than those of uniaxial compression,while the decay ratio is greater,especially for the mudstone samples.The waveform characteristic parameters,trained using the multilayer perceptron neural network,can efectively identify HF and uniaxial compression events with an accuracy of 96%.

Modeling of Crack Development Associated with Proppant Hydraulic Fracturing in a Clay-Carbonate Oil Deposit

Survey and novel research data are used in the present study to classify/identify the lithological type of Verey age reservoirs’rocks.It is shown how the use of X-ray tomography can clarify the degree of heterogeneity,porosity and permeability of these rocks.These data are then used to elaborate a model of hydraulic fracturing.The resulting software can take into account the properties of proppant and breakdown fluid,thermal reservoir conditions,oil properties,well design data and even the filtration and elastic-mechanical properties of the rocks.Calculations of hydraulic fracturing crack formation are carried out and the results are compared with the data on hydraulic fracturing crack at standard conditions.Significant differences in crack formation in standard and lithotype models are determined.It is shown that the average width of the crack development for the lithotype model is 2.3 times higher than that for the standard model.Moreover,the coverage of crack development in height for the lithotype model is almost 2 times less than that for the standard model.The estimated fracture half-length for the lithotype model is 13.3%less than that of for the standard model.A higher dimensionless fracture conductivity is also obtained for the lithotype model.It is concluded that the proposed approach can increase the reliability of hydraulic fracturing crack models.

A synthetical geoengineering approach to evaluate the largest hydraulic fracturing-induced earthquake in the East Shale Basin, Alberta

On 2019-03-04,the largest induced earthquake(ML4.18)occurred in the East Shale Basin,Alberta,and the underlying physical mechanisms have not been fully understood.This paper proposes a synthetical geoengineering methodology to comprehensively characterize this earthquake caused by hydraulic fracturing.Based on 3D structural,petrophysical,and geomechanical models,an unconventional fracture model is constructed by considering the stress shadow between adjacent hydraulic fractures and the interactions between hydraulic and natural fractures.Coupled poroelastic simulations are conducted to reveal the triggering mechanisms of induced seismicity.It is found that four vertical basement-rooted faults were identified via focal mechanisms analysis.The brittleness index(BI)along two horizontal wells has a high magnitude(BI>0.5),indicating the potential susceptibility of rock brittleness.Due to the presence of overpressure,pre-existing faults in the Duvernay Formation are highly susceptible to fault reactivation.The occurrence of the earthquake clusters has been attributed to the fracturing fluid injection during the west 38^(th)-39^(th) stage and east 38^(th) stage completions.Rock brittleness,formation overpressure,and large fracturing job size account for the nucleation of earthquake clusters,and unconventional natural-hydraulic fracture networks provide fluid flow pathways to cause fault reactivation.This workflow can be used to mitigate potential seismic risks in unconventional reservoirs in other fields.