Multistage hydraulic fracturing of a horizontal well for hard roof related coal burst control:Insights from numerical modelling to field application

Multistage hydraulic fracturing of horizontal wells(MFHW)is a promising technology for controlling coal burst caused by thick and hard roofs in China.However,challenges remain regarding the MFHW control mechanism of coal burst and assessment of the associated fracturing effects.In this study,these challenges were investigated through numerical modelling and field applications,based on the actual operating parameters of MFHW for hard roofs in a Chinese coal mine.A damage parameter(D)is proposed to assess the degree of hydraulic fracturing in the roof.The mechanisms and effects of MFHW for controlling coal burst are analyzed using microseismic(MS)data and front-abutment stress distribution.Results show that the degree of fracturing can be categorized into lightly-fractured(D≤0.3),moderately fractured(0.3<D≤0.6),well-fractured(0.6<D≤0.9),and over-fractured(0.9<D≤0.95).A response stage in the fracturing process,characterized by a slowdown in crack development,indicates the transition to a wellfractured condition.After MFHW,the zone range and peak value of the front-abutment stress decrease.Additionally,MS events shift from near the coal seam to the fractured roof layers,with the number of MS events increases while the average MS energy decreases.The MFHW control mechanisms of coal bursts involve mitigating mining-induced stress and reducing seismic activity during longwall retreat,ensuring stresses remain below the ultimate stress level.These findings provide a reference for evaluating MFHW fracturing effects and controlling coal burst disasters in engineering.

Simulation Method and Feature Analysis of Shutdown Pressure Evolution During Multi-Cluster Fracturing Stimulation

Multistage multi-cluster hydraulic fracturing has enabled the economic exploitation of shale reservoirs,but the interpretation of hydraulic fracture parameters is challenging.The pressure signals after pump shutdown are influenced by hydraulic fractures,which can reflect the geometric features of hydraulic fracture.The shutdown pressure can be used to interpret the hydraulic fracture parameters in a real-time and cost-effective manner.In this paper,a mathematical model for shutdown pressure evolution is developed considering the effects of wellbore friction,perforation friction and fluid loss in fractures.An efficient numerical simulation method is established by using the method of characteristics.Based on this method,the impacts of fracture half-length,fracture height,opened cluster and perforation number,and filtration coefficient on the evolution of shutdown pressure are analyzed.The results indicate that a larger fracture half-length may hasten the decay of shutdown pressure,while a larger fracture height can slow down the decay of shutdown pressure.A smaller number of opened clusters and perforations can significantly increase the perforation friction and decrease the overall level of shutdown pressure.A larger filtration coefficient may accelerate the fluid filtration in the fracture and hasten the drop of the shutdown pressure.The simulation method of shutdown pressure,as well as the analysis results,has important implications for the interpretation of hydraulic fracture parameters.

Experimental study on the working performance of different milling tools for multistage fracturing ball seats

To achieve the secondary production in multistage fracturing wells of tight oil,milling tools are usually used to remove the multistage fracturing ball seats to achieve production with a large diameter in later.In this paper,first of all,the working mechanism of milling tools for multistage fracturing ball seats was studied and a mechanical analysis model of single abrasive grain was established.Then,an experimental system for milling tools was developed,and the experimental tests of the flat,the blade,and the slope milling tool were conducted in order.Besides,the morphology of chips and the surface morphology of the workpiece after the experiment were analyzed.Also,the working performance of milling tools was evaluated from the perspectives of working safety,working efficiency,and wear resistance of the milling tool.The results show that the torque of the milling tool increases nonlinearly with the increase in the cutting depth of the abrasive grain and increases linearly with the increase in the cutting width.Also,the chips are irregular particles and the size is mainly from 10 to 50μm.So,the chips should be pumped up with a small pump pressure and a large displacement.Besides this,the cutting depths of the abrasive grains are from 216.20 to 635.47μm and the bottom surface of the milling tool should be eccentric to avoid the zero point of cutting speed.Furthermore,the torque of the slope milling tool is 23.8%larger than that of the flat milling tool,which is also 30.4%smaller than that of the blade milling tool.Compared with the flat milling tool,the working efficiency of the blade milling tool improves by 79.9%and the slope milling tool improves by 111.1%.Also,the wear resistance of the blade milling tool decreases by 102.7%,while the slope milling tool declines by 32.6%when compared with the flat milling tool.Therefore,the slope milling tool has the characteristics of moderate torque,stable working conditions,the highest working efficiency,and fine wear resistance,which is preferably used to mill multistage fracturing ball seats.This study provides a theoretical basis and guidance for milling multistage fracturing ball seats on-site and realizing production with a large diameter in later stages of multistage fracturing wells.

Numerical study on erosion behavior of sliding sleeve ball seat for hydraulic fracturing based on experimental data

The sleeve sealing ball seat is one of the important components in the multistage fracturing process of horizontal wells.The erosion and wear of the surface will decrease the sealing performance of the fracturing ball and the ball seat.This leads to pressure leakage during the fracturing process and fracturing failure.In this paper,combined with the actual ball seat materials and working conditions during the fracturing process,the erosion tests of ductile iron and tungsten carbide materials under different erosion speeds,angles,and mortar concentrations are carried out.Then the erosion test results were analyzed by mathematical fitting,and a set of erosion models suitable for sliding sleeve setting ball seat materials were innovatively established.For the first time,this paper combines the erosion model obtained from the experiment and the computational fluid dynamics(CFD)with Fluent software to simulate the erosion of the ball seat.Based on the simulation results,the morphology of the sliding sleeve seat ball after erosion is predicted.Through analysis of the test and simulation results,it is showed that the erosion rate of tungsten carbide material is lower and the wear resistance is better under the condition of small angle erosion.This research can offer a strong basis for fracturing site selection,surface treatment methods,and prediction of failure time of ball seats.