Assessment of Potential Fault Activation in Tarim Basin During Hydraulic Fracturing Operations by Using Rigorous Simulation of Coupled Flow and Geomechanics

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaeyoung Park ◽  
Jihoon Kim ◽  
Ding Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Tarim Basin ◽  
Coupled Flow ◽  
Fault Activation

Shallow Faults Reactivated by Hydraulic Fracturing: The 2019 Weiyuan Earthquake Sequences in Sichuan, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (6) ◽  
pp. 3171-3181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maomao Wang ◽  
Hongfeng Yang ◽  
Lihua Fang ◽  
Libo Han ◽  
Dong Jia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Sichuan Basin ◽  
Sedimentary Cover ◽  
Fluid Pressure ◽  
Earthquake Hazard ◽  
Induced Earthquakes ◽  
Coupled Flow ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Pressure Diffusion ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Abstract Human activity-induced earthquakes are emerging as a global issue, and revealing its underlying mechanisms is essential for earthquake hazard mitigation and energy development. We investigated the relationship between the seismotectonic model and seismic sequences from moderate Mw 4.3 and Mw 5.2 earthquakes that occurred in February and September 2019, respectively, in the Weiyuan anticline of Sichuan basin, China. We found that the Mw 5.2 earthquake ruptured a back thrust of structural wedges and released most aftershocks near the wedge tip. However, the two foreshocks of the Mw 4.3 earthquake sequence occurred in hydrofractured Silurian shale at depth of 2.5–3 km, and the mainshock ruptured the overlying oblique tear fault at a depth of ∼1  km. Hydraulic fracturing in the sedimentary cover of this block may induce earthquakes through fluid pressure diffusion in the Silurian shale and through poroelastic effects on back thrusts within structural wedges, respectively. We assessed the hazard potential of four seismic sources in the Weiyuan block and suggest it is critical to conduct a coupled flow-geomechanics assessment and management on induced seismicity and related cascading effects in the densely inhabited and seismically active Sichuan basin.

scholarly journals Numerical simulation of horizontal well network fracturing in glutenite reservoir

2018 ◽  
Vol 73 ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Minhui Qi ◽  
Mingzhong Li ◽  
Yanchao Li ◽  
Tiankui Guo ◽  
Song Gao
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Horizontal Well ◽  
Fracture Propagation ◽  
Simulation Method ◽  
Fracture Network ◽  
Fluid Viscosity ◽  
Coupled Flow ◽  
Hydraulic Fracture Propagation

Hydraulic fracturing is an economically effective technology developing the glutenite reservoirs, which have far stronger heterogeneity than the conventional sandstone reservoir. According to the field production experience of Shengli Oilfield, horizontal-well fracturing is more likely to develop a complex fractured network, which improves the stimulated volume of reservoir effectively. But the clear mechanism of horizontal-well hydraulic fracture propagation in the glutenite reservoirs is still not obtained, thus it is difficult to effectively carry out the design of fracturing plan. Based on the characteristics of the glutenite reservoirs, a coupled Flow-Stress-Damage (FSD) model of hydraulic fracture propagation is established. The numerical simulation of fracturing expansion in the horizontal well of the glutenite reservoir is conducted. It is shown that a square mesh-like fracture network is developed near the horizontal well in the reservoir with lower stress difference, in which fracture is more prone to propagate along the direction of the minimum principal stress as well. High fracturing fluids injection displacement and high fracturing fluid viscosity lead to the rise of static pressure of the fracture, which results in the rise of fracture complexity, and greater probability to deflect when encountering gravels. As the perforation density increases, the micro-fractures generated at each perforation gather together faster, and the range of the stimulated reservoir is also relatively large. For reservoirs with high gravel content, the complexity of fracture network and the effect of fracture communication are obviously increased, and the range of fracture deflection is relatively large. In the case of the same gravel distribution, the higher the tensile strength of the gravel, the greater fracture tortuosity and diversion was observed. In this paper, a simulation method of horizontal well fracture network propagation in the reservoirs is introduced, and the result provides the theoretical support for fracture network morphology prediction and plan design of hydraulic fracturing in the glutenite reservoir.

Fault Activation During Hydraulic Fracturing

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. C. Maxwell ◽  
M. Jones ◽  
R. Parker ◽  
S. Leaney ◽  
M. Mack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Fault Activation

A Novel Coupled Approach to Investigate the Spatiotemporal Evolution of Fracturing-Induced Seismicity: Case Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Hui ◽  
Shengnan Chen ◽  
Fei Gu
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Induced Seismicity ◽  
Spatiotemporal Pattern ◽  
Hydraulic Fractures ◽  
Spatiotemporal Evolution ◽  
Coupled Flow ◽  
Seismicity Rate ◽  
Failure State ◽  
Pkn Model

Abstract The recent seismicity rate increase in Fox Creek is believed to be linked to the hydraulic fracturing operations near the region. However, the spatiotemporal evolution of hydraulic fracturing-induced seismicity is not well understood. Here, a coupled approach of geology, geomechanics, and hydrology is proposed to characterize the spatiotemporal evolution of hydraulic fracturing-induced seismicity. The seismogenic faults in the vicinity of stimulated wells are derived from the focal mechanisms of mainshock event and lineament features of induced events. In addition, the propagation of hydraulic fractures is simulated by using the PKN model, in combination with inferred fault, to characterize the possible well-fault hydrological communication. The original stress state of inferred fault is determined based on the geomechanics analysis. Based on the poroelasticity theory, the coupled flow-geomechanics simulation is finally conducted to quantitatively understand the fluid diffusion and poroelastic stress perturbation in response to hydraulic fracturing. A case study of a moment-magnitude-3.4 earthquake near Fox Creek is utilized to demonstrate the applicability of the coupled approach. It is shown that hydraulic fractures propagated along NE45° and connected with one North-south trending fault, causing the activation of fault and triggered the large magnitude event during fracturing operations. The barrier property of inferred fault under the strike-slip faulting regime constrains the nucleation position of induced seismicity within the injection layer. The combined changes of pore pressure and poroelastic stress caused the inferred fault to move towards the failure state and triggered the earthquake swarms. The associated spatiotemporal changes of Coulomb Failure Stress along the fault plane is well in line with the spatiotemporal pattern of induced seismicity in the studied case. Risks of seismic hazards could be reduced by decreasing fracturing job size during fracturing stimulations.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document