scholarly journals Investigation of Hydraulic Fracturing Behavior in Heterogeneous Laminated Rock Using a Micromechanics-Based Numerical Approach

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 3500
Author(s):  
Zhao ◽  
Tannant ◽  
Ma ◽  
Guo ◽  
Feng
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Shear Failure ◽  
Damage Zone ◽  
Numerical Approach ◽  
Injection Rate ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Tensile Failure ◽  
Rock Matrix ◽  
Stress Ratios

Understanding hydraulic fracturing mechanisms in heterogeneous laminated rocks is important for designing and optimizing well production, as well as for predicting shale gas production. In this study, a micromechanics-based numerical approach was used to understand the physical processes and underlying mechanisms of fracking for different strata orientations, in-situ stresses, rock strengths, and injection parameters. The numerical experiments revealed a very strong influence of the pre-existing weakness planes on fracking. Geological models for rock without weakness planes and laminated rock behave very differently. Most simulated fractures in the rock without weakness planes were caused by tensile failure of the rock matrix. In an intact rock model, although a radial damage zone was generated around the injection hole, most of the small cracks were isolated, resulting in poor connectivity of the fracture network. For rock models with pre-existing weakness planes, tension and shear failure of these structural planes formed an oval-shaped network. The network was symmetrically developed around the injection well because the strength of the pre-existing weakness planes is generally lower than the rock matrix. The research shows that the angular relations between the orientation of the structural planes and the maximum horizontal stress, as well as the in-situ stress ratios, have significant effects on the morphology and extent of the networks. The strength of the pre-existing weakness planes, their spacing, and the injection rate can dramatically influence the effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing treatments.

scholarly journals Fracturing curve and its corresponding gas productivity of coalbed methane wells in the Zhengzhuang block, southern Qinshui Basin, North China

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 1387-1408
Author(s):  
Yang Chen ◽  
Dameng Liu ◽  
Yidong Cai ◽  
Jingjie Yao
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Coalbed Methane ◽  
Continuous Production ◽  
Fracture Morphology ◽  
Geological Structure ◽  
In Situ Stress ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Type Curves ◽  
Stable Type

Hydraulic fracturing has been widely used in low permeability coalbed methane reservoirs to enhance gas production. To better evaluate the hydraulic fracturing curve and its effect on gas productivity, geological and engineering data of 265 development coalbed methane wells and 14 appraisal coalbed methane wells in the Zhengzhuang block were investigated. Based on the regional geologic research and statistical analysis, the microseismic monitoring results, in-situ stress parameters, and gas productivity were synthetically evaluated. The results show that hydraulic fracturing curves can be divided into four types (descending type, stable type, wavy type, and ascending type) according to the fracturing pressure and fracture morphology, and the distributions of different type curves have direct relationship with geological structure. The vertical in-situ stress is greater than the closure stress in the Zhengzhuang block, but there is anomaly in the aggregation areas of the wavy and ascending fracturing curves, which is the main reason for the development of multi-directional propagated fractures. The fracture azimuth is consistent with the regional maximum principle in-situ stress direction (NE–NEE direction). Furthermore, the 265 fracturing curves indicate that the coalbed methane wells owned descending, and stable-type fracturing curves possibly have better fracturing effect considering the propagation pressure gradient (FP) and instantaneous shut-in pressure (PISI). Two fracturing-productivity patterns are summarized according to 61 continuous production wells with different fracturing type and their plane distribution, which indicates that the fracturing effect of different fracturing curve follows the pattern: descending type > stable type > wavy type > ascending type.

scholarly journals Numerical Investigation of the Impacts of Borehole Breakouts on Breakdown Pressure

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua Zhang ◽  
Shunde Yin ◽  
Bernt Aadnoy
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Shear Failure ◽  
In Situ Stress ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Breakdown Pressure ◽  
Borehole Breakout ◽  
Borehole Breakouts ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Mud Pressure

Borehole breakouts appear in drilling and production operations when rock subjected to in situ stress experiences shear failure. However, if a borehole breakout occurs, the boundary of the borehole is no longer circular and the stress distribution around it is different. So, the interpretation of the hydraulic fracturing test results based on the Kirsch solution may not be valid. Therefore, it is important to investigate the factors that may affect the correct interpretation of the breakdown pressure in a hydraulic fracturing test for a borehole that had breakouts. In this paper, two steps are taken to implement this investigation. First, sets of finite element modeling provide sets of data on borehole breakout measures. Second, for a given measure of borehole breakouts, according to the linear relation between the mud pressure and the stress on the borehole wall, the breakdown pressure considering the borehole breakouts is acquired by applying different mud pressure in the model. Results show the difference between the breakdown pressure of a circular borehole and that of borehole that had breakouts could be as large as 82% in some situations.

DEM modeling of hydraulic fracturing in permeable rock: influence of viscosity, injection rate and in situ states

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1187-1202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kang Duan ◽  
Chung Yee Kwok ◽  
Wei Wu ◽  
Lu Jing
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Injection Rate ◽  
Permeable Rock

scholarly journals Investigation on the CBM Extraction Techniques in the Broken-Soft and Low-Permeability Coal Seams in Zhaozhuang Coalmine

Geofluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Zhaoying Chen ◽  
Xuehai Fu ◽  
Guofu Li ◽  
Jian Shen ◽  
Qingling Tian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Seam ◽  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Coalbed Methane ◽  
Research Result ◽  
Horizontal Stress ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Vertical Stress ◽  
Low Permeability ◽  
Coal Seams

To enhance the coalbed methane (CBM) extraction in broken-soft coal seams, a method of drilling a horizontal well along the roof to hydraulically fracture the coal seam is studied (i.e., HWR-HFC method). We first tested the physical and mechanical properties of the broken-soft and low-permeability (BSLP) coal resourced from Zhaozhuang coalmine. Afterward, the in situ hydraulic fracturing test was conducted in the No. 3 coal seam of Zhaozhuang coalmine. The results show that (1) the top part of the coal seam is fractured coal, and the bottom is fragmented-mylonitic coal with a firmness coefficient value of less than 1.0. (2) In the hydraulic fracturing test of the layered rock-coal specimens in laboratory, the through-type vertical fractures are usually formed if the applied vertical stress is the maximum principal stress and is greater than 4 MPa compared with the maximum horizontal stress. However, horizontal fractures always developed when horizontal stress is the maximum or it is less than 4 MPa compared with vertical stress. (3) The in situ HWR-HFC hydraulic fracturing tests show that the detected maximum daily gas production is 11,000 m3, and the average gas production is about 7000 m3 per day. This implies that the CBM extraction using this method is increased by 50%~100% compared with traditional hydraulic fracturing in BSLP coal seams. The research result could give an indication of CBM developing in the broken-soft and low-permeability coal seams.

scholarly journals Study on Propagation Behaviors of Hydraulic Fracture Network in Tight Sandstone Formation with Closed Cemented Natural Fractures

Geofluids ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Jun Zhang ◽  
Yu-Wei Li ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Zi-Jie Chen ◽  
Yuan Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Fracture Network ◽  
In Situ Stress ◽  
Injection Rate ◽  
Fluid Viscosity ◽  
Tight Sandstone ◽  
Propagation Behavior ◽  
Sandstone Formation

Natural fractures in tight sandstone formation play a significant role in fracture network generation during hydraulic fracturing. This work presents an experimental model of tight sandstone with closed cemented preexisting fractures. The influence of closed cemented fractures’ (CCF) directions on the propagation behavior of hydraulic fracture (HF) is studied based on the hydraulic fracturing experiment. A field-scaled numerical model used to simulate the propagation of HF is established based on the flow-stress-damage (FSD) coupled method. This model contains the discrete fracture network (DFN) generated by the Monte-Carlo method and is used to investigate the effects of CCFs’ distribution, CCFs’ strength, and in-situ stress anisotropy, injection rate, and fluid viscosity on the propagation behavior of fracture network. The results show that the distribution direction of CCFs is critical for the formation of complex HFs. When the angle between the horizontal maximum principal stress direction and the CCFs is in the range of 30° to 60°, the HF network is the most complex. There are many kinds of compound fracture propagation patterns, such as crossing, branching, and deflection. The increase of CCFs’ strength is not conducive to the generation of branched and deflected fractures. When the in-situ stress difference ranges from 3 MPa to 6 MPa, the HF network’s complexity and propagation range can be guaranteed simultaneously. The increase in the injection rate will promote the formation of the complex HF network. The proper increase of fracturing fluid viscosity can promote HF’s propagation. However, when the viscosity is too high, the complex HFs only appear around the wellbore. The research results can provide new insights for the hydraulic fracturing optimization design of naturally fractured tight sandstone formation.

scholarly journals Numerical Simulation of Artificial Fracture Propagation in Shale Gas Reservoirs Based on FPS-Cohesive Finite Element Method

Geofluids ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoqiang Liu ◽  
Zhanqing Qu ◽  
Tiankui Guo ◽  
Ying Sun ◽  
Zhifeng Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
In Situ Stress ◽  
Natural Fracture ◽  
Natural Fractures ◽  
Rock Matrix ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Artificial Fracture

The simulation of hydraulic fracturing by the conventional ABAQUS cohesive finite element method requires a preset fracture propagation path, which restricts its application to the hydraulic fracturing simulation of a naturally fractured reservoir under full coupling. Based on the further development of a cohesive finite element, a new dual-attribute element of pore fluid/stress element and cohesive element (PFS-Cohesive) method for a rock matrix is put forward to realize the simulation of an artificial fracture propagating along the arbitrary path. The effect of a single spontaneous fracture, two intersected natural fractures, and multiple intersected spontaneous fractures on the expansion of an artificial fracture is analyzed by this method. Numerical simulation results show that the in situ stress, approaching angle between the artificial fracture and natural fracture, and natural fracture cementation strength have a significant influence on the propagation morphology of the fracture. When two intersected natural fractures exist, the second one will inhibit the propagation of artificial fractures along the small angle of the first natural fractures. Under different in situ stress differences, the length as well as aperture of the hydraulic fracture in a rock matrix increases with the development of cementation superiority of natural fractures. And with the increasing of in situ horizontal stress differences, the length of the artificial fracture in a rock matrix decreases, while the aperture increases. The numerical simulation result of the influence of a single natural fracture on the propagation of an artificial fracture is in agreement with that of the experiment, which proves the accuracy of the PFS-Cohesive FEM for simulating hydraulic fracturing in shale gas reservoirs.

scholarly journals Diffusivity-dependent fracturing processes and microseismic activity in granite

2020 ◽  
Vol 205 ◽  
pp. 02009
Author(s):  
Catarina Baptista-Pereira ◽  
Bruno Gonçalves da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Fluid Pressure ◽  
Injection Rate ◽  
Hydraulic Fractures ◽  
Enhanced Geothermal Systems ◽  
Geothermal Systems ◽  
Rock Matrix ◽  
Hydraulic Oil ◽  
Permeability Enhancement ◽  
Microseismic Activity

Enhanced Geothermal Systems have relied on hydraulic fracturing to increase the permeability of rock reservoirs. The permeability enhancement depends on the connectivity between new and existing fractures. This, in turn, depends to a large extent on the interaction between the rock and the fracturing fluid, which not only pressurizes existing and new fractures but also diffuses into the rock matrix. In this research, the effect of the diffusivity of hydraulic oil on the fracturing processes and microseismicity of unconfined prismatic granite specimens was experimentally evaluated using visual and acoustic emission monitoring. The tests consisted of injecting hydraulic oil into two pre-fabricated flaws at two rates (2 ml/min and 20 ml/min), kept constant in each test. The fluid pressure inside the flaws was increased until hydraulic fractures propagated and the fluid front growing from the pre-fabricated flaws was visually monitored throughout the tests. It was observed that the fracturing pressures and patterns were injection-rate-dependent, which shows that diffusivity and poro-elastic effects play an important role in the hydraulic fracturing processes of granite. A smaller fluid front was observed for the 20 ml/min injection rate, associated to a lower volume injected and to a higher fracturing pressure when compared to the 2 ml/min injection rate. This was interpreted to be caused by the different pore pressures that developed inside of the rock matrix, which are function of the fluid front size. Microseismic activity was observed throughout the tests, becoming more intense and localized near the flaws as one approached the end of the test (i.e. visible crack propagation). While microseismic events were observed outside the fluid front region, their density was significantly larger within this area, showing that fluid diffusivity may contribute to an intensification of the microseismic activity.

scholarly journals An Analytical Framework for Stress Shadow Analysis During Hydraulic Fracturing – Applied to the Bakken Formation, Saskatchewan, Canada

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa Gorjian ◽  
Sepidehalsadat Hendi ◽  
Christopher D. Hawkes
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Shear Failure ◽  
Microseismic Monitoring ◽  
Natural Fracture ◽  
Hydraulic Fractures ◽  
Natural Fractures ◽  
Bakken Formation ◽  
Stress Shadow

Abstract. This paper presents selected results of a broader research project pertaining to the hydraulic fracturing of oil reservoirs hosted in the siltstones and fine grained sandstones of the Bakken Formation in southeast Saskatchewan, Canada. The Bakken Formation contains significant volumes of hydrocarbon, but large-scale hydraulic fracturing is required to achieve economic production rates. The performance of hydraulic fractures is strongly dependent on fracture attributes such as length and width, which in turn are dependent on in-situ stresses. This paper reviews methods for estimating changes to the in-situ stress field (stress shadow) resulting from mechanical effects (fracture opening), poro-elastic effects, and thermo-elastic effects associated with fluid injection for hydraulic fracturing. The application of this method is illustrated for a multi-stage hydraulic fracturing operation, to predict principal horizontal stress magnitudes and orientations at each stage. A methodology is also presented for using stress shadow models to assess the potential for inducing shear failure on natural fractures. The results obtained in this work suggest that thermo and poro-elastic stresses are negligible for hydraulic fracturing in the Bakken Formation of southeast Saskatchewan, hence a mechanical stress shadow formulation is used for analyzing multistage hydraulic fracture treatments. This formulation (and a simplified version of the formulation) predicts an increase in instantaneous shut-in pressure (ISIP) that is consistent with field observations (i.e., ISIP increasing from roughly 21.6 MPa to values slightly greater than 26 MPa) for a 30-stage fracture treatment. The size of predicted zones of shear failure on natural fractures are comparable with the event clouds observed in microseismic monitoring when assumed values of 115°/65° are used for natural fracture strike/dip; however, more data on natural fracture attributes and more microseismic monitoring data for the area are required before rigorous assessment of the model is possible.

scholarly journals The Breakdown Pressure Calculating Model for Open Hole Completion CBM Well Hydraulic Fracturing

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-19
Author(s):  
Li Yuwei ◽  
Ai Chi ◽  
Liu Yu ◽  
Gao Changlong
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Shear Failure ◽  
Spatial Relationship ◽  
Wall Rock ◽  
Calculation Model ◽  
Tensile Failure ◽  
Borehole Wall ◽  
Breakdown Pressure ◽  
Rock Body ◽  
Open Hole

The open hole completion CBM borehole wall intersects with the weak surface such as cleats and fractures. In the process of hydraulic fracturing, the fractures may origin from coal body or cleats, which makes the rupture mechanism and rupture models of the borehole wall being different from the conventional reservoirs. The previous model for calculating breakdown pressure of open hole completion borehole wall considering tension failure has poor applicability for calculating breakdown pressure. Considering the spatial relationship of the intersection of borehole wall and cleats, analyzing the stress state of borehole wall rock and cleats wall, and basing on elastic mechanics and fracture mechanics, the breakdown pressure calculation model for CBM open hole completion hydraulic fracturing was established. In the model, fractures initiate from coal rock body, tensile failure along with face cleats, shear failure along with face cleats, tensile failure along with butt cleats and shear failure along with butt cleats five kinds of damage modes were considered. According to example calculation, the breakdown pressure of HX-L1 well calculated using the model is 14.81 MPa. The actual pressure obtained by bottom hole pressure gage is 15.42 MPa, and the relative error is 3.96%. The calculated result agrees with the actual conditions. It can be concluded that the model can be used to calculate the breakdown pressure for open hole completion CBM well hydraulic fracture.

scholarly journals Propellant Stimulation and Hydraulic Fracturing

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 80-96
Author(s):  
Essa Georges Lwisa
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Compressive Stress ◽  
Fluid Flows ◽  
Injection Rate ◽  
Explosive Material ◽  
Material Quality ◽  
Reservoir Rocks ◽  
A Value ◽  
Principal Elements

The Propellant Stimulation is applied to increase the permeability of rocks; a certain quantity of explosive material is donated at the bottom of the well opposite the producing layer, which causes many cracks in the near well area. A good Propellant Stimulation process must consider the explosive material quality and quantity, and the explosion should be prevented from vertically spread so all its energy will be used to crack the rocks. The first part of this chapter explains all the above in addition to the directed explosions and its calculation in an easy way. In the second part, I explained the Hydraulic Fracturing of the reservoir rocks in details, from principal elements of the process passing through cracking fluids, proppants, preparing the wells and ending with evaluating the effectiveness and discussing the methods of hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is the process of pumping fluid into a wellbore at an injection rate that is too high for the formation to accept without breaking. During injection the resistance to flow in the formation increases, the pressure in the wellbore increases to a value called the break-down pressure, that is the sum of the in-situ compressive stress and the strength of the formation. Once the formation “breaks down,” a fracture is formed, and the injected fluid flows through it.

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