Hydraulic fracture propagation in naturally fractured reservoirs: Complex fracture or fracture networks

Wang, Hanyi

doi:10.1016/j.jngse.2019.102911

Cited by 135 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…A cohesive element approach is applicable in correlating the local fracture release rates to the far field stresses. Virtual fracture closure techniques (VFCT) and cohesive zone model (CZM) (Guo et al 2017;Taleghani et al 2018;Wang 2019) have shown credible results in simulating HF-NF interactions. Mesh-dependent parameters and unpredictability of the fracture propagation path are the most fundamental demerits of the CZM and VFCT.…”

Section: Methods Of Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interaction between hydraulic fractures and natural fractures: current status and prospective directions

Kolawole

Ispas

2019

J Petrol Explor Prod Technol

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Hydraulic fracturing treatment is one of the most efficient conventional matrix stimulation techniques currently utilized in the petroleum industry. However, due to the spatiotemporal complex nature of fracture propagation in a naturally-and often times systematically fractured media, the influence of natural fractures (NF) and in situ stresses on hydraulic fracture (HF) initiation and propagation within a reservoir during the hydrofracturing process remains an important issue. Over the past 50 years of advances in the understanding of HF-NF interactions, no comprehensive revision of the state of the knowledge exists. Here, we reviewed over 140 scientific articles on investigations of HF-NF interactions, published over the past 50 years. We highlight the most commonly observed HF-NF interactions and their implications for unconventional oil and gas production. Using observational and quantitative analyses, we find that numerical modeling and simulation is the most prominent method of approach, whereas there are less publications on the experimental approach, and analytical method is the least utilized approach. Further, we suggest how HF-NF interactions can be monitored in real time on the field during a pre-frac test. Lastly, based on the results of our literature review, we recommend promising areas of investigation that may provide more profound insights into HF-NF interactions in such a way that can be directly applied to the optimization of fracture-stimulation field operations.

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Section: Methods Of Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interaction between hydraulic fractures and natural fractures: current status and prospective directions

Kolawole

Ispas

2019

J Petrol Explor Prod Technol

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“…Nguyen [30] provided a zero thickness flow cohesive interface element and inserted it into the rock formation, and analyzed the relationship between the order of element and modeling issues such as convergence and numerical integration. Li [31], Wang [32], and Xiang [33] started to develop global zero thickness pore pressure cohesive zone (PPCZ) elements in order to carry on the fluid-driven fracture propagation or intersection between HF and NF without predefining the propagation path.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation of Hydraulic Fracturing Using Different Mesh Types Based on Zero Thickness Cohesive Element

Minwei

Wu³

et al. 2020

Processes

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Hydraulic fracturing is a significant technique in petroleum engineering to enhance the production of shale gas or shale oil reservoir. The process of hydraulic fracturing is extremely complicated, referring to the deformation of solid formation, fluid flowing in the crack channel, and coupling the solid with fluid. Simulation of hydraulic fracturing and understanding the course of the mechanism is still a challenging task. In this study, two hydraulic fracturing models, including the Khristianovic–Geertsma–de Klerk (KGD) problem and the hydraulic fracture (HF) intersection with the natural fracture (NF), based on the zero thickness pore pressure cohesive zone (PPCZ) element with contact friction is established. The element can be embedded into the edges of other elements to simulate the fracture initiation and propagation. However, the mesh type of the elements near the PPCZ element has influences on the accuracy and propagation profile. Three common types of mesh, triangle mesh, quadrangle mesh, and deformed quadrangle mesh, are all investigated in this paper. In addition, the infinite boundary condition (IBC) is also discussed in these models. Simulation indicates that the results of pore pressure for zero toughness regime simulated by the triangle mesh are much lower than any others at the early injection time. Secondly, the problem of hydraulic fracturing should be better used with the infinite boundary element (IBE). Moreover, suggestions for crack intersection on the proper mesh type are also given. The conclusions included in this article can be beneficial to research further naturally fractured reservoirs.

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“…Hydraulic fracturing is an evolving technology that has been used to increase oil recovery in naturally fractured reservoirs [1], usually all reservoirs are fractured to some degree. Depending on the density, dimension, orientation and cementation of natural fractures and the location where the hydraulic fracturing is executed, pre-existing natural fractures can impact hydraulic fracture propagation and the associated flow capacity [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The network pattern of fractures resulting from a hydraulic fracturing operation depends on several factors, among them, the strength, deformability and permeability of the rock mass and the in-situ stress state [3], because natural fractures are formed within geological time scale and the formation itself may have gone through multiple tectonic events, the distribution and orientation of the natural fractures do not necessarily relate to the current insitu stresses [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are two competing forces that govern the general trend of hydraulic fracture propagation path: one is the propensity to propagate along the direction of the weak planes resulting from the natural fracture sets, and the other is the tendency to propagate along the direction of maximum principal stress and open against the minimum principal stress. Often, the directions of natural fractures sets are not aligned with in-situ principal stresses, so the fracture propagation has to balance these two forces to find the path that has lesser fracturing energy, which is why the hydraulic fracture propagates along a zig-zag path [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reactivation of natural fractures network by hydraulic fracturing

et al. 2020

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Modelling the process of induced fracture initiation, propagation and interaction with natural fractures is a very challenged task. Significant progress has been made in recent years in the development of complex fracture models to address the needs for more suitable design tools than the conventional planar fracture models. However, some aspects of this complex process are not still fully understood in terms of their impact or importance to the overall fracture geometry, or the complexity of simulating them is beyond the current modelling capabilities or requires computation effort that is not practical for engineering purpose. A technique that has been developed to represent the process of fracture propagation is the Continuous Approximation of Strong Discontinuities, which introduces a special kinematics, capable of representing the process of degradation of the material. One way to implement this approximation is to introduce the effects of a very narrow band of localized deformations within the existing finite elements. In this paper was used a finite element procedure that performs numerical analysis of fluid flow in a deformable porous media in a fully coupled scheme. In this analysis the propagation of the hydraulic fracture occurs specially along the pathway of the natural fractures, due to their lower tensile strength and greater permeability.

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Hydraulic fracture propagation in naturally fractured reservoirs: Complex fracture or fracture networks

Cited by 135 publications

References 73 publications

Interaction between hydraulic fractures and natural fractures: current status and prospective directions

Interaction between hydraulic fractures and natural fractures: current status and prospective directions

Simulation of Hydraulic Fracturing Using Different Mesh Types Based on Zero Thickness Cohesive Element

Reactivation of natural fractures network by hydraulic fracturing

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