In-situ stresses: The predominant influence on hydraulic fracture containment

Warpinski, N.R.; Schmidt, Richard A.; Northrop, D.A.

doi:10.1016/0148-9062(83)91649-2

Cited by 31 publications

(53 citation statements)

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“…Exceptions could occur in a strongly layered crust where the local stresses normal to the fracture would not increase gradually with depth (cf. Haimson and Rummel, 1982;Warpinski et al, 1982). In nature the fluid overpressure would normally increase upwards for fluids with a density ρ f less than the rock density ρ r , such as water, due to the buoyancy effect (Equation 4), but decrease upwards for fluids with a high density ρ f , such as some mafic magmas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In turn, the fracture frequency in a single layer depends on the chances of fracture development in that layer. Since fracture development is mostly controlled by the state of stress in the host rock (Warpinski et al, 1982) which in turn correlates with rock mechanical properties (Hudson and Harrison, 1997), fracture development is largely controlled by the mechanical properties of the layers. In order to understand fracture development in layers that themselves are homogeneous and isotropic (even if the rock as a whole is heterogeneous and anisotropic), at least two elastic constants must be determined.…”

Section: Hydrofracture Emplacement In Mechanically Layered Rocks Mechmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hydraulic fractures in petroleum engineering become arrested when their vertical tips enter layers of high fracture-perpendicular compressive stresses or meet with sharp contacts between mechanically contrasting layers (e.g., Daneshy, 1978;Simonson et al, 1978;van Eekelen, 1982;Warpinski et al, 1982;Teufel and Clark, 1984;Warpinski and Teufel, 1987;Naceur and Touboul, 1990;Valko and Economides, 1995;Charlez, 1997;Yew, 1997;Economides and Nolte, 2000;Zhang et al, 2007).…”

Section: Field Observations and Numerical Model On Hydrofracture Emplmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of mechanical layering on hydrofracture emplacement and fluid transport in reservoirs

2013

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Fractures generated by internal fluid pressure, for example, dykes, mineral veins, many joints and man-made hydraulic fractures, are referred to as hydrofractures. Together with shear fractures, they contribute significantly to the permeability of fluid reservoirs such as those of petroleum, geothermal water, and groundwater. Analytical and numerical models show that-in homogeneous host rocks-any significant overpressure in hydrofractures theoretically generates very high crack tip tensile stresses. Consequently, overpressured hydrofractures should propagate and help to form interconnected fracture systems that would then contribute to the permeability of fluid reservoirs. Field observations, however, show that in heterogeneous and anisotropic, e.g., layered, rocks many hydrofractures become arrested or offset at layer contacts and do not form vertically interconnected networks. The most important factors that contribute to hydrofracture arrest are discontinuities (including contacts), stiffness changes between layers, and stress barriers, where the local stress field is unfavorable to hydrofracture propagation. A necessary condition for a hydrofracture to propagate to the surface is that the stress field along its potential path is everywhere favorable to extension-fracture formation so that the probability of hydrofracture arrest is minimized. Mechanical layering and the resulting heterogeneous stress field largely control whether evolving hydrofractures become confined to single layers (stratabound fractures) or not (non-stratabound fractures) and, therefore, if a vertically interconnected fracture system forms. Non-stratabound hydrofractures may propagate through many layers and generate interconnected fracture systems. Such systems commonly reach the percolation threshold and largely control the overall permeability of the fluid reservoirs within which they develop.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Hydrofracture Emplacement In Mechanically Layered Rocks Mechmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Field Observations and Numerical Model On Hydrofracture Emplmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of mechanical layering on hydrofracture emplacement and fluid transport in reservoirs

2013

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“…15). Researchers investigating hydraulic fracture containment have documented this tendency in experimentally induced hydraulic fractures and numerical models (Simonson et al, 1978;Warpinski et al, 1982;Teufel and Clark, 1984;Warpinski and Teufel, 1987). They found that high modulus layers may not consistently stop a propagating fracture at the interface, but tended to restrict its growth.…”

Section: Interface Penetrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Joint interaction with embedded concretions: joint loading configurations inferred from propagation paths

McConaughy

Engelder

1999

Journal of Structural Geology

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The interaction between propagating joints and embedded concretions in a Devonian black shale near Seneca Lake, NY, permits identi®cation of the loading con®gurations responsible for two joint sets of dierent ages striking at nearly the same orientation. The earlier set consists of systematic joints cut by later Alleghanian joints of the Appalachian Plateau. The later set consists of non-systematic curving cross joints that abut these same Alleghanian joints. Field evidence shows that concretions functioned as sti inclusions in a compliant black shale. As a consequence of this elastic contrast, local perturbations in the remote stress ®eld persisted around the concretions during burial, tectonic deformation, and exhumation. These stress perturbations in¯uenced joint propagation paths of both joint sets. Our conclusions about loading con®gurations are based on ®nite-element modeling of the eect of the local stress perturbation on concretion-modi®ed joint propagation. Modeling shows that the local stress perturbation from a thermoelastic loading was responsible for de¯ecting cross joints away from concretions in a curved propagation path near the concretion. This load con®guration also led to arrest of cross joints before they penetrated the shale±concretion interface. At greater distances from the concretion, the propagation path of cross joints was controlled by the contemporary tectonic stress ®eld. The interface between concretions and the surrounding shale was strongly bonded, as indicated by the crossing of the interface by some of the systematic ENE joints. Higher compressive stress levels within the concretions relative to the shale suppressed joint development in the concretion, causing the arrest of those joints once they had driven across the interface and a short distance into the concretion. Numerical modeling shows that interface penetration by the systematic ENE joints is consistent with a¯uid load, the same loading con®guration postulated for the subsequent Alleghanian joints. The traces of the systematic ENE joints align on opposite sides of concretions, rather than curving toward the concretion as predicted by two-dimensional models of the¯uid load. Co-planar traces are indicative of large, planar joints propagating in-plane around the concretion, making it energetically inecient for the crack front to curve as it enters the local stress perturbation near the concretion. A¯uid load for the systematic ENE joints came from high pore pressure during the pre-Alleghanian stages of burial of the Devonian Catskill delta complex. #

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“…However, it was a surprise to the authors that methylene blue is useful as a tracer for flow of less than 1 mm in the matrix of this particular densely welded tuff. On the other hand, our experience ( Ramirez and Daily, 1985) as well as that of others (Talbutt, 1988, personal communication; Warpinski et al, 1982), is that methylene blue is a useful tracer for fracture flow in this rock type. It is known to stain the rock surfaces after flowing on the surface many tens of meters from the source.…”

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confidence: 58%

An experiment to determine drilling water imbibition by in situ densely welded tuff

Daily¹,

Ramirez²

1987

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: Experiments were performed to determine the extent of penetration of drill water into Grouse Canyon densely welded t ff during use of normal drilling practices. Core samples were examin d from a borehole cored in a rib of the Rock Mechanics drift in G Tunnel at the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada. Methylene blu dye was added to the drill water to act as a tracer which stained the rock blue on contact. We found the rock stained blue only in a thin layer about 0.5 mm thick at the surface of the core. However we were concerned about the uniformity of penetration depth observed in the core and this prompted a simple experiment to test the ability of methylene blue to penetrate the matrix of densely welded tuff. We found that in the imbibition process, the dye and water separated such that the water penetrated the matrix to a much greater depth. This result meant that any interpretation of drill water imbibition in borehole core based on this dye as a tracer is unreliable.More important, however, is the conclusion that the presence of methylene blue dye on the rock indicates the presence of tracer water flow, but the absence of the dye does not rule out the presence of water flow.

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In-situ stresses: The predominant influence on hydraulic fracture containment

Cited by 31 publications

References 0 publications

Effects of mechanical layering on hydrofracture emplacement and fluid transport in reservoirs

Effects of mechanical layering on hydrofracture emplacement and fluid transport in reservoirs

Joint interaction with embedded concretions: joint loading configurations inferred from propagation paths

An experiment to determine drilling water imbibition by in situ densely welded tuff

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