The Behaviour of Fracture Growth in Sedimentary Rocks: A Numerical Study Based on Hydraulic Fracturing Processes

Lianchong Li, Yingjie Xia, Bo Huang, Liaoyuan Zhang, Ming Li and Aishan Li
Additional contact information
Lianchong Li: School of Civil Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Yingjie Xia: State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Bo Huang: Oil Production Technology Research Institute, Shengli Oilfield Branch Company, Dongying 257000, China
Liaoyuan Zhang: Oil Production Technology Research Institute, Shengli Oilfield Branch Company, Dongying 257000, China
Ming Li: Oil Production Technology Research Institute, Shengli Oilfield Branch Company, Dongying 257000, China
Aishan Li: Oil Production Technology Research Institute, Shengli Oilfield Branch Company, Dongying 257000, China

Energies, 2016, vol. 9, issue 3, 1-28

Abstract: To capture the hydraulic fractures in heterogeneous and layered rocks, a numerical code that can consider the coupled effects of fluid flow, damage, and stress field in rocks is presented. Based on the characteristics of a typical thin and inter-bedded sedimentary reservoir, China, a series of simulations on the hydraulic fracturing are performed. In the simulations, three points, i.e. , (1) confining stresses, representing the effect of in situ stresses, (2) strength of the interfaces, and (3) material properties of the layers on either side of the interface, are crucial in fracturing across interfaces between two adjacent rock layers. Numerical results show that the hydrofracture propagation within a layered sequence of sedimentary rocks is controlled by changing in situ stresses, interface properties, and lithologies. The path of the hydraulic fracture is characterized by numerous deflections, branchings, and terminations. Four types of potential interaction, i.e. , penetration, arrest, T-shaped branching, and offset, between a hydrofracture and an interface within the layered rocks are formed. Discontinuous composite fracture segments resulting from out-of-plane growth of fractures provide a less permeable path for fluids, gas, and oil than a continuous planar composite fracture, which are one of the sources of the high treating pressures and reduced fracture volume.

Keywords: hydraulic fractures; fracturing process; fracture deflection; numerical simulation; heterogeneity; sedimentary rock (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/3/169/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/3/169/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:9:y:2016:i:3:p:169-:d:65213

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().