Numerical Study on Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in a Layered Continental Shale Reservoir

Lili Han, Yanyan Li (), Wei Hu, Siyu Wei, Wei Wang, Fengyan Zhang and Ye Wang
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Lili Han: Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
Yanyan Li: Faculty of Urban Construction, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Wei Hu: Faculty of Urban Construction, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Siyu Wei: Oil and Gas Survey, China Geological Survey, Beijing 100083, China
Wei Wang: Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
Fengyan Zhang: Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
Ye Wang: Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 23, 1-18

Abstract: The distribution of beddings varies greatly in shale reservoirs. The influence of beddings on hydraulic fracture propagation has often been studied using simplified geological models, i.e., uniformly distributed bedding models. However, the propagation processes of hydraulic fractures in shale reservoirs with complicated distributed beddings remains unclear. In this research, an outcrop-data-based bedding model of a continental shale formation in the Ordos Basin, China, is built. A mathematical model for fracture propagation is built using the discrete element method and is then verified by a hydraulic fracturing experiment. Reservoir-scale simulations are employed to investigate the influence of geological factors and engineering factors on fracture geometry. The study finds that beddings have significant inhibitory effects on fracture height growth; hydraulic fractures have difficulty in breaking through zones with densely distributed beddings. If a hydraulic fracture encounters a bedding plane with a larger aperture, it is more likely to be captured and expand along the weak interface. High vertical stress difference and a high fluid injection rate can promote the vertical penetration of hydraulic fractures through beddings and activate the bedding system to yield a complex fracture network. Increments in fluid viscosity can increase the resistance of fracture propagation, thereby reducing fracture complexity.

Keywords: shale reservoir; bedding; hydraulic fracturing; fracture height growth (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: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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