Experimental Study on Connection Characteristics of Rough Fractures Induced by Multi-Stage Hydraulic Fracturing in Tight Reservoirs

Yanjun Zhang, Le Yan, Hongkui Ge, Shun Liu and Desheng Zhou
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Yanjun Zhang: College of Petroleum Engineering, Xi’an Shiyou University, Xi’an 710065, China
Le Yan: College of Petroleum Engineering, Xi’an Shiyou University, Xi’an 710065, China
Hongkui Ge: State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum at Beijing, Beijing 102249, China
Shun Liu: College of Petroleum Engineering, Xi’an Shiyou University, Xi’an 710065, China
Desheng Zhou: College of Petroleum Engineering, Xi’an Shiyou University, Xi’an 710065, China

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-17

Abstract: The well spacing for the development of tight reservoirs by multi-stage fracturing is continuously narrowed. Consequently, interwell interference during fracturing is more and more serious, accompanied by a host of issues in fracturing design and oil and gas production. However, the mechanism of interwell interference during fracturing is not explicit. The corresponding laws of the connectivity of rough fractures during fracturing, which plays a critical role in interwell interference, are not fully understood. In this study, on the basis of characterizing the roughness of fractures, a laboratory evaluation method for fracture connectivity was established. The connectivity characteristics of rough fractures and factors affecting the fracture connectivity are studied. The time and scale effects of fracture connectivity were discussed and their application in interwell interference was analyzed. The results show that the connectivity performance of rough fractures can be characterized by the time for pressure decay. The upstream pressure gradually decreases over time, and the decline rate is related to the fracture aperture, the fracture surface roughness, the contact area of the closed fractures, and liquid properties. Specifically, the decrease in fracture aperture and the increase in fluid viscosity leads to a significant reduction in fracture connectivity. While larger fracture surface roughness and contact area can make fracture connectivity better. The connectivity of the fracture system is one of the significant mechanisms causing interwell interference during fracturing. The connectivity of rough fractures formed during fracturing has remarkable scale and time effects. This study can effectively guide the fracturing design and the evaluation of the impact of fracture connectivity on production.

Keywords: fracture connection; rough fractures; hydraulic fracturing; interwell interference; tight reservoirs (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
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