Coupled Modeling of Complex Fracture Networks Induced during Hydraulic Fracturing Treatments

Taleghani, Arash Dahi; Yu, Haibin; Lian, Zhanghua

doi:10.3997/2214-4609.201801167

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…For the orthogonal fracture network, starting from the wellbore, fractures' width and permeability reduce 25% after each intersection away from the wellbore. For the tree-shape fracture network, fracture segments' width reduces 50% after each generation as indicated by earlier geomechanical simulations [13]. In this study, we presumed a smooth pressure drawdown characteristic at the wellbore during early flowback using the below form function,…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…In orthogonal fracture networks, the width of the fracture segments decreases with the distance from the wellbore, which can be easily verified by stress analysis [13]. The structure and properties of the orthogonal network can also be characterized by fractional reduction after each intersection away from the wellbore as shown in Equations (53) and (54).…”

Section: Fractal Fracture Network and Fracture Discretizationmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…The width of fractures decreases away from the wellbore. For each segment, the width of the segment can be set with an average value based on experience or hydraulic fracturing simulation results [13][14][15]. To model fracture closure more accurately, understanding of fracture properties is of great importance.…”

Section: Fractal Fracture Network and Fracture Discretizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Semi-Analytical Model for Two-Phase Flowback in Complex Fracture Networks in Shale Oil Reservoirs

Cai

Taleghani

2019

Energies

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Flowback data is the earliest available data for estimating fracture geometries and the assessment of different fracturing techniques. Considerable attention has been paid recently to analyze flowback data quantitively in order to obtain fracture properties such as effective half-length and effective conductivity by simply assuming fractures having bi-wing planar geometries and constant fracture compressibility. However, this simplifying assumption ignores the complexity of fracture networks. To overcome this limitation, we proposed a semi-analytical method, which can be used as a direct model for fast inverse analysis to characterize complex fracture networks generated during hydraulic fracturing. A two-phase oil-water flowback model with a matrix oil influx for wells with bi-wing planar fractures is also presented to identify limitations of the former solution.Since most available flowback studies use constant fracture properties and the assumption of planar fractures, considering variable fracture properties and complex fracture geometries gives this model more robustness for modeling fracture flow during flowback, more realistically. The proposed models have been validated by numerical simulations. The presented procedure provides a simple way for modeling early flowback in complex fracture networks and it can be used for inverse analysis.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Fractal Fracture Network and Fracture Discretizationmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Fractal Fracture Network and Fracture Discretizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Semi-Analytical Model for Two-Phase Flowback in Complex Fracture Networks in Shale Oil Reservoirs

Cai

Taleghani

2019

Energies

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Is Complexity of Hydraulic Fractures Tunable? A Question from Design Perspective

Taleghani

Chavez

et al. 2018

Day 3 Tue, October 09, 2018

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Microseismic data and post-fracturing production have confirmed the positive role of fracture complexity on production enhancement in fractured wells. While operators are looking for different fluids and pumping schedules to enhance fracture complexity, the mechanisms ruling the process is not fully understood. This paper provides a comprehensive workflow to model the fracture pattern development by accounting for interactions with numerous natural fractures. We present a robust finite element model with adaptive insertion of three-dimensional cohesive elements for fracture propagation through the intact rock as well as the network of intersecting natural fractures. Cohesive elements are coupled with general Darcy's flow to incorporate fluid flow as well as elastic and plastic deformations of rock during initiation, propagation and closure of hydraulic fractures. Hydraulic fracturing treatment has been simulated for different natural fracture patterns. Fluid injection pressure fluctuations are observed while reopening natural fractures. The impact of operation schedules on network complexity such as hesitation time is investigated. The complexity of fracture network is characterized by the ratio of total fracture length to its effective radius from the wellbore. Our analysis has shown that in addition to the differential stress and the fracture intersection angle which are already determined by the nature, pumping injection rate and hesitation time can play a significant role in fracture branching and its diversion to different natural fracture sets. Higher injection rate is found to have a positive effect to overcome the resistance of natural fractures in different directions, and hesitation in the middle of pumping can force the fracture to divert into other directions, both of which help develop a more complex fracture pattern.

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Coupled Modeling of Complex Fracture Networks Induced during Hydraulic Fracturing Treatments

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Semi-Analytical Model for Two-Phase Flowback in Complex Fracture Networks in Shale Oil Reservoirs

Semi-Analytical Model for Two-Phase Flowback in Complex Fracture Networks in Shale Oil Reservoirs

Is Complexity of Hydraulic Fractures Tunable? A Question from Design Perspective

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