Experimental Investigation of Hydraulic Fracturing and Stress Sensitivity of Fracture Permeability Under Changing Polyaxial Stress Conditions

Fraser-Harris, Andrew; McDermott, Christopher; Couples, Gary Douglas; Edlmann, Katriona; Lightbody, Alexander; Cartwright‐Taylor, Alexis; Kendrick, Jackie E.; Brondolo, Florent; Fazio, Marco; Sauter, Martin

doi:10.1029/2020jb020044

Cited by 15 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 89 publications

(205 reference statements)

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“…This is a natural type of fracture, but because the two halves of the specimen separate, the fracture must be reassembled to define an aperture. Hydraulic fracturing at triaxial or true‐triaxial conditions can also be used to enable the in situ study (without disturbing pressure/temperature conditions) of tensile fracture permeability (e.g., Fraser‐Harris et al., 2020). Induced tensile fractures tend to generate well‐mated fracture surfaces.…”

Section: Laboratory Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Fluid Flow to Coupled Processes in Fractured Rock: Recent Advances and New Frontiers

Viswanathan

Ajo‐Franklin

Birkhölzer

et al. 2022

Reviews of Geophysics

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Quantitative predictions of natural and induced phenomena in fractured rock is one of the great challenges in the Earth and Energy Sciences with far‐reaching economic and environmental impacts. Fractures occupy a very small volume of a subsurface formation but often dominate fluid flow, solute transport and mechanical deformation behavior. They play a central role in CO2 sequestration, nuclear waste disposal, hydrogen storage, geothermal energy production, nuclear nonproliferation, and hydrocarbon extraction. These applications require predictions of fracture‐dependent quantities of interest such as CO2 leakage rate, hydrocarbon production, radionuclide plume migration, and seismicity; to be useful, these predictions must account for uncertainty inherent in subsurface systems. Here, we review recent advances in fractured rock research covering field‐ and laboratory‐scale experimentation, numerical simulations, and uncertainty quantification. We discuss how these have greatly improved the fundamental understanding of fractures and one's ability to predict flow and transport in fractured systems. Dedicated field sites provide quantitative measurements of fracture flow that can be used to identify dominant coupled processes and to validate models. Laboratory‐scale experiments fill critical knowledge gaps by providing direct observations and measurements of fracture geometry and flow under controlled conditions that cannot be obtained in the field. Physics‐based simulation of flow and transport provide a bridge in understanding between controlled simple laboratory experiments and the massively complex field‐scale fracture systems. Finally, we review the use of machine learning‐based emulators to rapidly investigate different fracture property scenarios and accelerate physics‐based models by orders of magnitude to enable uncertainty quantification and near real‐time analysis.

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Section: Laboratory Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Fluid Flow to Coupled Processes in Fractured Rock: Recent Advances and New Frontiers

Viswanathan

Ajo‐Franklin

Birkhölzer

et al. 2022

Reviews of Geophysics

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“…As the rock became an isobaric body, the decline range of permeability became smaller (Pingliang et al, 2017a). Fraser Harris et al studied the effect of fracture radial displacement and shear displacement on microfracture permeability by changing the size and direction of the radial stress field (Fraser Harris et al, 2020). Liang et al established exponential microfracture pressure-sensitive model and cubic polynomial variation law of main fracture conductivity through microfracture and main fracture stress sensitivity experiments.…”

Section: Pressure-sensitive Effectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nonlinear Seepage Mathematical Model of Fractured Tight Stress Sensitive Reservoir and Its Application

Yin

Song

et al. 2022

Front. Energy Res.

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A tight reservoir can only have industrial production value after fracturing. After volume fracturing, there are artificial fracturing zones and fracturing unmodified zones composed of a matrix, microfractures, and main fractures. There are also pressure-sensitive effects and nonlinear seepage in the matrix. There is an unsteady channeling flow between the matrix and microfractures and main fractures and a threshold pressure gradient in the matrix. The fluid flow between the three media and the transfer flow between the media are very complex. Aiming at the problem of poor simulation accuracy because the above characteristics of tight reservoir fracturing development are not considered in the current commercial numerical simulation software Eclipse, CMG, and VIP, the triple medium coupling nonlinear mathematical model of tight reservoir fracturing development matrix/microfractures/main fractures was established in this study, and the discrete mathematical model was constructed using the full implicit numerical solution method. The model considered the effects of threshold fracturing gradient and nonlinear seepage on the reverse side of seepage. In terms of pressure-sensitive effect, the latest generalized pressure-sensitive effect calculation model, considering rock physical parameters established by authors, was adopted. In terms of matrix/fracture transfer flow, the nonlinear matrix/fracture transfer flow model considering threshold pressure gradient and pressure-sensitive effect established by authors was adopted. Finally, a tight reservoir numerical simulation software was developed based on a triple medium coupling nonlinear model. The software was used to simulate the development effect of turbidite tight reservoir in Wang 587 Block of Jiyang depression, Shengli Oilfield. The results showed that the fitting accuracy of the new model was 13.3% higher than that of Eclipse, and the calculation results were more in line with the production practice of tight reservoirs. The new model established an important theoretical basis for scientifically and effectively guiding the development of tight reservoirs.

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“…Dehghan et al (2015a; investigated the effects of natural fracture dip and strike on hydraulic fracture propagation through triaxial fracturing experiments and found hydraulic fractures were more tortuous for low dip and strike of the pre-existing fractures. Fraser-Harris et al (2020) carried out hydraulic fracturing experiments of synthetic analogue materials and rock samples under changing polyaxial stress conditions and found fractures propagated in both tensile and shear orientations with respect to the polyaxial stress state. Similar relationships between network complexity and the geometry, approach angle, fracture properties and in situ stress are observed in natural fracture systems where a later set of fractures interacts with earlier features (Soden et al 2016;Moir et al 2010) Thus, the interaction between hydraulic and natural fractures is complex and affected by the in situ stress, approach angle, NF shear strength, NF aperture, etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mixed-Mode Fracture Modelling of the Near-Wellbore Interaction Between Hydraulic Fracture and Natural Fracture

Shipton

Kendrick

et al. 2022

Rock Mech Rock Eng

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The interaction between hydraulic fractures (HF) and natural fractures (NF) is one of the most fundamental phenomena in hydraulic fracturing. The near-wellbore interaction between HF and NF significantly affects fracking-related operations including the injected fluid flow, proppant transport and well productivity. However, the nature of fracturing modes, combined with hydro-mechanical coupling, poses great difficulties and challenges in addressing this problem. Literature review suggests that little research has been undertaken on near-wellbore interaction, especially considering the fully coupled hydro-mechanical mixed-mode fracturing process. This paper develops a new fracture model incorporating the Mohr–Coulomb criterion with the cohesive crack model. The model is implemented into ABAQUS solver by in-house FORTRAN subroutines. The rock matrix and cohesive crack interfaces are both coupled with fluid flow. The developed model is then validated by comparing the results with analytical solutions and experimental results. Moreover, the effects of approach angle, NF location, in situ stress, cohesion strength and friction angle of NF, and flow rate on the near-wellbore interaction are investigated. Three interaction modes, i.e., cross, deflect and offset, are reproduced through the numerical method. The crack deflection into NF is a shear-dominated mixed-mode fracture. A high injection pressure in the wellbore tends to drive the HF to cross a NF located close to the wellbore. The smaller the cohesion strength and friction angle of NF is, the larger the offsetting ratio is. A low injection flow rate can help activate natural fractures near the wellbore when intersected by HF.

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Experimental Investigation of Hydraulic Fracturing and Stress Sensitivity of Fracture Permeability Under Changing Polyaxial Stress Conditions

Abstract: This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as

Cited by 15 publications

References 89 publications

From Fluid Flow to Coupled Processes in Fractured Rock: Recent Advances and New Frontiers

From Fluid Flow to Coupled Processes in Fractured Rock: Recent Advances and New Frontiers

Nonlinear Seepage Mathematical Model of Fractured Tight Stress Sensitive Reservoir and Its Application

Mixed-Mode Fracture Modelling of the Near-Wellbore Interaction Between Hydraulic Fracture and Natural Fracture

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