Experimental Studies on the Crack Initiation and Propagation of Hydraulic Fracturing with Different Coal Structure Combinations

Abstract

Coal structure is one of the key geological factors that affects the effect of coal reservoir stimulation. Based on the geological spatial combination characteristics, thickness, and proportion of different coal structures, the coal reservoir is divided into different coal structure combination types. The hydraulic fracturing device is used to carry out indoor fracturing experiments and dissect the crack initiation and expansion characteristics with different coal structure combinations. The results show that the coal structure combination is of the binary type (undeformed coal + granulated coal or cataclastic coal + granulated coal), and the undeformed coal (cataclastic coal) can overcome the tensile strength and minimum principal stress when it is driven by the high-pressure fluid. The undeformed coal (cataclastic coal) ruptures and forms longitudinal cracks. The increasing proportion of granulated coal inhibits crack expansion and promotes the transverse deformation of coal. The interface contact point between the undeformed coal (cataclastic coal) and granulated coal easily fractures along the cross section of the specimen. When the coal structure combination is the triplex type (undeformed coal + granulated coal + cataclastic coal or cataclastic coal + granulated coal + cataclastic coal), the undeformed coal or cataclastic coal is transformed. The forming fractures in the undeformed coal (cataclastic coal) can cut through the soft coal when the thickness of the undeformed coal (cataclastic coal) is large and the thickness of granulated coal is thin. On the contrary, it is not easy to cut through. When the coal structure combination is granulated coal + cataclastic coal + granulated coal, the cataclastic coal fails under shear stress and forms the crack along the cross section of the coal sample. The granulated coal inhibits the crack expansion at both ends. The research results have an important indicative significance for further understanding the fracture initiation and propagation mechanism of hydraulic fracturing with complex coal structures in coal reservoirs.