In-situ stress determination at great depth by means of hydraulic fracturing

Conference · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1968 · Am. Soc. Mech. Eng., (Pap.); (United States)

OSTI ID:6023944

Haimson, B; Fairhurst, C

One of the main functions of rock mechanics research has been to find ways of determining in situ stresses. Most methods usually employ some instrumentation for the purpose of measuring hole deformation. The method of hydraulic fracturing has been suggested, because it has been shown that the recorded pressures can be theoretically related to magnitudes of the principal in situ stresses; the orientation of the fracture can often be used to determine the direction of the principal stresses. The advantage of hydraulic fracturing over the present in situ stress determination methods is simplicity: no sophisticated instrumentation is required inside the borehole; hence, the stresses can be measured at any depth. If the formation is impermeable to the fracturing fluid, no elastic constants of the rock are required in calculating the stresses, a factor that not only simplifies the problem, but renders the results more reliable. The theoretical considerations are discussed. A laboratory experimental program was undertaken to verify some of the assumptions and results stated in the theoretical section. The equipment is described. (19 refs.)

• Research Organization: Wisconsin Univ; Minnesota Univ
• OSTI ID: 6023944
• Report Number(s): CONF-690674-
• Journal Information: Am. Soc. Mech. Eng., (Pap.); (United States), Journal Name: Am. Soc. Mech. Eng., (Pap.); (United States); ISSN ASMSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300 -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
58 GEOSCIENCES
580300* -- Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics-- (-1989)
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BOREHOLES
CAVITIES
COMMINUTION
DEFORMATION
FRACTURING
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
MEASURING METHODS
MECHANICS
ROCK MECHANICS
STIMULATION
STRESS ANALYSIS
WELL STIMULATION