Development and testing of a pseudo-three-dimensional model of hydraulic fracture geometry
A pseudo-three-dimensional (P3DH) model has been developed to describe realistically the evolution of geometry of a 3D hydraulic fracture produced by fluid injection into a reservoir. The present model bypasses the task of a fully 3D crack geometry calculation, which is at present prohibitively complex in the context of a complete practical fracturing simulator. The P3DH model presented formulates the problem in terms of equations for lateral fluid flow and crack opening for the main body of the fracture, coupled with a very efficient scheme for describing vertical fracture growth at each cross section. The equations for lateral flow are solved by finite differences, and the vertical propagation problem is solved by numerical implementation of a singular integral equation on a suitable set of Chebyshev points. The testing of P3DH components shows both an excellent agreement of the lateral propagation model with various analytical solutions and a strong sensitivity of vertical propagation to confining stress and stiffness contrast of adjacent strata and to fluid rheology. The sample simulations show that the model produces realistic fracture growth under a wide range of conditions, is extremely sensitive to the dominant containment parameters, and therefore can be used to study the effect of relevant design parameters on fracture shapes and pressures in stimulation treatments.
- Research Organization:
- Simtech Consulting Service
- OSTI ID:
- 7187190
- Journal Information:
- SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Product. Eng.; (United States), Vol. 1:6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
03 NATURAL GAS
HYDRAULIC FRACTURES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CRACK PROPAGATION
GEOMETRY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NATURAL GAS WELLS
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
OIL WELLS
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
ENHANCED RECOVERY
EQUATIONS
FLUID INJECTION
NATURAL GAS
PETROLEUM
RHEOLOGY
STRESSES
TESTING
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
WELL STIMULATION
COMMINUTION
ENERGY SOURCES
FAILURES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FRACTURES
FRACTURING
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
MATHEMATICS
RECOVERY
SIMULATION
STIMULATION
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
030900 - Natural Gas- Artificial Stimulation
Plowshare- (-1989)