Factors Affecting Hydraulic Fracture Initiation in High In-Situ Stress Conditions: A Wellbore Stress Modelling Approach

Author(s):  
F. Akgun ◽  
Z. Yang ◽  
D.G. Crosby ◽  
S.S. Rahman





2021 ◽  
Vol 108 ◽  
pp. 103725
Author(s):  
Qiangyong Zhang ◽  
Fan Li ◽  
Kang Duan ◽  
Guangyuan Yu ◽  
Lei Cheng ◽  
...  


2011 ◽  
Vol 90-93 ◽  
pp. 2033-2036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Shan Sun ◽  
Hong Jun Guo ◽  
Wen Bo Lu ◽  
Qing Hui Jiang

The factors affecting the TBM tunnel behavior in jointed rock mass is investigated. In the numerical models the concrete segment lining of TBM tunnel is concerned, which is simulated as a tube neglecting the segment joint. And the TBM tunnel construction process is simulate considering the excavation and installing of the segment linings. Some cases are analyzed with different joint orientation, joint spacing, joint strength and tunnel depth. The results show that the shape and areas of loosing zones of the tunnel are influenced by the parameters of joint sets and in-situ stress significantly, such as dip angle, spacing, strength, and the in-situ stress statement. And the stress and deformation of the tunnel lining are influenced by the parameters of joint sets and in-situ stress, too.



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaying Li ◽  
Chunyan Qi ◽  
Ye Gu ◽  
Yu Ye ◽  
Jie Zhao

Abstract The characteristics of seepage capability and rock strain during reservoir depletion are important for reservoir recovery, which would significantly influence production strategy optimization. The Cretaceous deep natural gas reservoirs in Keshen Gasfield in Tarim Basin are mainly buried over 5000 m, featuring with ultra-low permeability, developed natural fractures and complex in-situ stress states. However, there is no comprehensive study on the variation of mechanical properties and seepage capability of this gas reservoir under in-situ stress conditions and most studies on stress-sensitivity are conducted under conventional triaxial or uniaxial stress conditions, which cannot truly represent in-situ stress environment. In this work, Cretaceous tight sandstone in Keshen Gasfield was tested under true-triaxial stresses conditions by an advanced geophysical imaging true-triaxial testing system to study the stress-sensitivity and anisotropy of rock stress-strain behavior, porosity and permeability. Four groups of sandstone samples are prepared as the size of 80mm×80mm×80mm, three of which are artificially fractured with different angle (0°,15°,30°) to simulate hydraulic fracturing. The test results corresponding to different samples are compared to further reveal the influence of the fracture angle on rock mechanical properties and seepage capability. The samples are in elastic strain during reservoir depletion, showing an apparent correlation with fracture angles. The porosity decreases linearly with stress loading, where the decrease rate of effective porosity of fracture samples is significantly higher than that of intact samples. The permeabilities decrease exponentially and show significant anisotropy in different principal stress directions, especially in σH direction. The mechanical properties and seepage capability of deep tight sandstone are successfully tested under true-triaxial stresses conditions in this work, which reveals the stress-sensitivity of anisotropic permeability, porosity and stress-strain behavior during gas production. The testing results proposed in this paper provides an innovative method to analyse rock mechanical and petrophysical properties and has profound significance on exploration and development of tight gas reservoir.



2013 ◽  
Vol 838-841 ◽  
pp. 705-709
Author(s):  
Yun Hao Yang ◽  
Ren Kun Wang

Large scale underground caverns are under construction in high in-situ stress field at Houziyan hydropower station. To investigate deformation and damage of surrounding rock mass, a elastoplastic orthotropic damage model capable of describing induced orthotropic damage and post-peak behavior of hard rock is used, together with a effective approach accounting for the presence of weak planes. Then a displacement based back analysis was conducted by using the measured deformation data from extensometers. The computed displacements are in good agreement with the measured ones at most of measurement points, which confirm the validities of constitutive model and numerical simulation model. The result of simulation shows that damage of surrounding rock mass is mainly dominated by the high in-situ stress rather than the weak planes and heavy damage occur at the cavern shoulders and side walls.



SPE Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (05) ◽  
pp. 2148-2162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengcheng Fu ◽  
Jixiang Huang ◽  
Randolph R. Settgast ◽  
Joseph P. Morris ◽  
Frederick J. Ryerson

Summary The height growth of a hydraulic fracture is known to be affected by many factors that are related to the layered structure of sedimentary rocks. Although these factors are often used to qualitatively explain why hydraulic fractures usually have well–bounded height growth, most of them cannot be directly and quantitatively characterized for a given reservoir to enable a priori prediction of fracture–height growth. In this work, we study the role of the “roughness” of in–situ–stress profiles, in particular alternating low and high stress among rock layers, in determining the tendency of a hydraulic fracture to propagate horizontally vs. vertically. We found that a hydraulic fracture propagates horizontally in low–stress layers ahead of neighboring high–stress layers. Under such a configuration, a fracture–mechanics principle dictates that the net pressure required for horizontal growth of high–stress layers within the current fracture height is significantly lower than that required for additional vertical growth across rock layers. Without explicit consideration of the stress–roughness profile, the system behaves as if the rock is tougher against vertical propagation than it is against horizontal fracture propagation. We developed a simple relationship between the apparent differential rock toughness and characteristics of the stress roughness that induce equivalent overall fracture shapes. This relationship enables existing hydraulic–fracture models to represent the effects of rough in–situ stress on fracture growth without directly representing the fine–resolution rough–stress profiles.



2014 ◽  
Vol 962-965 ◽  
pp. 1041-1046
Author(s):  
Qi Fa Ge ◽  
Xue Sen Sun ◽  
Wei Gen Zhu ◽  
Qing Gang Chen

There are many problems such as depth, high in-situ stress, high ground temperature and rockburst proneness etc. in deep mining. And it is an acknowledged and urgent mining technical puzzle about mining method of gently inclined and medium-thick ore bodies. For such an ore body in West wing of Dongguashan copper mine, if we use traditional mining method, it is hard to conquer such difficulties as high in-situ stress, large open area in roof, removal of mined ore by gravity etc. The theory of “large panel and lower sublevel height” will be easy to solve such problems. This paper use numerical technology to analyze and compare the technical and economical effectiveness for different selected mining method and its structure. The sublevel (at a height of 12 m) open stoping with back-filling by extraction in two steps is quite suitable for ensuring safety, increasing efficiency, productivity and reclaiming resource. The selected method is feasible and well worth spread.



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