Abstract
Hydraulic fracturing of horizontal well is the key technology to develop unconventional resources. Simultaneous fracturing in horizontal well is the prevalent method applied in the field practice. To achieve successful and desired stimulated rock volumes and fracture networks, it is necessary to understand the influence of stress on fracture geometry. This paper proposed a 2D model to simulate the fracture propagation in simultaneous hydraulic fracture operation based on Finite Discrete Element Method (FDEM). In this model, the fracturing fluid leak-off and natural fractures are coupled. The simulation results demonstrated that the induced stress field can not only affect the fracture extended length, but also the width of fracture. The outer fractures dominate the inner fractures in growth. And the central fractures stop propagating after they reached a certain length due to the induced stress field. These simulations are meaningful for stimulation design and required spacing conditions to acquire the desired fracture lengths, proppant placement, and production rates.
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More From: IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering
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