Dynamic modeling of bedding-plane slip during hydraulic fracturing

Abstract

Whether the tip stresses around a dynamically propagating hydraulic fracture (HF) could activate a bedding plane (BP) or not is an important question for HF propagation and microseismicity generation. BP slip has been proposed to be one main source of microseismicity during HF treatments in unconventional reservoirs. However, a BP perpendicular to a principal stress direction is unlikely to be activated in a simple geomechanical model. We have applied a dynamic finite-element geomechanics method to examine the induced dynamic shear stress and the activation of BPs that are perpendicular to the HF based on the Cotton-Valley tight-sand reservoir properties. We work in a 2D vertical-plane framework. The induced dynamic stresses around a HF tip could be significant. We explore three different scenarios for the BP activation. In the first scenario, an HF is dynamically propagating toward two symmetric BPs, but has not touched them yet. We find that only low-strength BPs can be activated in this scenario. In the second scenario, an HF dynamically propagates toward two symmetric BPs and then it crosses them by a short distance. The BPs could be more easily activated in this scenario compared with the first scenario. The slip length and maximum slip decrease with cohesion, critical slip distance, or maximum principal stress. In the third scenario, an HF dynamically propagates toward two symmetric BPs, and then fluid invasion into the BPs occurs after the HF touches them. Large shear slippage and slip length happen in this scenario because fluid invasion weakens the BPs. In all of the scenarios, different senses of shear could occur along the BPs and a rupture typically propagates bilaterally from the initiation point on the BPs.