Plasticity Effects in Hydraulic Fracturing

Abstract

The importance of reservoir rock plasticity in fracturing operations has been investigated by laboratory experiments and field results. A Lagrangian formulation for crack propagation provided the basis for the laboratory experiments. A simple crack propagation experiment showed that plasticity effects can be observed and that the importance of plasticity depends on the relative magnitudes of surface energy and energy dissipated in plastic deformation of a reservoir rock. The latter can be evaluated by laboratory measurements of a plasticity coefficient, ..cap alpha.., which comes out of the Lagrangian analysis. To measure ..cap alpha.., the authors developed a triaxial system for applying tensile stress to rock cores under confining pressure at strain rates characteristic of fracturing operations. Strain gauges mounted on each core were used with a servo-controlled press to apply strain at a linear rate between 10/sup -4/ and 10/sup -6/ seconds /sup -1/ and to obtain stress/strain data to the point of tensile failure. To distinguish between plasticity and nonlinear elastic phenomena, the authors also obtained strain hysteresis data.