Research on the Influence of Shale Reservoir Depth on Fracture Characteristics Based on Xsite

Abstract

The exploration and development of shale reservoir is faced with both opportunities and challenges, especially the mechanism of influence of shale reservoir depth on hydraulic fracture characteristics is unclear. In this paper, by means of Xsite simulation, four stress levels are set to reflect the depth change from the side, and the influence of depth change on the hydraulic fracture characteristics of shale reservoir is studied. The results reveal a phenomenon: in the low stress environment, the fracture network can be effectively constructed, showing a more spacious space structure; In high-stress environments, the propagation direction of hydraulic fractures is precisely controlled, and these fractures can communicate more closely with the bedding surface. It is worth noting that in the low stress environment, the tensile fracture has a large area and forms a broad fracture network. In contrast, in high-stress environments, shear fractures dominate and their area increases significantly. In addition, the fracture volume is larger under low stress environment, while the total fracture area is more significant under high stress environment. This discovery has far-reaching significance for the formation of complex fracture networks in shale reservoirs, emphasizes the importance of making full use of shale multilayer characteristics, and provides rich and profound theoretical guidance for engineering practice.