Study of stress field induced by natural fracture and its influence on hydraulic fracture propagation

Abstract

The change of fracture propagation direction caused by stress interference between fractures is one of the main reasons that affect shale gas productivity. Natural fractures will be damaged by the induced stress, and the induced stress field produced by natural fracture damage will in turn affect the propagation of hydraulic fractures. Previous studies usually ignored the impact of stress field variation caused by natural fracture damage, leading to inaccurate fracture propagation simulation results. A new model for simulating hydraulic fracturing-induced stress field is established with consideration of the influence of natural fracture damage. Then, the natural fracture-induced stress is analyzed in open and closed fracture states. Through superposition of stress fields of natural fractures and hydraulic fractures, the interaction among open and closed natural fractures, reservoir and hydraulic fracture, and the corresponding fracture property evolution are studied. The results demonstrate that induced stress is not affected by elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio of the rock. The induced stress difference at the fracture tip is proportional to the net pressure and the length of hydraulic fractures. The results provide guidance for the optimal design of fracturing. When the deflection angle of hydraulic fracture is less than 90°, the maximum induced stress difference at the fracture tip decreases with the reduction in the deflection angle. When the deflection angle of hydraulic fracture is smaller than 90° or the deflection angle of natural fracture is smaller than 45°, the steering of hydraulic fracture is less hindered, which is beneficial to the formation of complex fracture network.