Study on the influence of perforation parameters on hydraulic fracture initiation and propagation based on CDEM

Abstract

Perforation hydraulic fracturing plays a crucial role in the development of oil and gas reservoirs, and perforation layout can significantly affect the initiation and propagation of complex reservoir rock fractures. In this paper, we used a mixed finite-discrete element method with an explicit iterative scheme called the continuous–discontinuous element method (CDEM) to study the process of hydraulic fracture propagation through perforation. The coupling effects of fluid flow and reservoir mechanics are fully considered, and the accuracy of the model in simulating the directional propagation of perforation hydraulic fractures is validated by comparison with physical experimental results. We also discussed in detail the impact of perforation pattern, density, depth, and aperture on crack initiation, propagation, and complexity, and used the new index of fracture degree to quantitatively evaluate the fracturing effects under the influence of multiple perforation layout parameters. The results indicate that: (i) hydraulic fractures near the wellbore compete for initiation, and the length distribution of cracks is uneven and intricate; (ii) linear perforation patterns produce the maximum initiation pressure, which is negatively correlated with the perforation density and positively correlated with the perforation depth and aperture; (iii) the fracture degree is mainly affected by perforation density and depth, and is less affected by aperture. Perforation can effectively control the fracture morphology and initiation pressure, and has a substantial influence on the crack propagation layout near the wellbore. This study provides a basis for the rational selection and optimization of perforation parameters, which can effectively improve the fracturing effects of tight oil and gas reservoirs.