Numerical Study on the Formation of Shear Fracture Network
Shear fracture network is important to the hydraulic fracturing treatment of a shale gas reservoir. In this paper, the formation of shear fracture network is investigated by a Displacement Discontinuity Method (DDM) based model. The results show that the sliding of fracture surface is irreversible b...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2016-04-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/4/299 |
| _version_ | 1817994344525725696 |
|---|---|
| author | Zhaobin Zhang Xiao Li |
| author_facet | Zhaobin Zhang Xiao Li |
| author_sort | Zhaobin Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Shear fracture network is important to the hydraulic fracturing treatment of a shale gas reservoir. In this paper, the formation of shear fracture network is investigated by a Displacement Discontinuity Method (DDM) based model. The results show that the sliding of fracture surface is irreversible but may change significantly after fluid pressure dissipates. The final sliding distance is different for natural and hydraulic fractures. Most of the shear fractures are natural fractures while the newly formed hydraulic fractures tend to be totally closed after pressure dissipates. The effects of in situ stress are investigated. The affected area reaches its maximum value when the maximum principle stress direction is perpendicular to the principal fracture direction. The effects of the injection rate are also investigated. The increasing of the injection rate is helpful in increasing the fracture aperture, but has no effect on the final sliding distance. Moreover, the effects of the injection rate on the affected area depend on the connectivity of natural fractures. The affected area increases with the injection rate when the connectivity is poor but decreases slightly with injection rate when the connectivity is good. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T01:50:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-86d0ef94bf00457e8b1ed8d60b6d9cca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T01:50:51Z |
| publishDate | 2016-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-86d0ef94bf00457e8b1ed8d60b6d9cca2022-12-22T02:19:21ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732016-04-019429910.3390/en9040299en9040299Numerical Study on the Formation of Shear Fracture NetworkZhaobin Zhang0Xiao Li1Key Laboratory of Shale Gas and Geoengineering, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaKey Laboratory of Shale Gas and Geoengineering, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaShear fracture network is important to the hydraulic fracturing treatment of a shale gas reservoir. In this paper, the formation of shear fracture network is investigated by a Displacement Discontinuity Method (DDM) based model. The results show that the sliding of fracture surface is irreversible but may change significantly after fluid pressure dissipates. The final sliding distance is different for natural and hydraulic fractures. Most of the shear fractures are natural fractures while the newly formed hydraulic fractures tend to be totally closed after pressure dissipates. The effects of in situ stress are investigated. The affected area reaches its maximum value when the maximum principle stress direction is perpendicular to the principal fracture direction. The effects of the injection rate are also investigated. The increasing of the injection rate is helpful in increasing the fracture aperture, but has no effect on the final sliding distance. Moreover, the effects of the injection rate on the affected area depend on the connectivity of natural fractures. The affected area increases with the injection rate when the connectivity is poor but decreases slightly with injection rate when the connectivity is good.http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/4/299displacement discontinuity methoddiscrete fracture networkhydraulic fractureshear fracture network |
| spellingShingle | Zhaobin Zhang Xiao Li Numerical Study on the Formation of Shear Fracture Network Energies displacement discontinuity method discrete fracture network hydraulic fracture shear fracture network |
| title | Numerical Study on the Formation of Shear Fracture Network |
| title_full | Numerical Study on the Formation of Shear Fracture Network |
| title_fullStr | Numerical Study on the Formation of Shear Fracture Network |
| title_full_unstemmed | Numerical Study on the Formation of Shear Fracture Network |
| title_short | Numerical Study on the Formation of Shear Fracture Network |
| title_sort | numerical study on the formation of shear fracture network |
| topic | displacement discontinuity method discrete fracture network hydraulic fracture shear fracture network |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/4/299 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhaobinzhang numericalstudyontheformationofshearfracturenetwork AT xiaoli numericalstudyontheformationofshearfracturenetwork |