Abou-Sayed, A.S., Terra Tek Inc., Clifton, R.J., Brown U., Dougherty, R.L. and Morales, R.H., Terra Tek Inc.
Presented at: SPE Unconventional Gas Recovery Symposium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 1984.
Evaluation of the Influence of in-Situ Stress Reservoir Conditions on the Geometry of Hydraulic Fractures Using a Three-Dimensional Simulator: Part 2- Case Studies
Abstract
The development of the basic theory and numerical implementation of a three-dimensional hydraulic fracturing simulator has been completed. The description of the model is being presented in two companion papers. The first paper (Part 1) discusses the analytical elements of the theory, while this paper considers the practical applications. The simulator can predict fracture geometry in a layered rock media under a wide range of in situ and fluid treatment conditions. A total of 15 cases are discussed. The effects of fracture pressure gradient, stress contrast, reservoir layer stiffness, fluid viscosity and initial fracture geometry are evaluated. Resultant fracture shapes are presented and their implications on fracture design presented and their implications on fracture design are discussed. Fracture containment is shown to be strongly dependent on the elastic modulus of the formation, magnitude of stress barriers, and fluid viscosity.