The book explores the theoretical background of one of the most widespread activities in hydrocarbon wells, that of hydraulic fracturing. A comprehensive treatment of the basic phenomena includes: linear elasticity, stresses, fracture geometry and rheology. The diverse concepts of mechanics are integrated into a coherent description of hydraulic fracture propagation. The chapters in the book are cross-referenced throughout and the connections between the various phenomena are emphasized. The book offers readers a unique approach to the subject with the use of many numerical examples.
Revised to include current components considered for today's unconventional and multi-fracture grids, Mechanics of Hydraulic Fracturing, Second Edition explains one of the most important features for fracture design — the ability to predict the geometry and characteristics of the hydraulically induced fracture. With two-thirds of the world's oil and natural gas reserves committed to unconventional resources, hydraulic fracturing is the best proven well stimulation method to extract these resources from their more remote and complex reservoirs. However, few hydraulic fracture models can properly simulate more complex fractures. Engineers and well designers must understand the underlying mechanics of how fractures are modeled in order to correctly predict and forecast a more advanced fracture network. Updated to accommodate today's fracturing jobs, Mechanics of Hydraulic Fracturing, Second Edition enables the engineer to: - Understand complex fracture networks to maximize completion strategies - Recognize and compute stress shadow, which can drastically affect fracture network patterns - Optimize completions by properly modeling and more accurately predicting for today's hydraulic fracturing completions - Discusses the underlying mechanics of creating a fracture from the wellbore - Enhanced to include newer modeling components such as stress shadow and interaction of hydraulic fracture with a natural fracture, which aids in more complex fracture networks - Updated experimental studies that apply to today's unconventional fracturing cases
Hydraulic Fracture Modeling delivers all the pertinent technology and solutions in one product to become the go-to source for petroleum and reservoir engineers. Providing tools and approaches, this multi-contributed reference presents current and upcoming developments for modeling rock fracturing including their limitations and problem-solving applications. Fractures are common in oil and gas reservoir formations, and with the ongoing increase in development of unconventional reservoirs, more petroleum engineers today need to know the latest technology surrounding hydraulic fracturing technology such as fracture rock modeling. There is tremendous research in the area but not all located in one place. Covering two types of modeling technologies, various effective fracturing approaches and model applications for fracturing, the book equips today's petroleum engineer with an all-inclusive product to characterize and optimize today's more complex reservoirs. - Offers understanding of the details surrounding fracturing and fracture modeling technology, including theories and quantitative methods - Provides academic and practical perspective from multiple contributors at the forefront of hydraulic fracturing and rock mechanics - Provides today's petroleum engineer with model validation tools backed by real-world case studies
The analysis of crack problems through fracture mechanics has been applied to the study of materials such as glass, metals and ceramics because relatively simple fracture criteria describe the failure of these materials. The increased attention paid to experimental rock fracture mechanics has led to major contributions to the solving of geophysical problems.The text presents a concise treatment of the physics and mathematics of a representative selection of problems from areas such as earthquake mechanics and prediction, hydraulic fracturing, hot dry rock geothermal energy, fault mechanics, and dynamic fragmentation.
This book is intended as a reference book for advanced graduate students and research engineers in shale gas development or rock mechanical engineering. Globally, there is widespread interest in exploiting shale gas resources to meet rising energy demands, maintain energy security and stability in supply and reduce dependence on higher carbon sources of energy, namely coal and oil. However, extracting shale gas is a resource intensive process and is dependent on the geological and geomechanical characteristics of the source rocks, making the development of certain formations uneconomic using current technologies. Therefore, evaluation of the physical and mechanical properties of shale, together with technological advancements, is critical in verifying the economic viability of such formation. Accurate geomechanical information about the rock and its variation through the shale is important since stresses along the wellbore can control fracture initiation and frac development. In addition, hydraulic fracturing has been widely employed to enhance the production of oil and gas from underground reservoirs. Hydraulic fracturing is a complex operation in which the fluid is pumped at a high pressure into a selected section of the wellbore. The interaction between the hydraulic fractures and natural fractures is the key to fracturing effectiveness prediction and high gas development. The development and growth of a hydraulic fracture through the natural fracture systems of shale is probably more complex than can be described here, but may be somewhat predictable if the fracture system and the development of stresses can be explained. As a result, comprehensive shale geomechanical experiments, physical modeling experiment and numerical investigations should be conducted to reveal the fracturing mechanical behaviors of shale.
This text book provides the theoretical background of rock fracture mechanics and displacement discontinuity methods used for the modelling of geomechanical problems. The computer program FRACOD is used to analyse the fracture problems, assessing fracture initiation and propagation in tension (Mode I), shear (Mode II) and mixed mode I and II of solid intact or jointed geomaterials. The book also presents the fundamentals of thermo-mechanical coupling and hydro-mechanical coupling. Formulations of multiple regional mechanical, thermal and hydraulic functions, which allow analyses of fracture mechanics problems for structures made of brittle, rock-like materials, are provided. In addition, instructive examples of code verification and applications are presented. Additional material: The 2-D version of the FRACOD program, a manual on the program and a wealth of verification examples of classical problems in physics, mechanics and hydromechanics are available at http://extras.springer.com. A large number of applications related to civil, mining, petroleum and environmental engineering are also included. - The first textbook available on modelling of rock fracture propagation - Introduces readers to the fundamentals of rock fracturing - Uses a modern style of teaching with theory, mathematical modelling and applications in one package - The basic version of the FRACOD software, manual, verification examples and applications are available as additional material - The FRACOD program and manual enable the readers to solve fracture propagation problems on their own --------------------------- Ki-Bok Min, Department of Energy Resources Engineering, College of Engineering, Seoul National University, Korea “Challenging rock engineering applications require extreme conditions of stress, temperature and hydraulic pressure resulting in rock fracturing to a various extent. The FRACOD is one of few computer codes available in engineering rock mechanics that can simulate the initiation and propagation of fractures often interacting with natural fractures. Its capability has been significantly enhanced to include the hydraulic and thermal fracturing with concerted interaction from multi-national research and industry partners. My experience with the FRACOD is very positive and I am certain that its already-excellent track record will expand further in the future."
A comprehensive overview of the key geologic, geomechanical and engineering principles that govern the development of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs. Covering hydrocarbon-bearing formations, horizontal drilling, reservoir seismology and environmental impacts, this is an invaluable resource for geologists, geophysicists and reservoir engineers.
The expansion of unconventional petroleum resources in the recent decade and the rapid development of computational technology have provided the opportunity to develop and apply 3D numerical modeling technology to simulate the hydraulic fracturing of shale and tight sand formations. This book presents 3D numerical modeling technologies for hydraulic fracturing developed in recent years, and introduces solutions to various 3D geomechanical problems related to hydraulic fracturing. In the solution processes of the case studies included in the book, fully coupled multi-physics modeling has been adopted, along with innovative computational techniques, such as submodeling. In practice, hydraulic fracturing is an essential project component in shale gas/oil development and tight sand oil, and provides an essential measure in the process of drilling cuttings reinjection (CRI). It is also an essential measure for widened mud weight window (MWW) when drilling through naturally fractured formations; the process of hydraulic plugging is a typical application of hydraulic fracturing. 3D modeling and numerical analysis of hydraulic fracturing is essential for the successful development of tight oil/gas formations: it provides accurate solutions for optimized stage intervals in a multistage fracking job. It also provides optimized well-spacing for the design of zipper-frac wells. Numerical estimation of casing integrity under stimulation injection in the hydraulic fracturing process is one of major concerns in the successful development of unconventional resources. This topic is also investigated numerically in this book. Numerical solutions to several other typical geomechanics problems related to hydraulic fracturing, such as fluid migration caused by fault reactivation and seismic activities, are also presented. This book can be used as a reference textbook to petroleum, geotechnical and geothermal engineers, to senior undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students, and to geologists, hydrogeologists, geophysicists and applied mathematicians working in this field. This book is also a synthetic compendium of both the fundamentals and some of the most advanced aspects of hydraulic fracturing technology.
Scientific understanding of fluid flow in rock fracturesâ€"a process underlying contemporary earth science problems from the search for petroleum to the controversy over nuclear waste storageâ€"has grown significantly in the past 20 years. This volume presents a comprehensive report on the state of the field, with an interdisciplinary viewpoint, case studies of fracture sites, illustrations, conclusions, and research recommendations. The book addresses these questions: How can fractures that are significant hydraulic conductors be identified, located, and characterized? How do flow and transport occur in fracture systems? How can changes in fracture systems be predicted and controlled? Among other topics, the committee provides a geomechanical understanding of fracture formation, reviews methods for detecting subsurface fractures, and looks at the use of hydraulic and tracer tests to investigate fluid flow. The volume examines the state of conceptual and mathematical modeling, and it provides a useful framework for understanding the complexity of fracture changes that occur during fluid pumping and other engineering practices. With a practical and multidisciplinary outlook, this volume will be welcomed by geologists, petroleum geologists, geoengineers, geophysicists, hydrologists, researchers, educators and students in these fields, and public officials involved in geological projects.
