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A Fracture Mechanics Approach for Hydraulic Fracturing In Situ Stress

Measurements

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A Fracture Mechanics Approach for Hydraulic Fracturing In Situ Stress Measurements

M. H. Khosravi1) A. Majdi2) T. Pipatpongsa3) Hideki Ohta4)

1) Department of International Development Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology

2-12-1 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: mh_khosravi@yahoo.com
2) University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
e-mail: amajdi@ut.ac.ir
3) Department of International Development Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology
e-mail: pthira@gsic.titech.ac.jp
4) Ditto, e-mail: ohta@ide.titech.ac.jp

INTRODUCTION

Hydraulic fracturing is a widely accepted technique for the determination of crustal stress magnitudes and
directions. For the application of hydraulic fracturing, in a rock environment, two approaches have been
developed. These approaches are the classical technique of linear elasticity theory and that of the fracture
mechanics technique. The classical technique of hydraulic fracturing is based on Kirsch’s solution that is
developed in 1898 for the stress distribution around a circular hole in the homogeneous, isotropic and elas-
tic material subjected to external compression. A typical hydraulic fracturing model is illustrated in Figure
(1-a) in which a pressurized hole of radius R , is subjected to both internal fluid pressure pi and horizontal
principle compressive stresses  H and  h (  H   h ) at infinity. In Figure (1-b) a pressure versus time
record from hydraulic fracturing test is illustrated. In this figure. pb , pr and p s are breakdown pressure,
fracture reopening pressure and instantaneously shut-in pressure respectively.

Figure1: a- classical hydraulic fracturing model, b- pressure versus time record from a hydraulic fracturing test

The tangential stress on the borehole wall illustrated in Figure (1-a) can be computed from the Eq.
(1).Where   is the tangential stress in an element on borehole wall. The minimum tangential stress oc-
curs at   0 . In this case Eq. (1) decrease to Eq. (2) (Whittaker et al. (1992)).
    H   h  2( H   h ) cos 2  pi ,   ,min  3 h   H  pi (1), (2)
Hubbert and Willis (1957) developed the fracture criterion of classical method as shown in Eq. (3), where
 T is in situ uniaxial tensile strength. Substituting Eq. (2) and pi  pb into Eq. (3) yields for the break-
down pressure as is shown in Eq. (4). In reopening conditions, the tensile stress is zero and  H can be cal-
culated by Eq. (5). According to Haimson et al. (2003) based on the principle of least work, the plane of the
fracture is perpendicular to the direction of the least horizontal stress that can be resulted in Eq. (6). Substi-
tuting Eq. (5) into Eq. (4) gives the in situ tensile strength of rock (Eq. (7)).
  ,min   T , pb  3 h   H   T , (3), (4)

1
 H  3 h  pr ,  h  ps ,  T  pb  pr (5), (6), (7)
The classical approach neglects the fact that rock mass contains pre-existing fractures, into which pres-
surizing fluid can penetrate and contribute to the stress intensity at the crack tips prior to fracturing. The
problem of hydraulic fracturing, therefore, reduces to defining the critical conditions for the growth of ex-
isting cracks, rather than predicting crack initiation within idealized materials (Whittaker et al. (1992)).

EXISTING FRACTURE MECHANICS APPROACHES

Abou-Sayed et al. (1978), considered a pressurized borehole in an infinite medium subjected to biaxial
principle stresses (  H ,  h ) at infinity by assuming two symmetrically opposite radial cracks arbitrarily
oriented at an angle of  with respect to the maximum principle stress. If it is assumed that the existing
cracks are parallel to the direction of  H , i.e.,   0 , the horizontal principle stresses as well as In-situ
uniaxial tensile strength can be obtained as Eqs. (8) and(9).
 h  ps
, T  k IC (8), (9)
1 kIC f ( a / R) g ( a / R) f (a / R)  a
H   pb  ps
 a g ( a / R )  f ( a / R ) g ( a / R )  f ( a / R) g ( a / R )  f ( a / R)
Where k IC is the rock toughness, a is the half crack length, pi is the internal pressure, R is the bore-
hole radius and f (a / R) and g (a / R) are functions of dimensionless crack length a / R .
In 1982 Rummel and Winter developed another fracture mechanics model for hydraulic fracturing.
Based on this model for the case of constant pressure acting on crack faces, the principle stresses and the in
situ tensile strength can be obtained by Eq. (10) and (11) (Whittaker et al. (1992)). Where b  1  a / R and
g (b) , h(b) and hc (b) are dimensionless functions of b .
  h  ps

  ( h( b )  hc ( b )) p  g( b ) p  k IC , T  k IC (10, (11)
 H b s R [ h( b )  hc ( b )]
 f (b) f (b) f ( b ). R

A NEW FRACTURE MECHANICS APPROACH

The geometry of this model is like the Rummel and Winter one and illustrated in Figure (2-a) in which a
pressurized borehole in an infinite medium subjected to biaxial principle stresses (  H ,  h ) at infinity, in-
ternal pressure pi acting on borehole wall and internal pressure pa acting on crack surfaces. Two symme-
trical radial cracks along the direction of maximum principle stress are assumed to exist.

Figure 2: Superposition of external stresses and internal pressures applied on model

By using the principle of superposition, the crack tip stress intensity factor is divided into two parts, ex-
ternal compressive stresses and internal pressures (Eq. (12)).
kI  kI ( H ,  h )  kI ( pi , pa ) (12)
For derivation of stress intensity factor due to external compressive stresses, it is considered the case in
which there are not internal pressures (Figure 2-b). For a model like this case Newman in 1971 by using

2
boundary collocation method developed Eqs. (13)-(15). Where s is dimensionless crack length (Tada et al.
(2000)).
k I ( H ,  h )   h a F (s) , F (s)  (1   ) F0 ( s)   F1 (s) (13), (14)
 F0 ( s)  0.5(3  s)[1  1.243(1  s)3 ]
 ,  H ,s  a (15)
     2 h Ra
 1F ( s ) 1 (1 s )[0.5 0.743(1 s ) ]
For derivation of stress intensity factor due to internal pressures, it can be considered the case of model
in which there are not external stresses (Figure 2-c). For a model like this case also Newman in 1971 by
using boundary collocation method, Eqs. (16)-(18) can be developed (Tada et al. (2000)).
k I ( p a , pi )  pi a F ( s) , F ( s )  (1   ) F2 ( s )  F3 ( s ) (16), (17)
F2 ( s)  (1  s)[0.637  0.485(1  s) 2  0.4s 2 (1  s)] p
 ,  a , sa (18)
p Ra
 F3 ( s)  1  (1  s)[0.5  0.743(1  s) ]
2

The cracks on the borehole wall, interested by fracture mechanics, comparing with the borehole radius,
are very small; thus the same fluid pressure in borehole can be assumed for inside the cracks (i.e.   1 ).
Substituting Eqs. (13) and (16) into Eq. (12) yields for crack tip stress intensity factor as Eq. (19). Ac-
cording to fracture mechanics criteria, unstable fracture propagation occurs when pi reaches the critical
breakdown pressure which leads to kI reaching k IC (Eq. (20)).
k I   h a .F ( s)  pi a .F ( s) , k IC   h a .F ( s)  pb a .F ( s) (19), (20)
As mentioned beforehand, the instantaneous shut-in pressure ( ps ) is equal to the minimum horizontal
principle stress (  h  p s ). Substituting it into Eq. (20) and solving for F (s ) yields Eq. (21). Solving the
Eq. (14) for  and substituting    H /  h in it yields Eq. (22).
pb a .F ( s )  k IC F ( s )  F ( s )
F ( s )  , H  . h (21), (22)
ps a F1 ( s )  F ( s )
Finally by substituting Eq. (21) into Eq. (22), the horizontal principle stresses are calculated by Eq. (23).
 h  ps
 F ( s)
  F ( s)
h  pb 
k IC (23)
 H
F ( s)  F1 ( s) F ( s)  F1 ( s) a ( F ( s)  F1 ( s))

Solving Eq. (23) for p b yields the Eq. (24). Comparing Eq. (24) with Eq. (4) demonstrates that the term
k IC (  a .F ) is equal to the in situ tensile strength as shown in Eq. (25).
F F F k IC k IC
pb  h  1  H  , T  (24), (25)
F F a .F a .F

COMPARING THE NEW APPROACH WITH PRE-EXISTING ONES

In order to evaluate the results of the new hydraulic fracturing method developed in this research, it is com-
pared with the Abou-sayed et al. and Rummel and Winter methods.
For this comparison the quantities of in situ stresses are calculated by using each model for a hydraulic
fracturing test under the following conditions and an assumed range of crack lengths:
k IC  2MPa m , R  50mm , pb  15MPa , pr  7MPa , ps  5MPa
Then the results of each model is illustrated as ratio of maximum to minimum of horizontal principle stress
(  H  h ) versus dimensionless crack length ( a / R ) in Figure (3-a). Also for each model the in situ tensile
strength (  T ) versus dimensionless crack length ( a / R ) is illustrated in Figure (3-b).

3
 CONCLUSIONS

In all fracture mechanics models developed for predicting the in situ stresses by hydraulic fracturing, the
maximum principle stress is determined as a function of p s , pb , k IC and dimensionless crack length. The
difference between the equations developed in different models is in the coefficients of the three parameters,
ps , pb , k IC in each model and the method of calculating them. In Abou-sayed et al. model the coeffi-
cients of these parameters are defined as functions of f ( a / R ) and g ( a / R ) for a certain series of dimen-
sionless crack length calibrated in 1965 by Paris and Sih, as mentioned by Whittaker et al. (1992), but was
offered no equation for calculating them. In Rummel and Winter model the coefficients of these parameters
are defined as functions of f (b ) , g (b) , h(b) , hc (b) and dimensionless crack length. In this model the
effect of stress concentration perpendicular to fracture surface due to existence of borehole is neglected.
Thus, this model will over-estimate the in situ stresses.
In equations developed in this research (Eqs. (23) and (25)), the coefficients of three mentioned parame-
ters are functions of F (s) , F (s ) , F (s) and F1 (s) , which are calculated by boundary collocation me-
thod, and dimensionless crack length. It is of interest to note that the stress concentration due to borehole
existence is considered in this model so there is not the problem of Rummel and Winter model any more. It
can be observed in figures (3) that the new model has a good adaptation with two other models. It is also
obvious that because of neglecting the borehole existence in Rummel and Winter model, the in situ maxi-
mum principle stress and in situ tensile strength obtained by this model is higher than the others. Based on
classical technique the quantity  T (Eq. (3)) is assumed to be inherent characteristic of rock mass, while in
Eqs. (9), (11) and (25) from fracture mechanics principles, the quantity  T is closely related to fracture
toughness value ( k IC ) and dimensionless crack length.

(a) (b)
Figure 3: Comparison of the methods

REFERENCES

Abou-Sayed, A.S., Brechtel, C.E. and Clifton, R.J., In situ stress determination by hydrofracturing: a frac-
ture mechanics approach, J. Geophys. Res, 1978, 83: 2851-2862 pp.

Haimson, B.C., Lee, M.Y. and Song, I., Shallow hydraulic fracturing measurements in Korea support tec-
tonic and seismic indicators of regional stress, Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci, 2003, 40: 1243-1256 pp.

Hubbert, M.K., Willis, D.G., 1957, ”Mechanics of hydraulic fracturing”, Petrol. Trans, 153-166 pp.

Tada, H., Paris, P.C. and Irwin, G.R., The stress Analysis of Cracks (Handbook), 3rd edition, the American
society of mechanical engineering, New York, 2000.

Whittaker, B.N., Singh, R.N. and Sun, G., Rock Fracture Mechanics, Elsevier science publishers B. V.,
1992, 570 p.

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