Fracture/Reservoir Interaction in Hydraulic Fracturing: Fluid

Dynamics

E.Chekhonin1,2, V.Entov1,2, M.Thiercelin3

HF-Summit, Vancouver, June 22-24, 2005

The talk concentrates on several problems of steady-state and transient flows around a
hydraulic fracture.

Crossflow between the hydraulic fracture and the ambient porous reservoir contribute
significantly into the fluid balance within the fracture, and as a result into dynamics of the
fracture propagation. Therefore prediction of the crossflow (or leak-off) intensity is an
important element of fracture simulators. To do it properly, one needs to solve
simultaneously equations of flow in fracture, fracture growth and the pressure diffusion
equation in the reservoir (or even more general, and more complex, equations of the Biot
poroelastic model). Despite quite tractable with modern computational tools, such a
coupled model becomes prohibitively cumbersome and computationally expensive and
time-consuming. Therefore, most of commercial simulators use a simplified de-coupled
model in which the leak-off intensity is predicted by the Carter formula.

CL
U L(x,t) = .
t - t0(x)

It specifies the leak-off intensity as an explicit function of the time elapsed since the first
contact of the fracturing fluid with reservoir rock at given location x. The fluid and rock
properties, as well as the fracturing pressure dynamics are taken into account indirectly
by appropriate specification of the leak-off coefficient CL.

The present talk describes recent efforts to predict leak-off intensity using fully-coupled
and partially coupled models. In decoupled models the Carter formula is used for the
leak-off intensity prediction; the pressure field within the reservoir is implicitly assumed
to be unperturbed. In the partially decoupled models, the leak-off is predicted using the
Carter formula, and then the pressure diffusion equation is used to predict the pressure
distribution around the growing or stationary fracture; finally, in the fully coupled model
the flows within the fracture and in the reservoir are treated simultaneously, and the leak-
off flux intensity is evaluated in the course of solution. In all cases, the flow in the
reservoir pressure is assumed to be governed by the linear pressure diffusion equation;
the fracture propagates along a plane, and the main results relate to the plane problem.

The partially coupled problem deals primarily with the case of the leak-off rate controlled
by the cake development at the exposed face of the rock. In the partially coupled problem
the pressure field around the fracture is evaluated explicitly provided that the fracture
growth law is specified. In simple cases, such as the fracture growing according to the
square-root-of-time law, or propagating at a constant rate, the expressions for the pressure
distribution simplify significantly. The propagating fracture is surrounded with a
`pressure layer' across which the pressure decreases from the value at the reservoir/cake
interface to the reservoir pressure. The total pressure differential may reach several tens
of MPa; the fraction within the reservoir depends on the cake resistance. The `pressure
layer' thickness is estimated as aT , a being the pressure diffusivity, T is the
fracturing job duration. The pressure wave also propagates ahead of the propagating
fracture, the precursor penetration depth being of order of a/U, U being the fracture
propagation velocity. These estimates are supported by some benchmark exact solutions
presented. In moderately permeable oil-bearing reservoirs this penetration depth may
reach 0.1-2 m. It is argued that the increased pressure within the precursor region may
affect the local fracture behavior of the rock in high permeability formations and
therefore the fracture propagation criteria. This issue deserves further study. Finally the
domain of validity of the presented model is discussed. It is shown that this model
corresponds primarily to the leak-off dominated regime.

Prediction of pressure distribution in the framework of the coupled model still remains
cumbersome. The talk discusses some recent progress based on a version of the Galerkin
method, as well as application of the singular integral equation technique for solving
respective mixed boundary problems. Some directions of further research are also
discussed.
1
Institute for Problems in Mechanics, RAS
2
Russian State Gubkin Oil and Gas U.
3
Schlumberger Moscow Research