Section 300

FRACTURING ENGINEERING MANUAL

Schlumberger May 1998
Dowell
Fracture Modeling
Page 1 of 35

FRACTURE MODELING

1 Introductory Summary............................................................................................................. 2

2 Concepts................................................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Fundamental Laws............................................................................................................... 4
2.2 Constitutive Laws ................................................................................................................. 4
2.3 Fracture Propagation ........................................................................................................... 6

3 Hydraulic Fracturing Models .................................................................................................. 9

3.1 Two-Dimensional (2D) ....................................................................................................... 11
3.2 Pseudo Three-Dimensional (P-3D) .................................................................................... 15
3.3 Planar Three-Dimensional (PL-3D).................................................................................... 18
3.4 Fully Three-Dimensional (3D) ............................................................................................ 19

4 Examples ................................................................................................................................ 20
4.1 Case History ...................................................................................................................... 20
4.2 Model Comparisons ........................................................................................................... 28
FIGURES
Fig. 1. Modes of loading............................................................................................................... 7
Fig. 2. Fracture divided into elements.......................................................................................... 9
Fig. 3. Representation of a planar fracture. ............................................................................... 10
Fig. 4. KGD geometry. ............................................................................................................... 11
Fig. 5. PKN geometry................................................................................................................. 12
Fig. 6. 2D and radial Sneddon cracks. ....................................................................................... 13
Fig. 7. Elliptical profile (P-3D)..................................................................................................... 17
Fig. 8. Example grid (PL-3D model)........................................................................................... 18
Fig. 9. Fracture profile (PL-3D model). ...................................................................................... 19
Fig. 10. Permeability, thickness and stress profile. .................................................................... 20
Fig. 11. Computed values for Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio. ........................................ 21
Fig. 12. Profile of bottomhole, casing and tubing pressures. ..................................................... 24
Fig. 13. Pressure match for bottomhole and casing pressure. .................................................. 24
Fig. 14. Fracture profile.............................................................................................................. 25
Fig. 15. Fracture width profile. ................................................................................................... 25
Fig. 16. Match of net pressure for calibration fracture and main fracture. ................................. 26
Fig. 17. Fracture profile.............................................................................................................. 26
Fig. 18. Reservoir model for final history match......................................................................... 28

DOWELL CONFIDENTIAL