Section 3b

Hydraulic Fracturing
Introduction

 Examining the mechanical behavior of the reservoir

rock is necessary.

 All reservoir rock has some degree of elasticity and

deformability.
Fracture Initiation

 Hydraulic fracturing involves applying a force against

the reservoir rock by pumping a fluid into the wellbore
that can communicate with the reservoir you want to
fracture.

 Break down.
Fracture Initiation

 In an openhole completion, the breakdown pressure

may be only slightly higher than the pressure needed
to extend fracture growth.
 In a perforated completion, The breakdown pressure
may be significantly higher.
 Once breakdown occurs and the fracture has been
started, the effect of rock tensile strength will
disappear.
Fracture Initiation

 The fracture's orientation and azimuth will be dictated

by the stresses in the rock. These stresses are caused by
the weight of the overburden and by tectonic forces.
 In-situ principal stresses.
 Smallest stress will dictate the orientation of the
created hydraulic fracture.
 Because the overburden stress is seldom the smallest,
nearly all hydraulic fractures in hydrocarbon reservoirs
will be vertical.
Fracture Extension

 The fracture in the plane that is perpendicular to the

least in-situ stress will extend, it is simply following
the path of least resistance.
 In cased boreholes, the location of the perforations
may affect the near wellbore direction of fracture
growth, but probably only for a few feet.
 Small natural fractures will not alter the general
direction of fracture growth.
Fracture Extension

 If the fracture grows vertically into the zone with higher

stress, it will arrest (or at least retard) vertical growth
and force most of the fracture growth to be in length
and/or width, Fig. 11.