Numerical Simulation In Hydraulic Fracturing Multiphysics Theory And Applications

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.

Modern petroleum and petrotechnical engineering is increasingly challenging due to the inherently scarce and decreasing number of global petroleum resources. Exploiting these resources efficiently will require researchers, scientists, engineers and other practitioners to develop innovative mathematical solutions to serve as basis for new asset development designs. Deploying these systems in numerical models is essential to the future success and efficiency of the petroleum industry. Multiphysics modeling has been widely applied in the petroleum industry since the 1960s. The rapid development of computer technology has enabled the numerical applications of multiphysics modeling in the petroleum industry: its applications are particularly popular for the numerical simulation of drilling and completion processes. This book covers theory and numerical applications of multiphysical modeling presenting various author-developed subroutines, used to address complex pore pressure input, complex initial geo-stress field input, etc. Some innovative methods in drilling and completion developed by the authors, such as trajectory optimization and a 3-dimensional workflow for calculation of mud weight window etc, are also presented. Detailed explanations are provided for the modeling process of each application example included in the book. In addition, details of the completed numerical models data are presented as supporting material which can be downloaded from the website of the publisher. Readers can easily understand key modeling techniques with the theory of multiphysics embedded in examples of applications,and can use the data to reproduce the results presented. While this book would be of interest to any student, academic or professional practitioner of engineering, mathematics and natural science, we believe those professionals and academics working in civil engineering, petroleum engineering and petroleum geomechanics would find the work especially relevant to their endeavors.

Porous Rock Failure Mechanics: Hydraulic Fracturing, Drilling and Structural Engineering focuses on the fracture mechanics of porous rocks and modern simulation techniques for progressive quasi-static and dynamic fractures. The topics covered in this volume include a wide range of academic and industrial applications, including petroleum, mining, and civil engineering. Chapters focus on advanced topics in the field of rock’s fracture mechanics and address theoretical concepts, experimental characterization, numerical simulation techniques, and their applications as appropriate. Each chapter reflects the current state-of-the-art in terms of the modern use of fracture simulation in industrial and academic sectors. Some of the major contributions in this volume include, but are not limited to: anisotropic elasto-plastic deformation mechanisms in fluid saturated porous rocks, dynamics of fluids transport in fractured rocks and simulation techniques, fracture mechanics and simulation techniques in porous rocks, fluid-structure interaction in hydraulic driven fractures, advanced numerical techniques for simulation of progressive fracture, including multiscale modeling, and micromechanical approaches for porous rocks, and quasi-static versus dynamic fractures in porous rocks. This book will serve as an important resource for petroleum, geomechanics, drilling and structural engineers, R&D managers in industry and academia. Includes a strong editorial team and quality experts as chapter authors Presents topics identified for individual chapters are current, relevant, and interesting Focuses on advanced topics, such as fluid coupled fractures, rock’s continuum damage mechanics, and multiscale modeling Provides a ‘one-stop’ advanced-level reference for a graduate course focusing on rock’s mechanics

Mechanics of Hydraulic Fracturing Comprehensive single-volume reference work providing an overview of experimental results and predictive methods for hydraulic fracture growth in rocks Mechanics of Hydraulic Fracturing: Experiment, Model, and Monitoring provides a summary of the research in mechanics of hydraulic fractures during the past two decades, plus new research trends to look for in the future. The book covers the contributions from theory, modeling, and experimentation, including the application of models to reservoir stimulation, mining preconditioning, and the formation of geological structures. The four expert editors emphasize the variety of diverse methods and tools in hydraulic fracturing and help the reader understand hydraulic fracture mechanics in complex geological situations. To aid in reader comprehension, practical examples of new approaches and methods are presented throughout the book. Key topics covered in the book include: Prediction of fracture shapes, sizes, and distributions in sedimentary basins, plus their importance in petroleum industry Real-time monitoring methods, such as micro-seismicity and trace tracking How to uncover geometries of fractures like dikes and veins Fracture growth of individual foundations and its applications Researchers and professionals working in the field of fluid-driven fracture growth will find immense value in this comprehensive reference on hydraulic fracturing mechanics.

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

This monograph is centered on mathematical modeling, innovative numerical algorithms and adaptive concepts to deal with fracture phenomena in multiphysics. State-of-the-art phase-field fracture models are complemented with prototype explanations and rigorous numerical analysis. These developments are embedded into a carefully designed balance between scientific computing aspects and numerical modeling of nonstationary coupled variational inequality systems. Therein, a focus is on nonlinear solvers, goal-oriented error estimation, predictor-corrector adaptivity, and interface conditions. Engineering applications show the potential for tackling practical problems within the fields of solid mechanics, porous media, and fluidstructure interaction.

The Theory and Application of Hydraulic Fracturing provides an examination of classical fracturing theory as it applies to subsurface formations that produce oil and gas. The book progresses from the early chapters which discuss such items as pre-treatment evaluation and characterization of the reservoir to the selection of appropriate fluids and proppants and concludes with design and post-treatment analysis. Theory is presented so that a novice, who knows little to nothing about hydraulic fracturing, can comprehend the subject. However, the book also addresses the topics in such a way that a practicing professional who designs hydraulic fracture treatments on a daily basis will find the book a critical addition to his desktop. Applied theory is an important concept to the authors. The authors take a unique approach by providing not only classical hydraulic fracturing theory but also an analysis at the end of each chapter which discusses the fallacies associated with the standard understanding of the chapter topic. Anyone who is involved in the practice of hydraulic fracturing realizes that there are many issues and problems with hydraulic fracturing that the industry has yet to fully understand. This book seeks to span that gap and prepare the reader for overcoming these obstacles.

In this dissertation, two new numerical approaches for hydraulic fracturing in tight reservoir were developed. A more physical-based numerical 3D-model was developed for simulating the whole hydraulic fracturing process including fracture propagation, closure and contact as well as proppant transport and settling. In this approach rock formation, pore and fracture systems were assembled together, in which hydro-mechanical coupling effect, proppant transport and settling as well as their influences on fracture closure and contact were fully considered. A combined FDM and FVM schema was used to solve the problem. Three applications by using the new approach were presented. The results illustrated the whole hydraulic fracturing process well and seemed to be logical, which confirmed the ability of the developed approach to model the in-situ hydraulic fracturing operation from injection start till fully closure. In order to investigate the orientation problem of hydraulic fracturing in tight reservoir, a new approach for simulating arbitrary fracture propagation and orientation in 2D was developed. It was solved by a hybrid schema of XFEM and FVM. Three numerical studies were illustrated, which proved the ability of the developed approach to solve the orientation problem in field cases.