Self-suspended proppants,which enable clear-water fracturing,represent a promising new class of materials for reservoir stimulation.Given the economic limitations associated with their exclusive use,this study investi...Self-suspended proppants,which enable clear-water fracturing,represent a promising new class of materials for reservoir stimulation.Given the economic limitations associated with their exclusive use,this study investigates proppant transport behavior in hybrid systems combining self-suspended proppants with conventional 40/70 mesh quartz sand at various mixing ratios.A dedicated experimental apparatus was developed to replicate field-relevant complex fracture networks,consisting of a main fracture and two branching fractures with different deflection angles.Using this system,sand bank formation and proppant distribution were examined for both conventional quartz sand fracturing and fracturing augmented with self-suspended proppants.The effects of slurry discharge volume,proppant mixing ratio,sand ratio,and injection location of the self-suspended proppant on transport and placement behavior were systematically analyzed.According to the results,the incorporation of self-suspended proppants markedly enhances the proppant-carrying capacity of the slurry and substantially modifies sand bank morphology.Increasing the discharge volume raises the inlet slope angle and promotes greater proppant penetration into branch fractures.The proportion of self-suspended proppant governs slurry viscoelasticity and,consequently,proppant settling behavior.As the fraction of self-suspended proppant decreases,the equilibrium height of the sand bank increases,while the proppant mass fraction within branch fractures exhibits a non-monotonic response,initially decreasing and then increasing.Variations in sand ratio alter both overall proppant concentration and the self-suspended proppant-to-water ratio,thereby modulating slurry rheology and influencing proppant placement.In addition,changes in injection location affect near-wellbore vortex structures,leading to distinct sand bank morphologies.展开更多
The strong vertical discontinuities pose a fundamental challenge to optimizing stimulated reservoir volume(SRV)in multilayered reservoirs.This research proposes a radial borehole-assisted horizontal well fracturing te...The strong vertical discontinuities pose a fundamental challenge to optimizing stimulated reservoir volume(SRV)in multilayered reservoirs.This research proposes a radial borehole-assisted horizontal well fracturing technology,which is expected to achieve effective vertical stimulation and commingled production across multiple pay zones.Under different geological and engineering conditions,the vertical propagation behavior of hydraulic fractures guided by radial boreholes can be determined by adjusting the interlayered lithologies and radial borehole configurations in experimental samples.Experimental results reveal four fracture network patterns:passivated,cross-layer,skip-layer,and hybrid fractures in the radial borehole fracturing.The radial boreholes perform better fracture guiding performances in the high-brittleness interlayers,which form cross-layer and hybrid fracture networks to improve the growth height.Hydraulic fractures tend to propagate from high-strength to low-strength layers under radial borehole guidance.When radial boreholes interconnect multiple lithology layers,hydraulic fractures initiate preferentially in lower-strength zones rather than remaining confined to borehole root ends.Increased radial borehole length and diameter facilitate fracture skip-layer initiation and cross-layer propagation,while multiple borehole branches enhance fracture penetration across high-strength interlayers.Radial boreholes with inclination angles below 30°enhance fracture height by generating cross-layer and hybrid fracture networks.Furthermore,an inter-borehole phase angle of less than 180°facilitates single-wing fracture cross-layer propagation.Fracture height is primarily governed by radial borehole length,followed by quantity,inclination angle,and diameter.Based on the geometric similarity criteria,the recommended parameters for radial borehole-assisted fracturing in a 5 1/2-inch horizontal well include a length>15 m,an inclination angle<30°,and a diameter>52 mm to ensure effective stimulation across three or more pay zones.Finally,the field-scale numerical model was developed to simulate the optimized radial borehole fracturing and demonstrate the technical superiority.These findings are expected to provide an in-depth understanding of the effective stimulation in multilayered reservoirs.展开更多
Fractures are typically characterized by roughness that significantlyaffects the mechanical and hydraulic characteristics of reservoirs.However,hydraulic fracturing mechanisms under the influenceof fracture morphology...Fractures are typically characterized by roughness that significantlyaffects the mechanical and hydraulic characteristics of reservoirs.However,hydraulic fracturing mechanisms under the influenceof fracture morphology remain largely unexplored.Leveraging the advantages of the finite-discrete element method(FDEM)for explicitly simulating fracture propagation and the strengths of the unifiedpipe model(UPM)for efficientlymodeling dual-permeability seepage,we propose a new hydromechanical(HM)coupling approach for modeling hydraulic fracturing.Validated against benchmark examples,the proposed FDEM-UPM model is further augmented by incorporating a Fourier-based methodology for reconstructing non-planar fractures,enabling quantitative analysis of hydraulic fracturing behavior within rough discrete fracture networks(DFNs).The FDEM-UPM model demonstrates computational advantages in accurately capturing transient hydraulic seepage phenomena,while the asynchronous time-stepping schemes between hydraulic and mechanical analyses substantially enhanced computational efficiencywithout compromising computational accuracy.Our results show that fracture morphology can affect both macroscopic fracture networks and microscopic interaction types between hydraulic fractures(HFs)and natural fractures(NFs).In an isotropic stress field,the initiation azimuth,propagation direction and microcracking mechanism are significantly influencedby fracture roughness.In an anisotropic stress field,HFs invariably propagate parallel to the direction of the maximum principal stress,reducing the overall complexity of the stimulated fracture networks.Additionally,stress concentration and perturbation attributed to fracture morphology tend to be compromised as the leak-off increases,while the breakdown and propagation pressures remain insensitive to fracture morphology.These findingsprovide new insights into the hydraulic fracturing mechanisms of fractured reservoirs containing complex rough DFNs.展开更多
基金the China National Petroleum Corporation’s Forward-Looking Fundamental Technology Breakthrough Project(2021DJ2305).
文摘Self-suspended proppants,which enable clear-water fracturing,represent a promising new class of materials for reservoir stimulation.Given the economic limitations associated with their exclusive use,this study investigates proppant transport behavior in hybrid systems combining self-suspended proppants with conventional 40/70 mesh quartz sand at various mixing ratios.A dedicated experimental apparatus was developed to replicate field-relevant complex fracture networks,consisting of a main fracture and two branching fractures with different deflection angles.Using this system,sand bank formation and proppant distribution were examined for both conventional quartz sand fracturing and fracturing augmented with self-suspended proppants.The effects of slurry discharge volume,proppant mixing ratio,sand ratio,and injection location of the self-suspended proppant on transport and placement behavior were systematically analyzed.According to the results,the incorporation of self-suspended proppants markedly enhances the proppant-carrying capacity of the slurry and substantially modifies sand bank morphology.Increasing the discharge volume raises the inlet slope angle and promotes greater proppant penetration into branch fractures.The proportion of self-suspended proppant governs slurry viscoelasticity and,consequently,proppant settling behavior.As the fraction of self-suspended proppant decreases,the equilibrium height of the sand bank increases,while the proppant mass fraction within branch fractures exhibits a non-monotonic response,initially decreasing and then increasing.Variations in sand ratio alter both overall proppant concentration and the self-suspended proppant-to-water ratio,thereby modulating slurry rheology and influencing proppant placement.In addition,changes in injection location affect near-wellbore vortex structures,leading to distinct sand bank morphologies.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.U24B6001,52421002,52474016,and 52020105001)Research on Key Technologies for Exploration and Development of Dry Geothermal Resources(No.2022DJ5503)Deep-land National Science and Technology Major Project of China(No.2024ZD1003504).
文摘The strong vertical discontinuities pose a fundamental challenge to optimizing stimulated reservoir volume(SRV)in multilayered reservoirs.This research proposes a radial borehole-assisted horizontal well fracturing technology,which is expected to achieve effective vertical stimulation and commingled production across multiple pay zones.Under different geological and engineering conditions,the vertical propagation behavior of hydraulic fractures guided by radial boreholes can be determined by adjusting the interlayered lithologies and radial borehole configurations in experimental samples.Experimental results reveal four fracture network patterns:passivated,cross-layer,skip-layer,and hybrid fractures in the radial borehole fracturing.The radial boreholes perform better fracture guiding performances in the high-brittleness interlayers,which form cross-layer and hybrid fracture networks to improve the growth height.Hydraulic fractures tend to propagate from high-strength to low-strength layers under radial borehole guidance.When radial boreholes interconnect multiple lithology layers,hydraulic fractures initiate preferentially in lower-strength zones rather than remaining confined to borehole root ends.Increased radial borehole length and diameter facilitate fracture skip-layer initiation and cross-layer propagation,while multiple borehole branches enhance fracture penetration across high-strength interlayers.Radial boreholes with inclination angles below 30°enhance fracture height by generating cross-layer and hybrid fracture networks.Furthermore,an inter-borehole phase angle of less than 180°facilitates single-wing fracture cross-layer propagation.Fracture height is primarily governed by radial borehole length,followed by quantity,inclination angle,and diameter.Based on the geometric similarity criteria,the recommended parameters for radial borehole-assisted fracturing in a 5 1/2-inch horizontal well include a length>15 m,an inclination angle<30°,and a diameter>52 mm to ensure effective stimulation across three or more pay zones.Finally,the field-scale numerical model was developed to simulate the optimized radial borehole fracturing and demonstrate the technical superiority.These findings are expected to provide an in-depth understanding of the effective stimulation in multilayered reservoirs.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52574103 and 42277150).
文摘Fractures are typically characterized by roughness that significantlyaffects the mechanical and hydraulic characteristics of reservoirs.However,hydraulic fracturing mechanisms under the influenceof fracture morphology remain largely unexplored.Leveraging the advantages of the finite-discrete element method(FDEM)for explicitly simulating fracture propagation and the strengths of the unifiedpipe model(UPM)for efficientlymodeling dual-permeability seepage,we propose a new hydromechanical(HM)coupling approach for modeling hydraulic fracturing.Validated against benchmark examples,the proposed FDEM-UPM model is further augmented by incorporating a Fourier-based methodology for reconstructing non-planar fractures,enabling quantitative analysis of hydraulic fracturing behavior within rough discrete fracture networks(DFNs).The FDEM-UPM model demonstrates computational advantages in accurately capturing transient hydraulic seepage phenomena,while the asynchronous time-stepping schemes between hydraulic and mechanical analyses substantially enhanced computational efficiencywithout compromising computational accuracy.Our results show that fracture morphology can affect both macroscopic fracture networks and microscopic interaction types between hydraulic fractures(HFs)and natural fractures(NFs).In an isotropic stress field,the initiation azimuth,propagation direction and microcracking mechanism are significantly influencedby fracture roughness.In an anisotropic stress field,HFs invariably propagate parallel to the direction of the maximum principal stress,reducing the overall complexity of the stimulated fracture networks.Additionally,stress concentration and perturbation attributed to fracture morphology tend to be compromised as the leak-off increases,while the breakdown and propagation pressures remain insensitive to fracture morphology.These findingsprovide new insights into the hydraulic fracturing mechanisms of fractured reservoirs containing complex rough DFNs.
