Numerical Modeling of Non-Planar Hydraulic Fracture Propagation using XFEM with CZM.pdf

Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 135 (2015) 127–140Contents lists available at ScienceDirectJournal of Petroleum Science and Engineeringhttp://d 0920-41 E-mjournal homepage: /locate/petrolNumerical modeling of non-planar hydraulic fracture propagation in brittle and ductile rocks using XFEM with cohesive zone method HanYi Wang Petroleum Geosystems Engineering Department, The University of Texas at Austin, United Statesa r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 6 February 2015 Received in revised form 19 June 2015 Accepted 18 August 2015 Available online 20 August 2015 Keywords: Hydraulic fracturing XFEM Cohesive zone method Non-planar Complex fracture Brittle Ductile Mohr-Coulomb /10.1016/j.petrol.2015.08.010 05/ 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. ail address: HanYi@a b s t r a c t With the increasingly wide use of hydraulic fracturing in the petroleum industry, it is essential to ac- curately predict the behavior of fracture propagations based on the understanding of fundamental mechanisms governing the process. For unconventional resources exploration and development, hy- draulic fracture pattern, geometry and associated dimensions are critical in determining well stimulation efficiency. In shale formations, non-planar, complex hydraulic fractures are often observed, due to the activation of pre-existing natural fractures. The propagating of turning non-planar fractures due to re- fracturing treatment and unfavorable perforation conditions have also been reported. Current numerical simulation of hydraulic fracturing generally assumes planar crack geometry and weak coupling beha- viors, which severely limits the applicability of these methods in predicting fracture propagation under complex subsurface conditions. In addition, the prevailing approach for hydraulic fracture modeling also relies on Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM), which uses stress intensity factor at the fracture tip as fracture propagation criteria. Even though LEFM c