The Mechanics of Fracture Induction and Extension

Abstract

Published in Petroleum Transactions, AIME, Volume 201, 1954, pages 252–263. Abstract This paper concerns the induction and extension of fractures into rock formations as involved in drilling, completing, and production stimulating operations on wells. Conclusions concerning formation breakdown are derived froma review and extension of published analyses relating to mechanical theories of rock stress and the state of stress in the earth's crust anda correlation of field data from fracturing operations. Conclusions concerning the mechanics of fracture extension, which indicate the relationship between fracture dimensions and rock properties, depth, and volume of injected fluid, are tentative and largely establish limits of relationships. These conclusions are derived from stress calculations, limited field data, and laboratory experimental studies. The experimental work involves the study of the stresses at the fracture boundaries and the geometry of pressurized fractures by means of photo-elastic modeling methods. Results of this investigation indicate that a large majority of pressure induced well bore fractures are vertical, particularly in deeper wells; and variations in the pressures necessary to create and extend fractures can be explained largely on a basis of established rock properties. It is also shown that variations due to tectonic forces should usually be expected to be slight. Other results indicate that during that extension of fractures rather large fracture volumes are temporarily created by the parting of the formation. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to present the results of calculations and laboratory experiments concerning the mechanics of fracture induction and extension with a view to broadening existing knowledge relating to these phenomena. It is believed that continued progress in developing knowledge of this type is important to the further development of techniques for drilling and completing wells.