Initiation and Propagation of Multiple Fractures in the Horizontal Well of Shale Reservoirs Under Pulse Injection Hydraulic Fracturing

Abstract

Pulse injection hydraulic fracturing (HF) can release high-energy peak pressure in a split-second, forming a complex hydraulic fracture network in shale reservoirs. However, the initiation and propagation of multiple fractures in the horizontal well of shale reservoirs under pulse injection HF have been inadequately studied. Hence, in this study, a HF model coupling the fracturing fluid flow along the fracture and the rock deformation was adopted, and the effect of the pulsed injection method on multistage HF of horizontal wells was determined. The results show that the pulsed injection HF can improve the fracturing effect of horizontal wells. However, no matter how the injection displacement and pulse frequency change, the propagation length of cracks at both ends seriously disturbed by stress almost remains unchanged. When the dominant fracture is temporarily shielded, the fluid pressure of the non-dominant fractures at both ends disturbed by stress compression increases, and the non-dominant fractures can be further expanded. Thus, a new composite multistaged HF scheme suitable for horizontal wells with pulse-temporary shielding in shale reservoirs was proposed. The method presented here can be adopted to optimize the fracture growth regime and provide a scientific basis for the fracturing operation of the horizontal well in shale reservoirs.