Breakdown pressure and fracture surface morphology of hydraulic fracturing in shale with H2O, CO2 and N2
Breakdown pressure and fracture surface morphology of hydraulic fracturing in shale with H2O, CO2 and N2
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DOI:
10.1007/s40948-016-0022-6
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发表时间:
2016-01
影响因子:
5
通讯作者:
Xiang Li;Zi-jun Feng;G. Han;D. Elsworth;C. Marone;D. Saffer;D. Cheon
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
Xiang Li;Zi-jun Feng;G. Han;D. Elsworth;C. Marone;D. Saffer;D. Cheon
Slick-water fracturing is the most routine form of well stimulation in shales; howeverN2, LPG andCO2have all been used as “exotic” stimulants in various hydrocarbon reservoirs. We explore the use of these gases as stimulants on Green River shale to compare the form and behavior of fractures in shale driven by different gas compositions and states and indexed by breakdown pressure and the resulting morphology of the fracture networks. Fracturing is completed on cylindrical samples containing a single blind axial borehole under simple triaxial conditions with confining pressure ranging from 10 to 25 MPa and axial stress ranging from 0 to 35 MPa (σ1>σ2=σ3). Results show that: (1) under the same stress conditions,CO2returns the highest breakdown pressure, followed byN2, and withH2Oexhibiting the lowest breakdown pressure; (2)CO2fracturing, compared to other fracturing fluids, creates nominally the most complex fracturing patterns as well as the roughest fracture surface and with the greatest apparent local damage followed byH2Oand thenN2; (3) under conditions of constant injection rate, theCO2pressure build-up record exhibits condensation between ~5 and 7 MPa and transits from gas to liquid through a mixed-phase region rather than directly to liquid as forH2OandN2which do not; (4) there is a positive correlation between minimum principal stress and breakdown pressure for failure both by transverse fracturing (σ3axial) and by longitudinal fracturing (σ3radial) for each fracturing fluid withCO2having the highest correlation coefficient/slope and lowest forH2O. We explain these results in terms of a mechanistic understanding of breakdown, and through correlations with the specific properties of the stimulating fluids.