Numerical Modeling of Hydraulic Fracture Growth in Fractured Reservoirs

Fractured reservoirs play a vital role in hydrocarbon production and development, and hydraulic fracturing is the key technology in the exploitation of fractured reservoirs. Therefore, the monitor of fracture growth during the process of hydraulic fracturing is very important for efficient production. Based on the Darcy theorem, the conservation of matter and fracture extension principle, we apply an iterative numerical method to simulate pore-pressure spread & fracture growth during hydraulic fracturing, and gain some useful insights. Firstly, pore-pressure spreads faster along the fracture direction and pore-pressure distribution is similar to an ellipse. Due to asymmetry in the permeability distribution, the center of the ellipse is deviated from the injection well, and the deviation increases as injection continues. The pore-pressure distribution affects the fracture growth, which in turn controls of the permeability distribution.