Quantifying the Influence of Three Dimensionality on Hydraulic Fracturing in Coal Seam Gas Wells
- Authors
- Christopher R. Leonardi (The University of Queensland) | Thomas Flottmann (Origin Energy) | Vibhas J. Pandey (ConocoPhillips Company) | Raymond J. Johnson (The University of Queensland)
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.15530/AP-URTEC-2019-198203
- Document ID
- URTEC-198203-MS
- Publisher
- Unconventional Resources Technology Conference
- Source
- SPE/AAPG/SEG Asia Pacific Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, 18-19 November, Brisbane, Australia
- Publication Date
- 2019
- Document Type
- Conference Paper
- Language
- English
- ISBN
- 978-1-61399-673-7
- Copyright
- 2019, Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC)
- Keywords
- finite element method, coalbed methane, hydraulic fracturing, natural fractures
- Downloads
- 0 in the last 30 days
- 105 since 2007
- Show more detail
| SPE Member Price: | USD 9.50 |
| SPE Non-Member Price: | USD 28.00 |
Semi-automation of hydraulic fracturing treatment designs often necessitates the application of simplified predictive models. Such models can only incorporate a limited subset of the relevant rock mechanical properties and an approximate representation of the stress state. This paper demonstrates the fundamental influence of three-dimensional stress states on the propagation of hydraulic fractures in coal seam gas (CSG) wells, and contrasts these results with those from two-dimensional simulations conducted in a one-dimensional stress state.
A three-dimensional, finite element-discrete element (FEM-DEM) model of a single well stage was developed as the basis for this study. This synthetic well was informed by case studies from the Surat Basin, Queensland, featuring varying complexity of key geomechnical factors. These include the existence of ∼30 coal seams within a gross rock column of more than 300 m, stress states that vary both laterally and vertically, ductile rock properties, and varying natural fracture densities and orientations. The developed model captures the full tensor description of stress, poroelastic-plastic modelling of the rock and coal, fully coupled fluid flow, and explicit modelling of fracturing.
The stress state was parametrically defined so that normal, strike-slip and reverse faulting conditions could be imposed and the magnitude of stresses varied to capture the appropriate range of varying conditions. A single perforation cluster was then used to induce a hydraulic fracture in an isotropic medium. Hydraulic fracture propagation (and propagation complexity) is influenced significantly by differential stresses, stress orientations and relative stress magnitudes. None of these are captured in two-dimensional simulations using a one-dimensional stress characterisation which is commonly derived from one-dimensional wellbore stress models.
The findings of this work clearly demonstrate the ability of fractures to turn and grow preferentially when they are not constrained to a two-dimensional plane. It also shows how the initiation of fractures (i.e. orientation to stress) impacts the propagation complexity of hydraulic fractures from the direction of maximum principal stress. In general, this paper highlights the benefit of incorporating the three-dimensionality of key geomechnical parameters when designing hydraulic fracturing stimulation treatments. Future work will incorporate greater reservoir detail (e.g. pressure-dependence, heterogeneity of stress and material properties) to further investigate fracture containment and reorientation.
| File Size | 1 MB | Number of Pages | 17 |
Badri, M., Dare, D., Rodda, J., Thiesfield, G., & Blauch, M. (2000). Keys to the Successful Application of Hydraulic Fracturing in an Emerging Coalbed Methane Prospect - An Example from the Peat Coals of Australia. Paper presented at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Brisbane, Australia. https://doi.org/10.2118/64493-MS
Barree, R. D., & Winterfeld, P. H. (1998). Effects of Shear Planes and Interfacial Slippage on Fracture Growth and Treating Pressures. Paper presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana. https://doi.org/10.2118/48926-MS
Busetti, S., & Flottmann, T. (2018). Modeling Hydraulic Fracturing in Transitional Stress Regimes, Surat Basin, Australia. Paper presented at the 2nd International Discrete Fracture Network Engineering Conference, Seattle, Washington, USA. https://doi.org/
Flottman, T., Brooke-Barnett, S., Trubshaw, R., Naidu, S.-K., Kirk-Burnnand, E., Paul, P., … Hennings, P. (2013). Influence of in Situ Stresses on Fracture Stimulation in the Surat Basin, Southeast Queensland. Paper presented at the SPE Unconventional Resources Conference and Exhibition-Asia Pacific, Brisbane, Australia. https://doi.org/10.2118/167064-MS
Fu, P., Settgast, R. R., Johnson, S. M., Walsh, S. D. C., Morris, J. P., & Ryerson, F. J. (2014). GEOS. User Tutorials. United States. doi:doi:10.2172/1252608.
Griffith, A. A., & Taylor, G. I. (1921). VI. The phenomena of rupture and flow in solids. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Containing Papers of a Mathematical or Physical Character, 221(582-593), 163–198. doi:doi:10.1098/rsta.1921.0006
Gu, H., & Siebrits, E. (2006). Effect of Formation Modulus Contrast on Hydraulic Fracture Height Containment. Paper presented at the International Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition in China, Beijing, China. https://doi.org/10.2118/103822-MS
Jeffrey, R. G., Brynes, R. P., Lynch, P. J., & Ling, D. J. (1992). An Analysis of Hydraulic Fracture and Mineback Data for a Treatment in the German Creek Coal Seam. Paper presented at the SPE Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting, Casper, Wyoming. https://doi.org/10.2118/24362-MS
Jeffrey, R. G., & Settari, A. (1995). A Comparison of Hydraulic Fracture Field Experiments, Including Mineback Geometry Data, with Numerical Fracture Model Simulations. Paper presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, Texas. https://doi.org/10.2118/30508-MS
Jeffrey, R. G., & Settari, A. (1998). An Instrumented Hydraulic Fracture Experiment in Coal. Paper presented at the SPE Rocky Mountain Regional/Low-Permeability Reservoirs Symposium, Denver, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.2118/39908-MS
Jeffrey, R. G., Vlahovic, W., Doyle, R. P., & Wood, J. H. (1998). Propped Fracture Geometry of Three Hydraulic Fractures in Sydney Basin Coal Seams. Paper presented at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Perth, Australia. https://doi.org/10.2118/50061-MS
Johnson, R. L., Jr. (1995). Fracture Treatment Modifications And Bottomhole Treating Pressure Analysis In The Pictured Cliffs Formation, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Paper presented at the SPE Production Operations Symposium, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. https://doi.org/10.2118/29448-MS
Johnson, R. L., Jr., Flottman, T., & Campagna, D. J. (2002). Improving Results of Coalbed Methane Development Strategies by Integrating Geomechanics and Hydraulic Fracturing Technologies. Paper presented at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Melbourne, Australia. https://doi.org/10.2118/77824-MS
Johnson, R. L., Jr., Glassborow, B., Scott, M. P., Pallikathekathil, Z. J., Datey, A., & Meyer, J. (2010a). Utilizing Current Technologies to Understand Permeability, Stress Azimuths and Magnitudes and their Impact on Hydraulic Fracturing Success in a Coal Seam Gas Reservoir. Paper presented at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. https://doi.org/10.2118/133066-MS
Johnson, R. L., Jr., Scott, M. P., Jeffrey, R. G., Chen, Z., Bennett, L., Vandenborn, C. B., & Tcherkashnev, S. (2010b). Evaluating Hydraulic Fracture Effectiveness in a Coal Seam Gas Reservoir from Surface Tiltmeter and Microseismic Monitoring. Paper presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Florence, Italy. https://doi.org/10.2118/133063-MS
Johnson, R. L., Jr., & Woodroof, R. A. (1996). The Application of Hydraulic Fracturing Models in Conjunction with Tracer Surveys to Characterize and Optimize Fracture Treatments in the Brushy Canyon Formation, Southeastern New Mexico. Paper presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.2118/36470-MS
Mahabadi, O. K., Lisjak, A., Munjiza, A., & Grasselli, G. (2012). Y-Geo: New Combined Finite-Discrete Element Numerical Code for Geomechanical Applications. International Journal of Geomechanics, 12(6), 676–688. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000216
Megorden, M. P., Jiang, H., & Bentley, P. J. D. (2013). Improving Hydraulic Fracture Geometry by Directional Drilling in Coal Seam Gas Formation. Paper presented at the SPE Unconventional Resources Conference and Exhibition-Asia Pacific, Brisbane, Australia. https://doi.org/10.2118/167053-MS
Morales, R. H., & Davidson, S. C. (1993). Analysis of the Hydraulic Fracturing Behavior in the Bowen Basin. Paper presented at the Low Permeability Reservoirs Symposium, Denver, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.2118/25862-MS
Pandey, V. J., & Flottmann, T. (2015). Applications of Geomechanics to Hydraulic Fracturing: Case Studies From Coal Stimulations. Paper presented at the SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference, The Woodlands, Texas, USA. https://doi.org/10.2118/173378-MS
Pandey, V. J., Flottmann, T., & Zwarich, N. R. (2017). Applications of Geomechanics to Hydraulic Fracturing: Case Studies From Coal Stimulations. SPE Production & Operations, 32(04), 404–422. doi:10.2118/173378-PA
Profit, M., Dutko, M., Yu, J., Cole, S., Angus, D., & Baird, A. (2016). Complementary hydro-mechanical coupled finite/discrete element and microseismic modelling to predict hydraulic fracture propagation in tight shale reservoirs. Computational Particle Mechanics, 3(2), 229–248. doi:10.1007/s40571-015-0081-4
Scott, M. P., Johnson, R. L., Jr., Datey, A., Vandenborn, C. B., & Woodroof, R. A. (2010). Evaluating Hydraulic Fracture Geometry from Sonic Anisotropy and Radioactive Tracer Logs. Paper presented at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. https://doi.org/10.2118/133059-MS
Shen, B., & Shi, J. (2019). A numerical scheme of coupling of fluid flow with three-dimensional fracture propagation. Engineering Analysis with Boundary Elements, 106, 243–251. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enganabound.2019.05.017
Shlyapobersky, J. (1985). Energy Analysis Of Hydraulic Fracturing. Paper presented at the The 26th U.S. Symposium on Rock Mechanics (USRMS), Rapid City, South Dakota. https://doi.org/
Simonson, E. R., Abou-Sayed, A. S., & Clifton, R. J. (1978). Containment of Massive Hydraulic Fractures. Society of Petroleum Engineers Journal, 18(01), 27–32. doi:10.2118/6089-PA
Tavener, E., Flottmann, T., & Brooke-Barnett, S. (2017). In situ stress distribution and mechanical stratigraphy in the Bowen and Surat basins, Queensland, Australia. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 458(1), 31. doi:10.1144/SP458.4
Thiercelin, M. (1989). Fracture toughness and hydraulic fracturing. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts, 26(3), 177–183. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(89)91967-0
Warpinski, N. R., Moschovidis, Z. A., Parker, C. D., & Abou-Sayed, I. S. (1994). Comparison Study of Hydraulic Fracturing Models—Test Case: GRI Staged Field Experiment No. 3 (includes associated paper 28158). SPE Production & Facilities, 9(01), 7–16. doi:10.2118/25890-PA
