Abstract

The influence of grain size heterogeneity on tensile fracture roughness was investigated by numerical simulations using PFC2D. Models with different ball size ratios were constructed, and for each model, the tensile fracture roughness was quantified and compared. The numerical simulation results revealed that ball size heterogeneity has little effect on the roughness of tensile fractures. The insensitivity of fracture roughness with respect to ball size heterogeneity was further analyzed based on ball contact geometry. The geometric analysis showed that the preferential route of tensile fracture propagation is barely influenced by ball size heterogeneity.

Keywords:
geology, reservoir geomechanics, upstream oil & gas, hydraulic fracturing, geologist, united states government, roughness, fracture roughness, heterogeneity, fracture characterization
Subjects:
Hydraulic Fracturing, Reservoir Characterization, Faults and fracture characterization, Reservoir geomechanics
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