Numerical investigation into hydraulic fracture initiation and breakdown pressures considering wellbore compliance based on the boundary element method

There is a wealth of experimental evidence that fracture initiation and breakdown pressures differ depending on in-situ stress status, rock properties, and injection conditions. However, the mechanism is not fully understood from a theoretical modeling perspective. In this study, a fully coupled plain-strain fracture model is proposed to interpret the mechanism of fracture initiation and breakdown pressures. The fracture model consists of fracture initiation and propagation governed by linear elastic fracture mechanics. The effects of wellbore compliance (or compressibility), solid-fluid coupling, and fracture multiscale propagation behavior are fully considered. The solid-fluid coupling equations are solved using the Newton-Raphson iterative method. The explicit time marching method is used to capture the fracture initiation process. An implicit time-stepping with the fracture tip asymptotic solution is used to capture fracture propagation fronts. The model is validated against the analytical solutions of the plane-strain model. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the initiation pressure mainly depends on rock properties, especially the fracture toughness. The peak pressure (breakdown pressure) is related to rock properties and injection conditions and usually occurs before the peak of the pressurization rate is reached. It increases with the injection rate, fluid viscosity, Young's modulus, and fracture toughness. The dimensionless inlet flux into the fracture can be used to determine the fracture initiation pressure. The pressurization rate during the fracture initiation stage is constant and can be used to assess wellbore compliance. Using a low injection rate and a low-viscosity fluid is beneficial to capturing the fracture initiation pressure. This study can help understand fracture initiation and propagation and interpret hydraulic fracture initiation and breakdown pressures.

Automated summary

A fully coupled fracture model is proposed to interpret the mechanism of fracture initiation and breakdown pressures. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates the dependence of initiation pressure and peak pressure on rock properties and injection conditions. A method to determine fracture initiation pressure is presented.