Propagation of a penny-shaped fluid-driven fracture in an impermeable rock: asymptotic solutions

This paper presents an analysis of the propagation of a penny-shaped hydraulic fracture in an impermeable elastic rock. The fracture is driven by an incompressible Newtonian fluid injected from a source at the center of the fracture. The fluid flow is modeled according to lubrication theory, while the elastic response is governed by a singular integral equation relating the crack opening and the fluid pressure. It is shown that the scaled equations contain only one parameter, a dimensionless toughness, which controls the regimes of fracture propagation. Asymptotic solutions for zero and large dimensionless toughness are constructed. Finally, the regimes of fracture propagation are analyzed by matching the asymptotic solutions with results of a numerical algorithm applicable to arbitrary toughness. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.