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Prediction and analysis of the stimulated reservoir volume for shale gas reservoirs based on rock failure mechanism

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Abstract

The ultra-low-permeability shale gas reservoir has a lot of well-developed natural fractures. It has been proven that hydraulic fracture growth pattern is usually a complex network fracture rather than conventional single planar fractures by micro-seismic monitoring, which can be explained as the shear and tensile failure of natural fractures or creation of new cracks due to the increase in reservoir pore pressure caused by fluid injection during the process of hydraulic fracturing. In order to simulate the network fracture growth, a mathematical model was established based on full tensor permeability, continuum method and fluid mass conservation equation. Firstly, the governing equation of fluid diffusivity based on permeability tensor was solved to obtain the reservoir pressure distribution. Then Mohr–Coulomb shear failure criterion and tensile failure criterion were used to decide whether the rock failed or not in any block on the basis of the calculated reservoir pressure. The grid-block permeability was modified according to the change of fracture aperture once any type of rock failure criterion was met within a grid block. Finally, the stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) zone was represented by an enhancement permeability zone. After calibrating the numerical solution of the model with the field micro-seismic information, a sensitivity study was performed to analyze the effects of some factors including initial reservoir pressure, injection fluid volume, natural fracture azimuth angle and horizontal stress difference on the SRV (shape, size, bandwidth and length). The results show that the SRV size increases with the increasing initial pore reservoir and injection fluid volume, but decreases with the increase in the horizontal principal stress difference and natural fracture azimuth angle. The SRV shape is always similar for different initial pore reservoir and injection fluid volume. The SRV is observed to become shorter in length and wider in bandwidth with the decrease in natural fracture azimuth angle and horizontal principal stress difference.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51490653), and the foundation of Chuanqing Drilling Company of PetroChina (CQ2015B-8-1-1). We would also like to express our gratitude to the reviewers for their careful review of this manuscript. Their comments are incredibly valuable and improved the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Yongquan Hu, Zhiqiang Li & Jinzhou Zhao

  2. Post-Doctoral Research Station, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing, 401331, People’s Republic of China

    Zhiqiang Li

  3. Exploration and Development Research Institute of Tarim Oilfield Company, PetroChina, Korla, 841000, Xinjiang, People’s Republic of China

    Zhengwu Tao

  4. Exploration and Development Research Institute of Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company, PetroChina, Chengdu, 610051, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Pan Gao

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  1. Yongquan Hu
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  2. Zhiqiang Li
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  3. Jinzhou Zhao
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Correspondence to Zhiqiang Li.

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Hu, Y., Li, Z., Zhao, J. et al. Prediction and analysis of the stimulated reservoir volume for shale gas reservoirs based on rock failure mechanism. Environ Earth Sci 76, 546 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6830-3

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