Effect of Brittle Mineral Size on Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in Shale Gas Reservoir

The properties of brittle minerals have great effect on the morphology of postfracturing network in shale reservoirs in the southeastern Ordos Basin, China. In order to study the effect of brittle mineral size distributions on the fracture parameters, the concrete cubes of 300 mm × 300 mm × 300 mm i...

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Main Authors: Wei Gao, Javed Iqbal, Dan Xu, Haoyue Sui, Ruilin Hu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-01-01
Series:Geofluids
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/9147048
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author Wei Gao
Javed Iqbal
Dan Xu
Haoyue Sui
Ruilin Hu
author_facet Wei Gao
Javed Iqbal
Dan Xu
Haoyue Sui
Ruilin Hu
author_sort Wei Gao
collection DOAJ
description The properties of brittle minerals have great effect on the morphology of postfracturing network in shale reservoirs in the southeastern Ordos Basin, China. In order to study the effect of brittle mineral size distributions on the fracture parameters, the concrete cubes of 300 mm × 300 mm × 300 mm in size with four distinct brittle mineral sizes of 2.36 mm, 0.425 mm, 0.15 mm, and 0.075 mm were investigated under large-sized triaxial hydraulic fracturing test. The effect mechanism of aggregate on the fracture properties of shale was studied using ultrasonic technique, photosensitive electron microscope, and numerical simulation. The test results obtained for each specimen (both disturbed and undisturbed conditions) indicate that brittle mineral size has significant effect on the fracture extension. The tensile strength, fracture toughness, and fracture pressure were found to decrease with a decrease in maximum brittle mineral size when the maximum brittle mineral size is smaller than 0.425 mm. In addition to this, the degree of attenuation difference also follows the similar trend. Observed fracture morphology reveals that with an increase in maximum size of brittle mineral specimen, the tortuous and complicated cracking path generation increases. These findings would be very helpful in order to better understand the behavior of shale under hydraulic fracturing test.
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spelling doaj-art-d5f2ea2e91e049f59a83b0993fdf0cfb2025-08-20T03:23:38ZengWileyGeofluids1468-81151468-81232019-01-01201910.1155/2019/91470489147048Effect of Brittle Mineral Size on Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in Shale Gas ReservoirWei Gao0Javed Iqbal1Dan Xu2Haoyue Sui3Ruilin Hu4Key Laboratory of Shale Gas and Geoengineering, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19, Beitucheng Western Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, ChinaDepartment of Earth Sciences, Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, PakistanChina Railway 11th Bureau Group Co. Ltd., No. 277, Zhongshan Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei Province, ChinaKey Laboratory of Shale Gas and Geoengineering, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19, Beitucheng Western Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, ChinaKey Laboratory of Shale Gas and Geoengineering, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19, Beitucheng Western Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, ChinaThe properties of brittle minerals have great effect on the morphology of postfracturing network in shale reservoirs in the southeastern Ordos Basin, China. In order to study the effect of brittle mineral size distributions on the fracture parameters, the concrete cubes of 300 mm × 300 mm × 300 mm in size with four distinct brittle mineral sizes of 2.36 mm, 0.425 mm, 0.15 mm, and 0.075 mm were investigated under large-sized triaxial hydraulic fracturing test. The effect mechanism of aggregate on the fracture properties of shale was studied using ultrasonic technique, photosensitive electron microscope, and numerical simulation. The test results obtained for each specimen (both disturbed and undisturbed conditions) indicate that brittle mineral size has significant effect on the fracture extension. The tensile strength, fracture toughness, and fracture pressure were found to decrease with a decrease in maximum brittle mineral size when the maximum brittle mineral size is smaller than 0.425 mm. In addition to this, the degree of attenuation difference also follows the similar trend. Observed fracture morphology reveals that with an increase in maximum size of brittle mineral specimen, the tortuous and complicated cracking path generation increases. These findings would be very helpful in order to better understand the behavior of shale under hydraulic fracturing test.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/9147048
spellingShingle Wei Gao
Javed Iqbal
Dan Xu
Haoyue Sui
Ruilin Hu
Effect of Brittle Mineral Size on Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in Shale Gas Reservoir
Geofluids
title Effect of Brittle Mineral Size on Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in Shale Gas Reservoir
title_full Effect of Brittle Mineral Size on Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in Shale Gas Reservoir
title_fullStr Effect of Brittle Mineral Size on Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in Shale Gas Reservoir
title_full_unstemmed Effect of Brittle Mineral Size on Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in Shale Gas Reservoir
title_short Effect of Brittle Mineral Size on Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in Shale Gas Reservoir
title_sort effect of brittle mineral size on hydraulic fracture propagation in shale gas reservoir
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/9147048
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