Rapid Discrete Fracture Analysis of Hydraulic Fracture Development in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

URTeC 1582243 Hydraulic fracture simulation is essential to safe, efficient, and productive development of many unconventional resources, including shale gas and oil, tight sands, and increasingly, even fractured carbonates. Hydraulic fracture propagation geometry, and the geometry of both inflated and reactivated (sheared) natural fractures, can be difficult to predict due to their complex interaction with the natural faults and fractures, the mechanical properties of surrounding formations, and the in situ stress field. This paper presents a Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) algorithm, which provides a full, three dimensional assessment of hydraulic fracture and reactivated natural fracture geometry, including both the interaction with the pre-existing geologic setting, and also the interactions which occur between adjacent or simultaneous hydraulic fractures. This approach is rapid, flexible, and convenient, and can be …