• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.20-29
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• 2021

During multi-stage fracturing in a low permeable shale formation, stress interference occurs between the stages which is called the "stress shadow effect(SSE)". The effect may alter the fracture propagation direction and induce ununiform geometry. In this study, the stress shadow effect on the hydraulic fracture geometry and the well productivity were investigated by the commercial full-3D fracture model, GOHFER. In a homogeneous reservoir model, a multi-stage fracturing process was performed with or without the SSE. In addition, the fracturing was performed on two shale reservoirs with different geomechanical properties(Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio) to analyze the stress shadow effect. In the simulation results, the stress change caused by the fracture created in the previous stage switched the maximum/minimum horizontal stress and the lower productivity L-direction fracture was more dominating over the T-direction fracture. Since the Marcellus shale is more brittle than more dominating over the T-direction fracture. Since the Marcellus shale is more brittle than the relatively ductile Eagle Ford shale, the fracture width in the former was developed thicker, resulting in the larger fracture volume. And the Marcellus shale's Young's modulus is low, the stress effect is less significant than the Eagle Ford shale in the stage 2. The stress shadow effect strongly depends on not only the spacing between fractures but also the geomechanical properties. Therefore, the stress shadow effect needs to be taken into account for more accurate analysis of the fracture geometry and for more reliable prediction of the well productivity.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1135-1151
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• 2016

For investigating the effect of the pre-existing joints on the initiation pattern of hydraulic fractures, the numerical simulation of circular holes under internal hydraulic pressure with a different pattern of the joint distributions are conducted by using a finite element code, FRANC2D. The pattern of hydraulic fracturing initiation are scrutinized with changing the values of the joint length, joint offset angle. The hydraulic pressures with 70% of the peak value of borehole wall breakout pressure are applied at the similar models. The simulation results suggest that the opening-mode fracture initiated from the joint tip and propagated toward the borehole for critical values of ligament angle and joint offset angle. At these critical values, the crack grow length is influenced by joint ligament length. When the ligament length is less than 3 times the borehole diameter the crack growth length increases monotonically with increasing joint length. The opening-mode fracture disappears at the joint tip as the ligament length increases.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.233-244
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• 2017

We conducted hydraulic fracturing experiments on cement samples to investigate the dependency of fracture propagation on the viscosity of injection fluid and the in situ stress state. Ten cubic samples (20 cm side length) were produced using cement that was cured in water for more than one month. Samples were placed in a tri-axial compression apparatus with three independent principal stresses. An injection hole was drilled and the sample was hydraulically fractured under a constant injection rate. We measured injection pressures and acoustic emissions (AE) during the experiments, and investigated the fracture patterns produced by hydraulic fracturing. Breakdown pressures increased exponentially with increasing viscosity of the injection fluid. Fracture patterns were dependent on differential stress (i.e., the difference between the major and minor principal stresses). At low differential stress, multiple fractures oriented sub-parallel to the major principal stress axis propagated from the injection hole, and in some samples the fracture orientation changed during propagation. However, at high differential stress, a single fracture propagated parallel to the major principal stress axis. AE results show similar patterns. At low differential stress, AE source locations were more widespread than at high differential stress, consistent with the fracture pattern results. Our study suggests that hydraulic fracturing during shale gas extraction should be performed parallel to the orientation of minimum differential stress.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.16 no.2 s.48
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• pp.125-134
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• 2006

In order to establish the in-situ application of the artificial storage and recovery (ASR) technology which is used the property of the aquifer storage of groundwater. We carried out to the in-situ experiments such as borehole TV logging, pumping test and artificial hydraulic fracturing in volcanic island, Ulleungdo. In-situ experiments were conducted to divide the before- and after-hydraulic fracturing. Pumping test was achieved to confirm the two fracture zones, GL-13m and GL-21m, which are determined by the borehole TV logging. From the results of the before- and after-pumping tests, the hydraulic connectivity was confirmed to locate at GL-13m in the residual deposit zone of pumice media as alluvium. However, in the bedrock tone at GL-21m the hydraulic connectivity could be considered to faulty. Consequently, in this study area the artificial recharge has a little unsatisfied to geo-structural condition and desired to more detail investigation works.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.237-247
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• 2001

In this study, the fracture mechanics model as well as the elastic model was reviewed theoretically and four field case studies were conducted to investigate the feasibility of fracture mechanics model for hydraulic fracturing test. There was a difference between the result by fracture mechanics model and the one by elastic model. And the smaller initial crack length is, the larger the difference is. It is considered that the fracture mechanics model can be applied to the specific case of which the crack length is known. In this study, the rock tensile strength is measured using fracture mechanics model, brazilian test and elastic model. The measured tensile strength by the fracture mechanics model is the largest and the elastic model is the smallest. This result is due to the size effect of the each test. And the tensile strength from the elastic model for hydraulic fracturing test can be used to estimate the in-situ rock tensile strength.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.151-166
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• 2002

Groundwater development as a means of acquiring subsidiary water resource is very important for the persistent security of water resource. Nowadays, pneumatic fracturing technology which was developed in the advanced countries is applied for increasing pumping rate and eliminating contaminants. This study gives an experimental data to clarify permeability characteristics of the single discontinuity which is newly developed or increased in aperture by the pneumatic fracturing or damage propagation of the natural barrier for the nuclear waste disposal. On the basis of understanding the relationship between permeability and hydraulic aperture the result could apply as one of the basic data for researches concerned with increasing pumping rate and eliminating contaminants. Hydraulic aperture is decreased exponentially with increasing confining pressure and proportioned to permeability in the same confining pressure. Especially, with the increasing aperture permeability of coarse- and medium- grained granite shows the more rapid increasing than that of fine- grained granite.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.17-28
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• 2023

Laboratory-scale hydraulic fracturing experiments were conducted on granite specimens at various viscosities and injection rates of the fracturing fluid. A series of cross-sectional computed tomography (CT) images of fractured specimens was obtained via a three-dimensional X-ray CT imaging method. Pixel-level fracture segmentation of the CT images was conducted using a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based Nested U-Net model structure. Compared with traditional image processing methods, the CNN-based model showed a better performance in the extraction of thin and complex fractures. These extracted fractures extracted were reconstructed in three dimensions and morphologically analyzed based on their fracture volume, aperture, tortuosity, and surface roughness. The fracture volume and aperture increased with the increase in viscosity of the fracturing fluid, while the tortuosity and roughness of the fracture surface decreased. The findings also confirmed the anisotropic tortuosity and roughness of the fracture surface. In this study, a CNN-based model was used to perform accurate fracture segmentation, and quantitative analysis of hydraulic stimulated fractures was conducted successfully.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 1994

The hydraulic fracturing in a field site was performed for the measurement of in-situ stresses. For the estimation of the effect of a preexisting inclined fracture, the test on a preexisting fracture zone was also conducted. From the measurements at three shallow depths, the ratios of max. to min. horizontal stress showed the range of 1.19-1.56 and the K values showed the range of 2.62-3.86. In case of a preexisting fracture with the inclination of 15 degrees, the stresses calculated as upper bound values by considering it. It seemed from this that the inclination less than 15 degrees had small effect on the stress calculation.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.91-98
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• 2013

Shale gas is in the limelight as one of the new energy sources under the circumstances of unstable energy supply and high energy consumption. It is expected to change dynamics of global energy markets due to its abundant resources and global distribution. Shale gas extraction process consists of drilling, fracturing and production. We have surveyed the technologies required for shale gas developments such as a horizontal drilling, a hydraulic fracturing and so on, the environmental issues occurred during the development, the additional technologies to solve the environmental problems and the current research and developments status.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.185-205
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• 1999

Hydraulic fracturing tests were performed in two inclined boreholes for the design of underground oil storages in Korea. Extensions of their application limits were expected through a precise comparison between the interpretation techniques for the vertical and the inclined boreholes. Especially, it was verified that the magnitude of in-situ stress can be varied even in the same rock mass with a variety of geographic/geotechnical characteristics. It was also demonstrated that its orientation can be changed even in the same borehole with the existence of explicit discontinuities.