The prediction of hydraulic fracture (HF) propagation height is of great significance for hydraulic fracturing design and mitigating unfavorable fracture propagation. The height growth of HF in a layered formation is influenced by multiple factors, including in-situ stresses, Young’s modulus, layer interfaces, and their combined effects, in addition to the influence of stress shadows. In this work, the influence of multiple factors on HF propagation was studied using the 3D hydro-mechanically coupled lattice-spring code. Both vertical and lateral HF growth were evaluated quantitatively, and the non-planar propagation of HFs captured. Numerical modeling results show that the HF height decreases with the increment of minimum horizontal principal stress in adjoining layers. As the horizontal stress will be the major principal stress if it exceeds the vertical stress, the HF plane is gradually deflected into the horizontal plane, and the HF crosses the interface into the adjacent layers. Vertical fracture propagation is promoted in high-modulus layers and inhibited in low-modulus layers. Because of fracture tip blunting induced by the shear slip of the interface and fluid leak-off into the interface, HF propagation height is reduced. Multiple mechanisms can be considered together to describe HF propagation in a layered formation. Considering the effect of a weak interface alone, model results may show HF height containment. With a high-modulus or low-stress layer beyond the interface, the HF could cross the interface, leading to further HF height growth. Besides, the stress shadow effect is highlighted as an important mechanism in HF height containment. The HF may reorient itself to become horizontal, thereby resulting in HF height containment. The model results presented allow an improved understanding of the mechanisms of HF height containment in layered formations.

水力压裂（HF）扩展高度的预测对于水力压裂设计和减轻不利的裂缝扩展具有重要意义。除了应力阴影的影响外，层状地层中 HF 的高度增长还受到多种因素的影响，包括地应力、杨氏模量、层界面及其组合效应。在这项工作中，使用 3D 流体机械耦合晶格弹簧代码研究了多种因素对 HF 传播的影响。对垂直和横向 HF 生长进行了定量评估，并捕获了 HF 的非平面传播。数值模拟结果表明，HF高度随着相邻层中最小水平主应力的增加而减小。由于水平应力超过垂直应力将成为主要的主应力，HF 平面逐渐向水平面偏转，HF 穿过界面进入相邻层。垂直裂缝扩展在高模量层中被促进，在低模量层中被抑制。由于界面的剪切滑移和流体泄漏到界面中引起的裂缝尖端钝化，HF 传播高度降低。可以综合考虑多种机制来描述分层地层中的 HF 传播。单独考虑弱界面的影响，模型结果可能会显示 HF 高度限制。由于界面之外的高模量或低应力层，HF 可以穿过界面，导致进一步的 HF 高度增长。除了，应力阴影效应被强调为高频高度控制的重要机制。HF 可能会重新定向以变成水平，从而导致 HF 高度限制。呈现的模型结果有助于更好地理解层状地层中 HF 高度控制的机制。