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Simulation of Fluid Flow through a Hydraulic Fracture of a Heterogeneous Fracture-Tough Reservoir in the Planar 3D Formulation

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Abstract—

The planar quasi-three-dimensional model of propagation of a hydraulic fracture in the reservoir characterized by the heterogeneous fracture toughness is constructed to investigate the fluid flow and fracture evolution. In order to simulate the heterogeneous layered reservoir with various fracture toughnesses, three typical cases of the reservoir are considered, namely, the reservoir with zones of weakness, the homogeneous reservoir, and the reservoir with zones of increased strength. The results show that heterogeneous fracture toughness of the reservoir affects strongly the shape of fracture, the fluid flow, and the general fracture opening (width) as compared with the homogeneous reservoir in which the radial fracture growth is implemented. Moreover, the effect of the heterogeneous fracture toughness of the reservoir on the fracture growth is mainly noted in the earlier stage. After a certain instant of time, the fracture propagates in various directions at approximately identical velocity.

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Funding

The authors wish to thank the support from the China Scholarship Council and the Program of Basic Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences (project no. АААА-А18-118041190145-1 (0065-2019-0021 and 0580-2021-0021)).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Moscow State University, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow, Russia

    A. B. Kiselev, Li Kay-Zhui & N. N. Smirnov

  2. Scientific Research Institute for System Analysis of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    A. B. Kiselev, N. N. Smirnov & D. A. Pestov

Authors
  1. A. B. Kiselev
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  2. Li Kay-Zhui
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  3. N. N. Smirnov
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  4. D. A. Pestov
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Correspondence to N. N. Smirnov.

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Translated by E.A. Pushkar

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Kiselev, A.B., Kay-Zhui, L., Smirnov, N.N. et al. Simulation of Fluid Flow through a Hydraulic Fracture of a Heterogeneous Fracture-Tough Reservoir in the Planar 3D Formulation. Fluid Dyn 56, 164–177 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0015462821020051

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0015462821020051

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