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(3)
where
( )
|
|
.
|
\
|
=
f
K
l x
x v
a
b
0
0
2
1
(4)
( ) ( )
( )
(
(
(
|
|
.
|
\
|
+
|
|
.
|
\
|
+
|
|
.
|
\
|
+
+ +
+ =
2
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
0 0
ln ln
ln
1
a l x
a l x
c
l x
a l x
l x
l x
a l x
l x x v
(5)
and
( )
2
1
2
2
2
0
1
1
|
|
|
|
|
.
|
\
|
+
+ +
=
f
f
K
K
e
e a
x
(6)
where
1
and
3
are the maximum and minimum principal
stress acting on the plane of the natural fracture as shown in
Fig. 2. a is the length of the zone of slippage, the region from
-l to + l is the open section of the natural fracture, is the
angle of interaction, and
f
is the coefficient of friction.
Beyond the open section to points ( ) l a + is the region
where the shear stress is increasing until it is equal to the far-
field shear stress.
The criterion was found to agree very well with the
experimental results and the angle of interaction was found to
be the most sensitive parameter in determining the fracture
propagation.
SPE 94568 EFFECT OF NATURAL FRACTURES ON HYDRAULIC FRACTURE PROPAGATION 3
Warpinski and Teufels Criterion
Warpinski and Teufel
4
derived a fracture interaction criterion
to predict whether the induced fracture causes a shear slippage
on the natural fracture plane leading to arrest of the
propagating fracture or dilates the natural fracture causing
excessive leakoff. Shear slippage occurs if the normal stress
acting on the plane of the natural fracture is not sufficient
enough to prevent the planes from sliding against each other.
Following a linear friction law
14
the relation between the shear
stress and the normal stress acting on the natural fracture plane
is given as
( ) p K
n f
+ =
0
(7)
where
0
is the inherent shear strength of the natural fracture
plane,
f
is the coefficient of friction and
n
p is the
effective normal stress acting on the natural fracture plane. If
( ) p K
n f
+ >
0
(8)
then shear slippage occurs on the natural fracture plane.
The shear stress and normal stress acting on the plane of
the natural fracture can be obtained from a 2D stress
resolution
14
(Fig. 3) and are given as
( )
= 90 2 sin
2
3 1
(9)
and
1 3 1 3
cos 2(90 )
2 2
n
+
= + (10)
When the hydraulic fracture intersects the natural fracture
the pressure at the intersection is given as
p
p
+
=
3
(11)
where p
>
2 cos 2 sin
2 2
0
3 1
(12)
and for natural fracture dilation as
n
p > (13)
Substituting Eqs. 10 and 11 in Eq. 13 gives
( )( )
2
2 cos 1
3 1
>
p (14)
Renshaws Criterion
Renshaw
13
provided a simple criterion for crossing by
applying a first order analysis of the stresses near a mode I
fracture impinging on a frictional interface oriented normal to
the growing fracture. According to this work, compressional
crossing will occur if the magnitude of the compression acting
perpendicular to the frictional interface is sufficient to prevent
slip along the interface at the moment when the stress ahead
of the fracture tip is sufficient to initiate a fracture on the
opposite side of the interface. Mathematically this is given
as,
06 . 1
35 . 0
35 . 0
1 0
3
f
K
T
+
>
(15)
The above criterion is restricted to orthogonal interactions and
assumes that the frictional interface does not alter the
propagation direction of the fracture.
Application of Interaction Criterion
When the hydraulic fracture intersects a natural fracture its tip
is blunted and the fracture propagation stops at least
momentarily. Following Warpinski and Teufel
4
, the pressure
at the intersection just when the tip is blunted is given by Eq.
11. Defining the pressure at the intersection of the hydraulic
fracture with the natural fracture as p
i
(t), with t = 0 being the
time that the hydraulic fracture reaches the natural fracture, we
consider all of the possible interactions between the hydraulic
fracture and the natural fracture.
I. p
i
(0)>
n
If the pressure in the propagating hydraulic fracture is
higher than the normal stress on the natural fracture, the
natural fracture will immediately dilate. Whether or not this
condition holds depends on the relative magnitudes of the
treatment overpressure, p
1
= maximum in-situ principal stress, psi
3
= minimum in-situ principal stress, psi
SPE 94568 EFFECT OF NATURAL FRACTURES ON HYDRAULIC FRACTURE PROPAGATION 5
n
= stress acting perpendicular to the natural fracture
plane, psi
t
= stress acting parallel to the natural fracture
plane, psi
= shear stress acting on the plane of the natural
fracture, psi
0
= inherent shear strength of the material, psi
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the sponsors of the Improved Well
Performance Research Program of the Center for Petroleum &
Geosystems Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin
for providing the financial support for this study.
References
1 Lamont, N and Jessen, F.: The Effects of Existing
Fractures in Rocks on the Extension of Hydraulic
Fractures, JPT, 203-209, February 1963.
2 Daneshy, A.A.: Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in the
Presence of Planes of Weakness, SPE 4852, presented at
SPE-European Spring Meeting, Amsterdam, 29-30 May
1974.
3 Blanton, T.L. (May 1982), An Experimental Study of
Interaction Between Hydraulically Induced and Pre-
Existing Fractures, SPE 10847, presented at the
SPE/DOE unconventional Gas Recovery Symposium,
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 16-18 May 1982.
4 Warpinski, N.R and Teufel, L.W.: Influence of Geologic
Discontinuities on Hydraulic Fracture Propagation, JPT
209-220, February 1987.
5 Warpinski, N.R.: Hydraulic Fracturing in Tight, Fissured
Media, JPT 146-152,208-209, February 1991.
6 Beugelsdijk, L.J.L., de Pater, C.J., Sato, K.:
Experimental Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in Multi-
Fractured Medium, SPE 59419, presented at the SPE
Asia Pacific Conference on Integrated Modeling,
Yokohoma, Japan, 25-26 April 2000.
7 Britt, L.K. and Hager, C.J.: Hydraulic Fracturing in a
Naturally Fractured Reservoir, SPE 28717, presented at
the SPE International Petroleum Conference and
Exhibition, Veracruz, Mexico, 10-13 October 1994.
8 Rodgerson, J.l.: Impact of Natural Fractures in Hydraulic
Fracturing of Tight Gas Sands, SPE 59540, presented at
the SPE Permian Basin Oil and Gas Recovery Conference
held in Midland, Texas, 21-23 March 2000.
9 Vinod, P.S., Flindt, M.L., Card, R.J., Mitchell, J.P.:
Dynamics Fluid-Loss Studies in Low-permeability
Formations With Natural Fractures, SPE 37486,
presented at the SPE Production Operations Symposium,
Oklahoma, 9-11 March 1997.
10 Azeemuddin, M., Ghori, S.G., Saner, S., Khan, M.N.:
Injection-Induced Hydraulic Fracturing in a Naturally
Fractured Carbonate Reservoir: A case study from Saudi
Arabia, SPE 73784, presented at the SPE International
Symposium & Exhibition on Formation Damage Control,
Lafayette, 20-21 February 2002.
11 Murphy, H.D and Fehler, M.C.: Hydraulic Fracturing of
Jointed Formations, SPE 14088, presented at the SPE
International Meeting on Pertoleum Engineering, Beijing,
China, March 17-20 1986.
12 Blanton, T.L.: Propagation of Hydraulically and
Dynamically Induced Fractures in Naturally Fractured
Reservoirs, SPE 15261, presented at the SPE
Unconventional Gas Technology Symposium, Louisville,
KY, 18-21 May 1986.
13 Renshaw, C.E. and Pollard, D.D.: An Experimentally
Verified Criterion for Propagation across Unbonded
Frictional Interfaces in Brittle, Linear Elastic Materials,
International Journal of Rock Mechanics Mining Science
and Geomechanics, 32, 3, 237-249, 1995.
14 Jaeger, J.C and Cook, N.G.W.: Fundamentals of Rock
Mechanics, Halsted Press, New York, 1976.
Hydraulic fracture
Natural fracture
1
Fig. 1 Hydraulic fracture intersecting a natural fracture.
-l-a
3
1
-l
+l
l+a
Natural fracture
Zone of slippage
Fig. 2 Zone of slippage for natural fracture (from Blanton
12
).
6 NAGA POTLURI, D.ZHU AND A.D.HILL SPE 94568
Natural fracture
Natural fracture
Fig. 3 Stress resolution on the natural fracture plane.
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90
p
i
()>
n
Fig. 4 Conditions for natural fracture dilation,
treatment overpressure=100 psi.
dilated
natural fracture
propagating
hydraulic fracture
p
i
(t)>
3
+T
o
Fig. 5 Hydraulic fracture crosses natural fracture.
propagating
hydraulic fracture
dilated
natural fracture
propagating from
natural fracture
p
tip
>
n
+T
o,tip
Fig. 6 Hydraulic fracture propagates from the tip of
natural fracture.
propagating
hydraulic fracture
dilated
natural fracture
propagating from
natural fracture
T
o,e
<T
o,i
-p
e
Fig. 7 Hydraulic fractrure propagates from weak point along
natural fracture.