Hydraulic fracture-initiation in deviated or horizontal openhole wellbores

摘要

It is well known that a hydraulic fracture preferentially extends in a plane perpendicular to the least principal in-situ formation stress. However, it is not generally recognized that in an openhole completion, the hydraulic fracture will only initiate perpendicular to the least principal formation stress if the well's axis is aligned with the preferred fracture plane throughout the treatment interval. If the well intersects the preferred fracture plane, ahydraulic fracture initiated in an openhole section will intersect both the borehole and the preferred fracture plane.