Development of Hydraulic Fracturing Models for Application to Coal Seam Methane Drainage. Final Report January 17, 1983-June 30, 1984

摘要

The objective of the project is to develop two and three dimensional models which the industry can use to design and understand hydraulic fracture treatments for stimulating methane production from coal seams. Initially, two-dimensional models were used to study pressure-driven fractures near a stress barrier. The results illustrated that barriers can arrest fracture propagation, cause the wetted length to approach the fracture tip, and change the aperture shape. It became clear that 3-dimensional calculations were necessary for analysis of the coal seam problem. Work was begun on the circular model, the simplest of the 3-D models. It was determined that the fluid-flow equations using the common uniform-aperture approximation do not properly conserve mass when the flow slot varies with position and time. The problem was corrected by carefully combining the equations for radial flow and the elasticity equations for governing aperture. The model was successfully applied to show the effects of changes in rates, viscosities, and elastic modulus.