Modeling of complex hydraulic fractures in naturally fractured formation

Abstract

This paper presents a general overview of hydraulic fracturing models developed and applied to simulation of complex fractures in naturally fractured shale reservoirs. It discusses the technical challenges involved in modeling complex hydraulic fracture networks, the interaction between a hydraulic fracture and a natural fracture, and various models and modeling approaches developed to simulate hydraulic fracture–natural fracture interaction, as well as the induced large scale complex fractures during fracturing treatments.