Imaging Hydraulic Fracturing - Analytical Solution, Numerical Modeling and Lab Testing

This book starts with a survey for future research §and development of hydraulic fracturing technology. §It was found that reliable hydraulic fracturing §diagnostic technologies were needed. Further §critical review showed that microseismic imaging was §one of the most promising technologies which needed §further development. This problem is attacked with §an integrated approach of analytical solution, §computer coding, numerical modeling and lab testing. §Developing robust algorithms and software for §locating the coordinates of hydraulic fracturing-§induced microseismic events and for simulating the §first motion of the induced waveforms were the §central tasks. In the testing and application of the §software, initiation and propagation characteristics §of asymmetrical hydraulic fractures were §investigated. Along with the experimental §investigation, the petrophysical and geomechanical §properties of a recently discovered tight-gas §formation was systematically characterized, a method §for measuring Mode-I fracture toughness was §upgraded, and the packer influence on the initiation §of asymmetrical fractures was numerically simulated.