The quasi-one-dimensional hyperbolic model of hydraulic fracturing

Abstract

The paper describes a quasi-one-dimensional hyperbolic model of hydraulic fracture growth assuming for the hydraulic fracturing that stress intensity is much higher than fracture resistance. The mode under analysis, which accounts for convective and unsteady terms in the fluid flow equation, is a generalization of the Perkins-Kern-Nordgren local model. It has been proved that the obtained system of differential equations is a quasi-linear strictly hyperbolic system, for which the characteristics were found as well as their correlations. For the case of the Coriolis correction neglect, the Riemann invariants were found. Neglecting the injected fluid leak-off and viscosity, the Riemann waves, similar to simple plane waves in gas dynamics, were defined and their properties were studied. The evolutionism of fracture boundaries was investigated. The initial boundary value problem was set for fracture growth. It has been shown that the neglect of dissipative terms in the presented model allows constructing a simple wave theory analogous to the theory of one-dimensional gas dynamics for isentropic plane waves.

Keywords

• hydraulic fracturing
• characteristics
• riemann invariants
• fracture evolution