Despite its demonstrated efficacy in enhancing operational efficiency, simultaneous fracturing (SF) is constrained by stress shadow, which frequently induce fracture interference and propagation constraints during stimulation operations, ultimately compromising stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) and hydrocarbon recovery efficiency. To alleviate the limitation, this study focused on simultaneous pulsating hydraulic fracturing (SPHF), an innovative approach that replaced conventional steady fluid injection with pulsating pressure stimulation. The pulsating fluid pressure can cause fatigue damage to the reservoir, resulting in dynamic variation of induced stress. Consequently, a simulation model of SPHF with hydro-mechanical fatigue coupling was established to investigate the interaction mechanism of fracture propagation using discrete element method. The parametric analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of pulsation frequency, maximum pressure, and phase difference on fracture propagation morphology. Based on these analyses, a novel fracturing operation mode was proposed, employing variable frequency and maximum pressure. The research results indicate that SPHF facilitates the uniform propagation of multiple fractures and reduces the length discrepancy among fractures. Furthermore, the parameters of the pulsating fluid pressure can control the position of the dominant fracture, ultimately influencing the morphology of fracture propagation. Notably, the proposed fracturing operation mode can effectively achieve the uniform propagation of numerous fractures. It uses different pulsating fluid pressures for distinct wells and applies variable frequency and variable maximum pressure to the same well during fracturing operations. The comparison reveals that incorporating dynamic induced stress and fatigue damage into the simulation model is essential. This study provides valuable insights for enhancing fracturing efficiency and offers a theoretical framework for field implementation.Highlights<UnorderedList Mark="Bullet"> <ItemContent> A hydro-mechanical fatigue coupling model is established to investigate multi-fracture interaction mechanisms. </ItemContent> <ItemContent> The results demonstrate that dynamic stress and fatigue damage are non-negligible factors in analyzing fracture propagation. </ItemContent> <ItemContent> The novel fracturing approach is conducive to reducing the length difference and facilitating the uniform propagation of multiple fractures. </ItemContent> </UnorderedList>

Fracture Propagation Interaction Mechanism of Simultaneous Pulsating Hydraulic Fracturing

期刊论文
发表日期：

2026年1月6日

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Ge Zhu,
Chuanli Wei,
Bari Hanane,
Weicheng Li

摘要

Despite its demonstrated efficacy in enhancing operational efficiency, simultaneous fracturing (SF) is constrained by stress shadow, which frequently induce fracture interference and propagation constraints during stimulation operations, ultimately compromising stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) and hydrocarbon recovery efficiency. To alleviate the limitation, this study focused on simultaneous pulsating hydraulic fracturing (SPHF), an innovative approach that replaced conventional steady fluid injection with pulsating pressure stimulation. The pulsating fluid pressure can cause fatigue damage to the reservoir, resulting in dynamic variation of induced stress. Consequently, a simulation model of SPHF with hydro-mechanical fatigue coupling was established to investigate the interaction mechanism of fracture propagation using discrete element method. The parametric analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of pulsation frequency, maximum pressure, and phase difference on fracture propagation morphology. Based on these analyses, a novel fracturing operation mode was proposed, employing variable frequency and maximum pressure. The research results indicate that SPHF facilitates the uniform propagation of multiple fractures and reduces the length discrepancy among fractures. Furthermore, the parameters of the pulsating fluid pressure can control the position of the dominant fracture, ultimately influencing the morphology of fracture propagation. Notably, the proposed fracturing operation mode can effectively achieve the uniform propagation of numerous fractures. It uses different pulsating fluid pressures for distinct wells and applies variable frequency and variable maximum pressure to the same well during fracturing operations. The comparison reveals that incorporating dynamic induced stress and fatigue damage into the simulation model is essential. This study provides valuable insights for enhancing fracturing efficiency and offers a theoretical framework for field implementation.

Highlights

A hydro-mechanical fatigue coupling model is established to investigate multi-fracture interaction mechanisms.

The results demonstrate that dynamic stress and fatigue damage are non-negligible factors in analyzing fracture propagation.

The novel fracturing approach is conducive to reducing the length difference and facilitating the uniform propagation of multiple fractures.