Simulating Hydraulic Fracture Re-orientation in Heterogeneous Rocks with an Improved Discrete Element Method

• Published in: Rock mechanics and rock engineering Vol. 54; no. 6; pp. 2859 - 2879
• Main Authors: He, Qingyuan, Zhu, Lei, Li, Yingchun, Li, Danqi, Zhang, Boyang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.06.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Civil Engineering; Discrete element method; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Finite element method; Geophysics/Geodesy; Heterogeneity; Homogeneity; Hydraulic fracturing; Mining industry; Orientation; Original Paper; Perforation; Petroleum; Petroleum industry; Propagation; Rock; Rocks; Sediment samples; Simulation; Stress propagation; Weibull distribution; Universal Distinct Element Code; Hydraulic fracture re-orientation; Rock heterogeneity; Trigon logic; Weibull distribution

Understanding the hydraulic fracture (HF) re-orientation mechanism from artificial weaknesses is critical to screen-out prevention in the petroleum industry and caveability management in the mining industry. An improved discrete element method is proposed and incorporated in the Universal Distinct E...