FEM numerical simulation for hydraulic fracture propagation in shale reservoirs influenced by weak bedding planes

The Linxing gas field was selected as the research object, where weak bedding planes represent typical features and significantly influence hydraulic fracture propagation. This study provides valuable insights on hydraulic fracture propagation in bedded shale formations and offers guidance for optimizing fracturing techniques. The characteristics of shale featuring bedding planes were examined by utilizing rock mechanics experiments and direct shear tests. Considering the cementation strength and friction properties of bedding planes, a computational subroutine was developed to characterize the contact behavior for bedding planes. A 3D Finite Element Method-Cohesive Zone Model (FEM-CZM) has been established for multi-field coupling analysis of stress-damage-fluid flow, specifically incorporating bedding planes. This model incorporates a contact constitutive relationship that accounts for both friction and cementation strength of the bedding. A comprehensive and systematic quantitative analysis is conducted to investigate the influence of various factors on bedding shear slip and the propagation of hydraulic fractures. These factors include the initial opening of bedding fractures, friction coefficient, cementation strength, number of bedding planes surrounding the wellbore, and fracturing operation parameters. The results indicate that the presence of weakly bonded bedding planes leads to complex fracture propagation patterns involving both tensile and shear fractures. Bedding plane apertures serve as preferential flow pathways for fracturing fluid, significantly inhibiting fracture propagation. When the bedding aperture increases to 300 μm, the fractures are unable to cross bedding planes, which limits the fracture scale. Compared to the bonding strength, the bedding friction coefficient plays a more dominant role in determining whether fractures penetrate. Higher friction coefficients facilitate the penetration, regardless of whether the bedding planes are bonded or not. The penetration probability increases exponentially as the friction coefficient rises. In contrast, with lower friction coefficients and weakly bonded bedding planes, fractures are intercepted, while higher cementation strength allows for effective penetration. Furthermore, with a rise in the number of bedding planes, the shear fractures along these beddings expands considerably, which results in a more intricate fracture pattern. The shear failure of multiple bedding planes restricts the development of tensile-dominated fractures, which reduces the efficiency of reservoir stimulation. Optimizing fracturing fluid injection, increasing high-viscosity fracturing fluid volumes, and raising injection rates can enhance vertical fracture propagation and improve the stimulated reservoir area. Further validation of the influence of bedding planes on fracture propagation is provided by analyzing distributed temperature sensing (DTS) profiles, as well as the post-fracturing performance in Linxing.