Hydraulic Fracturing

1. Feasible to generate a meaningful ‘Stimulated Reservoir Volume’ (SRV) @ laboratory-scale, upon Hydraulic Fracturing, if it essentially enables the measurement of in-situ stress states and that creates a complex, high-permeability fracture networks in low-permeability formations, which include both artificial fractures and reactivated natural fractures @ Field-scale?

2. With natural fracture networks remaining to be extremely complex often exhibiting clustering phenomena, whether, the way, the propagation of hydraulic fractures experienced, upon encountering natural fractures (including the approaching angle between hydraulic and natural fractures; differential stress and the mechanical properties of natural fractures) – would remain to be the ‘same’ both @ field-scale as well as @ laboratory-scale?

How could we expect the formation of Local Clusters resulting from the altered in-situ stress @ laboratory-scale?

3. Although, pre-existing fractures can be well-designed, in artificial rocks, how could we analyze the impact of hydraulic fracturing processes in any natural reservoir rock, when, the natural fractures in rocks can no more be artificially designed?

If so, then, how could we examine the in-situ stress states, and the interaction between hydraulic fractures and the pre-existing natural fractures (associated with natural rocks) @ laboratory-scale?

4. If Multi-Cluster Fracture Networks are formed during the Hydraulic Fracturing process, then, how would it remain to be feasible to get a clear picture on the connectivity of the generated fracture network towards assessing the dynamic evolution of complex reservoir structures (as connectivity remains to be intricately tied to the mechanical and hydrologic properties of the fracture network)?

5. Which ONE of following could be closely reproduced @ the laboratory-scale towards investigating the ‘Dynamic Evolution of the Fracture Networks’ during the Hydraulic Fracturing process? (a) the generation of a complex pre‐existing natural fracture network; and (b) the evolution of connectivity during the hydraulic fracturing process.

Suresh Kumar Govindarajan, Professor [HAG]

IIT Madras 16-Dec-2024