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Modeling and Experiment on Permeability of Coal with Hydraulic Fracturing by Stimulated Reservoir Volume

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Abstract

Because the mechanisms that cause hydraulic fracturing to increase coal seam permeability are not clear, the effective application of hydraulic fracturing has limitations. This paper presents hydraulic fracturing and gas seepage experiments using raw coal under different stress states. The results showed that fracture propagation in coal was influenced by the properties of natural cleats and their ability to induce complex fractures. Using complex fracture abstraction and a connectivity coefficient β, a permeability model of coal subject to hydraulic fracturing with a stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) was established. The SRV effect was optimal when the pressure coefficient (Rn) was 1.46. The value of the Biot coefficient α remained unchanged at approximately 0.854 as the net pressure coefficient was changed. As Rn was increased, the stress sensitive coefficient Cf decreased and the increase in permeability caused by SRV was higher. The permeability of coal subjected to SRV was about two to three orders of magnitude higher than before fracturing. Conventional fracturing only increased the permeability to twice that before fracturing. Therefore, the influence and benefits of SRV should be considered when predicting coal-bed methane production from the permeability of coal beds.

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Abbreviations

\({\sigma _\text{n}}\) :

Normal stress on the natural fracture (MPa)

\({T_0}\) :

Rock tensile strength (MPa)

\(\Delta {p_{{\text{nf}}}}\) :

Fluid pressure drop between the intersection and the fracture ends (MPa)

\({p_i}\) :

Fluid pressure at the fracture intersection (MPa)

\({p_{{\text{net}}}}\) :

Net pressure during construction in wellbore (MPa)

\({\sigma _1}\) :

Maximum horizontal stress (MPa)

\({\sigma _3}\) :

Minimum horizontal stress (MPa)

\(\theta\) :

The angle between hydraulic fracture and natural fracture (°)

R n :

Net pressure coefficient

µ :

Dynamic viscosity (MPa·s)

p :

Gas pressure (MPa)

x j :

The Cartesian coordinates where j = 1, 2, 3

a :

Cleat spacing (mm)

b :

Cleat aperture (mm)

ϕ :

Fracture porosity

β :

Connectivity coefficient of fracture network

k 0 :

Initial permeability (md)

C f :

Fracture compressibility (MPa−1)

σ e0 :

Initial effective stress (MPa)

σ e :

Effective stress (MPa)

σ :

Confining stress (MPa)

α :

Biot’s coefficient

k :

Permeability (10−3 µm2)

Q :

Gas flow rate (cm3/s)

P 0 :

Atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa)

L :

Sample length (mm)

A :

Specimen cross-sectional area (cm2)

P 1 :

Injection pressure (MPa)

P 2 :

Outlet pressure (MPa)

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51625401, 51774055, 51804050) and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2017M620415).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Zhaolong Ge, Shihua Li, Zhe Zhou, Yiyu Lu, Binwei Xia & Jiren Tang

  2. Postdoctoral Station of Safety Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Zhe Zhou

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  1. Zhaolong Ge
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  2. Shihua Li
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  3. Zhe Zhou
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  4. Yiyu Lu
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Correspondence to Zhe Zhou.

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Ge, Z., Li, S., Zhou, Z. et al. Modeling and Experiment on Permeability of Coal with Hydraulic Fracturing by Stimulated Reservoir Volume. Rock Mech Rock Eng 52, 2605–2615 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-018-1682-z

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