Section II/T.O.P.

, Paper 3

FORMATION OF VERTICAL FRACTURES

BY MEANS OF HIGHLY VISCOUS LIQUID
BY

S. A. KHRISTIANOVIC AND Y. P. ZHELTOV ( * )

This paper throws light upon the process of
vertical fracture formation during the hydraulic
rupture of a reservoir by a non-penetrating
liquid. Formulae are deduced for determining
the change of pressure in time a t the drilling
hole bottom with a constant injection rate of the
rupture liquid, and the change in the length,
thickness and configuration of the fracture.
Fractures are formed in the plane, perpen-
dicular to that of the formation - “vertical
cracks ”, - in case of hydraulic rupture of the
formation by highly viscous, hard penetrating
or non-penetrating liquid. Let us consider tho
simplest case of the formation mechanism of
such a symmetrical fracture in the homogeneous
reservoir, providing that there was an initial
fracture at the drilling hole face.
It is assumed that the bed is subjected to a
confining compression caused by the rock pres-
sure. The compressing tensions resulting from
the rock pressure, are equal to 5 , = - qoD in
infinity, where q,> 0. Let us assume that the
case plotted on Fig. 1 is taking place in all
horizontal sections of the bed at a given mo-
ment. The length of the fracture a t this mo-
ment is 2, while that of the fracture’s part filled
with the viscous liquid is equal to 2’0. I t should
be taken into account that the viscous liquid
does not cover the whole length of the fracture,
and the mechanism of the reservoir rupture is
to a certain extent analogous to that of the
wedge. The rate of the liquid injection into
one of the fractures is Q , the reservoir thick-
ness h, and the liquid viscosity ,. 26 is the width
of the fracture. The resulting relation between
-
( * ) Academy of Sciences, Moscova, TJSSR.
the rate of injection Q , the pressure gradient
__ and the fracture width i s :
axf)
The distribution of pressure along the frac-
ture depends on the form of the fracture, which
is also unknown. Let us assume that A p =
= p - p , is the difference between the liquid
pressure in the fracture and in the bed. At the
beginning of the fracture A p = Apw at the
drilling hole wall ; A p decreases along the frac-
ture. A p = 0 at point 2’0. A part of the
fracture between the point positioned at 2’0and
the fracture’s end is filled with the reservoir
liquid. There is no liquid pressure on the wall
here.
Let us assume that the fracture form at the
o < 5’ < 1 part is determined by the following
equation :
PI
where 260 is the maximum width of the fracture
at the drilling hole wall. Suppose -
2) = s and
1
A is a dimensionless parameter.
[31
Then, integrating Eq. [i], we obtain:
5
580 PROCEEDINGS FOURTH WORLD PETROLEIJM CONGRESS-SECTION II/T.O.P.

as A p = 0 at the fracture point with the ab- Now let usIsolvelanother, still more simpli-
50 fied problem. As the diameter of the hole is
scissa TO = - then rather small, if compared t o the length of the
1
X. fracture, we may ignore the influence of the
hole itself on the tension in the elastic bed and
[51
consider the fracture as a slot, in the symmetry
centre of which the rupture liquid is being in-
Let us solve our problem with an approxi- jected. The solution of this problem with the
mation. We assume that the distribution of pres- help of a more precise scheme, reflecting the
sure along the fracture is known. We are to influence of the hole, does not involve major
find the statically equivalent, uniformly dis- difficulties, but leads t o considerably compli-
tributed load && applied to the fracture wall cated formulae.
over the length 0 . By a statically equivalent Let us substitute the unknown load on the
load we mean a load, the resultant of which is fracture wall by the above-mentioned equivalent,
equal t o the resultant of the true load [ 4 ] applied uniformly distributed one and find the configu-
to the fracture wall over a certain length 20. ration and length of the fracture, corresponding
both resultants having one and the same point t o that load. The configuration of the fracture
of application. is determined by the pressure G, applied t o
The following equations are used for deter- the fracture walls a t - 50 < x < >o and by the
mining ZO and A T w : all-sided compression of the reservoir due to
the confining pressure G m = - qoD. The di-
mensions of the fracture are t o be deduced from
the following extremely important condition:
the rock tensions on the fracture ends must be
and finite. Otherwise the fracture could not have
ended.
Thus, the problem is reduced t o an entirely
definite problem in the theory of elasticity, and
its solution, using the methods discussed by N.
We shall further base our reasoning on the J. Muskhelishvili in his book (1) affords no dif-
fact that the configuration of the fracture will ficulties.
be but little changed by the substitution of the So, U and U are shifts, parallel to the x' and
equivalent, uniformly distributed load for t h e
y axes (Fig. 1),sx,c,, and T ~ normal
, and tan-
true one. gential tensions on the stands, perpendicular to
This assumption is only approximately true,
the co-ordinate axes. Half-length of the frac-
for the width of the fracture first undergoes ture is taken t o be a unit. Then (1):
a gradual decrease, but then beginning from a
certain point located close to xo, displays ra-
pid narrowing, so that the main pressure-fall
along the fracture occurs in a comparatively
narrow region adjoining z = XO. If necessary, where
the approximate solution thus received may be
easily made more exact. [91
 S. A. KHRISTIANOVIC, A N D Y. P. ZHELTOV-FORMATION O F VERTICAL FRACTURES 58 1

-_
The function w (C) conformly maps the do- In the point A : f A = 2Aputa. This value
main, outside the slot, onto the domain of t,he is preserved along the ABC section of the con-
plane C = reis. The functions 'p (C) and 4J (1;) tour, where A p = 0. At the CDE section :
in case of tensions in infinity equal to zero, are
X
determined by the equations (1). _ _
f = 2Apw zo + GWd z = G w (z+ &).
x8

In the point E f E = 0. This value is pre-

served along the EFG section. The function f
possesses a real value. In this case [11] equa-
tion is simplified :

therefore 4J (C) = 'p (4 - w(r) 'p' (1;)- ~ 5 1

f = /AdX. c[121 Let us calculate the value of function 'p (C)
The function f is the resultant of the pres- and 9 (I;)providing that = " we Obtain
sure forces applied to the slot surface between
fixed and variable points. In the above-given 2xi
formulae, the dash designates a conjugated com- --
__ 'pl (C) =
plex value. The integrale are taken along the APw
00
contour in the negative direction.
Resulting from [SI, bC
do
2 = cos8 ~ 3 1 do,
along the slot contour. 80 is the angle deter-
mined by the equality s0
-
xi3 = cos80. 2xi

The plane C is plotted on Fig. 2 .

0
+ i x-280
1; + cos80 In (oG-C)(oA-<) (GE--<)(oC-C).

Calculating the derivative of this function, and

taking into account, that = esaoa,;aa = eic-8,);

oE= ei(x+%); QC = e(%c-8&,

F B
we shall have the following expression
--
27ci
- 'p'l(1;) =
APW
D
Fig. 2.
In case of all-sided uniform compression we
Let 11s find the function f . It is assumed have (')'
that its value is equal to zero in the G point.
Then, on the arc of GOA contour
5

f = J @w dcc = Gw(z+ To).

- 5.
582 PROCEEDINGS FOURTH WORLD PETROLEUM CONGRESS-SECTION II/T.O.P.

so that

To determine the tensions, and taking into

account that the function is determined by the
formula [15], we shall have (1):

and

The formula for shifts [SI is also now sim-

plified and assumes the following form :

+
211. (U i v ) = x'p (<I 'p (3.
(22)
As at the y = 0 axis, and particularly along
the slot contour w (C) is real, it is evident from
[21] formula that :
CXlU=O, =Cu,u-o,. [=I Fig. 3
Then, it results from [20] that the finality
J
?
g determines the finality of tensions along tg -_
9+90
2
9' (t:)
the contour of the fracture. Hence: + cos$l0ln 9 +a0
+
(C) = 'pl (C) 90 (0
'p ~ 4 1
tg 2.
Using [IS] and [19], one would receive : and in case of 9 < 80;

- cos% In
apw
-- cos),
In order that the tensions should have the 80 +90 2
finite value on the ends of the fracture in case
tg 2
of t: = f 1, there must be :
Hence, using [22] we obtain :
r-

Now let us calculate the shifts along the slot

contour. Taking into account [25] we have in
case of 3 < a0:
I
sin (3+0)
sin (9-90)
+
 S. A. KHRISTIANOVIC AND Y. P. ZHELTOV-FORMATION O F VERTICAL FRACTURES 583

and various values of 80 where a,, is the value of

__ x
a with 8 = -.
U = -(y,-l)Apw COS^^ in case o f 8 <80 [27] 2
2P
Near the point a = $0 we have in approxi-
mation :

The graph of this function is given on Fig. 4.

- In ($-ao) +
(8-4l0) Having found the configuration of the slots,
+ sin80 (1 + In sin 2a0) + ...} [28] we may calculate ZO, A and APW with the help
~

APW
Differentiating [27], we have : of [5], [6] and [ 7 ] , and then, using [ 4 ] , draw
the corresponding epures of pressure distribution
_ x +~1 (ao
~

dv
- APw! _ _In sin 4) along the fractures.
d8 2p 2x sin (9.0 +8j' Table I provides the values of X O , A and
hence in relation t o 8,:Fig. 5 gives the pressure
APW
a 0

and

It results from [29] and [30] that a t the end

of the slot a tangent to the slot surface coincides
with the direction of this slot, and there is a
convexity in the slot surface, directed t o the
side of the slot.
So we have:
, +-1 - -
- 1-v2

2P E '
where E - Young's modulus, and v - Poisson's Ql
coefficient. So
Fig. 4.
E
a=2(1 +$)-.U=
Qw

TABLEI
-
, APW
- __
a0 xo APw x. A Q 5 7
.

-19-901 3x
8
0,382 0,89 4,5p, 0,465 0,787 1,58 0,398 0,328

- cos In tg ![31] 2
4
0.707 0,92 2,18qw 0,770 0,250 0.78 0.637 0,622

tg 2 0,830 0,94 1,7qw 0,873 0,100 0,52 0,680 0.676

- 0,920 0,985 1,35q, 0,938 0,0264 0,315 0,713 0,712

The configuration of the slots is presented
a - 0,980 0,99 2,155qw 0,989 0,015 0,15 0,706 0.706
as a dependence of - from 8 on Fig. 3, with
cb
584 PROCEEDINGS F O U R T H W O H L D P E T R O L E i M CONGRESS-SECTION II/T.O.P.

2
I
I
I
1 I
I I
I I
I I
I
I I
I I
I
I I
I I
I I
I I
I I
I I
I
I I
I I
I
I
I
I I
I I
I
I
I
I
I I
I I

1
I I
I

Fig. 5.

distribution along the slots and uniformly dis- where

tributed loads equivalent to them.
The volume of the fracture is to be found. 7, =/---
dx. U
We have: 0
U0

The value of T, in relation to various values

of is also given in Table I.
90
1,' = 26ohl7 Consequently, there is the following law of
where similarity :
1

7= /- U
- dx.
U0
If the constant value of pressure A pw is
maintained at the face of the drilling hole, the
0 fracture configuration and the values A and
The value of for various 8 0 is also given in xo are also constant. I t results from [36], that
Table I. the squared length of the fracture must change
Substituting the magnitude 60 in the [3] for- in this case in direct proportion to the rate of
mula by its expression from [ 3 3 ] ,we receive : injection.
We receive, using [36], [37] and [38]:
v, = CQ. [391
Now let us find the volume V , of the vis- where
cous liquid in the fracture. We have :
V , = 260h17,, [371
 S. A. KHRISTIANOVIC, A N D Y . P. ZHELTOV-FORMATION O F VERTICAL F R A C T U R E S 585

t Fig. 6 provides the graph of dependence o f

As d V , , = cdQ = Qdt, we have Q = Q o e c [ 4 i ] the parameter A on 80.In case of low values
for the change in time of the rate of thc of 8 we have in approximation
liquid injection, where: 00is the initial rate o f
injection a t the moment, t = 0, immediately fol- [43j
lowing the rupture. Practically, it is more im-
portant to determine the change in time of pres-
sure at the face of the hole with a constant rate In case of low values of $0 one may assume
of the rupture liquid injection. that ATw Apw and T+ 0.7.
Then, using [36], we obtain:
In case of low values of SO we have in ap-
proximation :

Using formulae 1371 and [ 3 3 ] , we shall have :

where TO is the initial volume (at t = 0) of liquid

in the fracture. The obtained formulae provide
good approximation for the values APW -< 1,3.?.
400

N 200-
E

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 E
TIME, min.
Fig. 7.

In case of high values of this ratio. the follow-

ing approximation may be used :
U0=: 1,163p.
A s o,5i58$
Graphs of these functions are given on Figs. 4
Fig. 6. and 6 in dotted line.
586 PROCEEDINGS FOURTH WORLD PETROLEUM CONGRESS-SECTION II/T.O.P.

Now; we obtain in an analogous w a y : of pressure change in time at the face o f the

drilling hole with : qca = 100 kg/cm2; E = 5.105
kg/cm2 ; v = 0 , 2 ; 'I = 10 poises ; TO = 0.

Bibliography
T, p change with an (1) Muskhelishvili N. J. '' Some Basic problems of
APW
o f -- and may be considered as constant in the Mathematica,l Theory of Elasticity". Pub-
Qca lishing House of t h e USSR Academy of
first approximation. Fig. 7 provides the graph Sciences, 1954.