The Impact of Bedding Plane on Geotechnical Properties and Fractures Geometry of Montney Equivalent Outcrop Rocks
Date
2023-01-03
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Abstract
Hydraulic fracturing (HF) or fracking is extensively used to increase the permeability of unconventional source rocks, such as the Montney Formation which is a prolific producer of oil and gas in Western Canada. Optimizing the economic recovery of hydrocarbons in these reservoirs is dependent on understanding how the rocks fail. During HF, it is generally assumed that vertical fractures in the rock occur, since fracture propagate perpendicular to direction of minimum stress, which in the subsurface is typically in the horizontal direction. However, recent studies have shown that horizontal fractures are also formed as a part of the hydraulic fracture network (HFN), which is assumed to be related to weak bedding planes. To investigate the potential influence of weak bedding planes, a series of Brazilian tests were conducted on Montney equivalent outcrop rock samples. In these tests axial load is applied at different orientations to the bedding plane of the rock samples to evaluate the influence of bedding plane orientation on fracture behaviour, including Brazilian tensile strength, elastic properties and fracture propagation in micro and macro scale. The results of this study can lead to better understanding of the fracture behaviour of Montney siltstone and may help better predict HF fracture propagation and enhance hydrocarbon recovery.
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Keywords
Bedding plane, Tensile strength, Fracture geometry, Brazilian test, Montney Outcrop, Hydraulic fracturing
Citation
Tabatabaei Poudeh, S. H. (2023). The impact of bedding plane on geotechnical properties and fractures geometry of Montney equivalent outcrop rocks (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.