A fully coupled method for massively parallel simulation of hydraulically driven fractures in 3-dimensions

Randolph R. Settgast, Pengcheng Fu, Stuart D.C. Walsh, Joshua A. White, Chandrasekhar Annavarapu, Frederick J. Ryerson

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213 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper describes a fully coupled finite element/finite volume approach for simulating field-scale hydraulically driven fractures in three dimensions, using massively parallel computing platforms. The proposed method is capable of capturing realistic representations of local heterogeneities, layering and natural fracture networks in a reservoir. A detailed description of the numerical implementation is provided, along with numerical studies comparing the model with both analytical solutions and experimental results. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for modeling large-scale problems involving hydraulically driven fractures in three dimensions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)627-653
Number of pages27
JournalInternational Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics
Volume41
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10 Apr 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • fracture mechanics
  • geomechanics
  • high-performance computing
  • hydraulic fracture

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