Application of Dimensional Analysis to Project Laboratory Scale Numerical Modelling Prescribed Hydraulic Fracturing Results to Field Scales

Hydraulic fracturing has been applied in the cave mining industry with the purpose of re-creating an orebody rock mass condition that is suitable for caving. Prescribed hydraulic fracturing was proposed in a previous study as a supplement to the conventional hydraulic fracturing strategy. In this paper; dimensional analysis is used to project laboratory scale numerical modelling results to field scales in order to study the applicability of creating prescribed hydraulic fractures (PHFs) under field conditions. The results indicate that field scale PHFs are feasible if the stress shadows of the pre-located fractures are properly utilized. Water can be used to create the pre-located fractures that induce the local stress change in a low differential stress state; and the use of more proppants and a shorter pre-located fracture spacing lead to PHFs propagating more quickly towards the pre-located fractures. For field condition having high differential stresses, more viscous fluid must be used to create the pre-located fractures in order to enhance the stress shadows. In this case, a shorter pre-located fracture spacing does not necessarily result in the re-orientation of PHFs towards the pre-located fractures and may even lead to unsatisfactory pre-conditioning. A sufficiently high pre-located fracture net pressure to the differential stress ratio (close to 0.5) is the prerequisite for creating PHFs.

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