ABSTRACT
This chapter uses a real three-dimensional (3D) method to optimize the design of stage intervals in multistage hydraulic fracturing and the design of horizontal well spacing in unconventional oil and gas resources. This method uses continuum damage mechanics as its theoretic basis for modeling fractures
and their propagation under stimulation injection. The volumetric density of cracks created by injection fluid along with those natural fractures can be represented by a set of two scalar-damage variables. This method can provide a solution for fracture propagation in two horizontal directions: the
axial and lateral directions of the trajectory. This set of fracture propagation numerical solutions is used to optimize the design of stage intervals for multistage hydraulic fracturing; it is also used to optimize the design for well spacing in parallel horizontal wells, which is known as a zipper fracture. The determination of optimized stage intervals considers the overlapping effect of two nearby stimulation stages. This method is known as “real 3D” because the distribution of the continuum damage variable,
which represents clouds of fractures, is 3D volumetric in all three directions of the model.
