ABSTRACT
No discussion of fracturing is possible without žrst discussing in situ stresses since these stresses dominate the fracturing process. As described in the following, the fracture will form perpendicular to the minimum in situ stress-thus the injection pressure must be greater than this minimum. In this way, in situ stresses control injection pressure and thus dominate well construction requirements and required hydraulic horsepower to pump the treatment. After the fracture forms and proppant is placed, this minimum stress acts to crush the proppant, thus determining the type of proppant required. In situ stresses dominate the fracturing process.
