CURRENT STATUS AND PROSPECT OF COMPUTER SIMULATION TECHNIQUES OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING IN OIL AND GAS FIELD

Hydraulic fracturing technology is the core technology in the oil and gas production, especially for the shale gas extraction. Numerical simulation for optimization design of fracking and productivity prediction is a key factor in successful hydraulic fracturing. This paper introduces the history of hydraulic fracturing technology. It reviews the computer simulation techniques of hydraulic fracturing in the oil and gas field. It covers the following two aspects: computing models(2D model, P3D model and fully 3D model) and numerical methods(continuum-based numerical methods and discontinuum-based numerical methods).Finally, the limitation of current study and the further studies needed are put forward, from the following three aspects.(1)Improvement of the fully 3D model. The combination of fully 3D model, treatment parameter and monitoring data can calibrate the model itself. The calibrated model can well predict and optimize the real hydraulic fracturing operation.(2)Selection of numerical methods. There are many methods for hydraulic fracturing. The methods should be comprehensively compared and optimized, in order to verify their applicable scope, computional efficiency and simulation effect.(3)Numerical simulation of the reservoir with natural fracture network. Natural fracture network increases the anisotropy of rock mechanical property. The interaction between natural further and hydraulic fracture benefits the reservoir stimulation, plays an important role in the geometry, dimension and connectivity rate of hydraulic fracture network. The simulation of the reservoir with natural fracture network will be the hotspot in future study.