Numerical Analysis of Rock Mechanics and Crack Propagation

Dear Colleagues,

Within the context of the exploration and development of tight reservoirs, such as shale oil, coal bed methane, deep shale gas, deep and ultra-deep carbonate or sandstone rocks, and hot dry rocks, hydraulic fracturing has become a key technique for stimulating hydrocarbon production from these reservoirs. Crack propagation during hydraulic fracturing involves rock deformation, fluid flow in hydrofractures, heat transfer between fluid and rock, and fracture mechanics, among other phenomena, thus representing a very complex multi-physical problem. Moreover, large amounts of fracturing fluids, such as conventional slickwater fracturing fluid, variable-viscosity slick water, and nano-emulsion fluids, are injected into the formation, and there are strong fluid–rock interactions in the subsurface, which includes physical processes such as rock imbibition, fracturing fluid flowback, reservoir damage and protection, and fracturing fluid retention. Some microcrack initiation and propagation occurs due to the chemical and physical interaction in hydraulic fracturing. Numerical simulation is thus a very powerful tool to solve the complex hydraulic fracturing problems in tight reservoirs.

This Special Issue aims to present the most recent advances related to the numerical analysis of rock mechanics and crack propagation during the hydraulic fracturing of tight reservoirs.

Topics of interest for publication include but are not limited to:

(1) new hydraulic fracturing technology, such as for variable-viscosity slickwater, temporary plugging and diverting fracturing, refracturing, and variable rate fracturing

(2) evaluation of rock mechanical properties including frackability, fluid–rock interaction, and fracture toughness

(3) fluid flow and heat transfer in fractured reservoirs

(4) optimization method of hydraulic fracturing parameters

(5) water hammer diagnostic method for hydrofracture propagation

(6) diagnostic fracture injection test (DFIT) analysis

(7) fracturing fluid flowback

(8) reservoir damage and protection

(9) fracturing fluid retention

(10) rock imbibition in fractured reservoirs

Dr. Daobing Wang
Dr. Fujian Zhou
Dr. Bo Wang
Dr. Jie Wang
Guest Editors

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