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Natural Fractures and Mechanical Properties in a Horn River Shale Core From Well Logs and Hardness Measurements

Authors
Sheng Yang (University of Calgary) | Nicholas B. Harris (University of Alberta) | Tian Dong (University of Alberta) | Wei Wu (University of Calgary) | Zhangxing Chen (University of Calgary)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2118/174287-PA
Document ID
SPE-174287-PA
Publisher
Society of Petroleum Engineers
Source
SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering
Volume
21
Issue
03
Publication Date
August 2018
Document Type
Journal Paper
Pages
671 - 682
Language
English
ISSN
1094-6470
Copyright
2018.Society of Petroleum Engineers
Disciplines
Keywords
Natural Fractures, Hardness, Mechanical Property, Orthogonal Regression, Brittleness
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11 in the last 30 days
193 since 2007
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SPE Non-Member Price: USD 30.00

Summary

This paper documents the formation of natural fractures in the Horn River Group, a major Canadian shale gas play, and addresses relationships between natural-fracture development and rock-mechanical properties derived from cores and well logs. Most natural fractures in the Horn River Shale are narrow vertical fractures, sealed with carbonate minerals. In this study, the formation of observed fractures is primarily determined by a lithology type, mineral composition, and rock-mechanical properties at the timing of fracturing.

Brittleness is an important geomechanical property controlling the formation of fractures, because brittle shale is more easily fractured than ductile shale, and fractures in brittle shale tend to persist when the fracturing pressure is released. In this study, a hardness value measured by a commercial hardness tester is found to be a good proxy for the brittleness of shale layers. On the basis of a statistical analysis, the threshold values of both hardness and brittleness are estimated to predict the distribution of natural fractures, assuming that the mechanical properties of the host rock were relatively stable from at least the time at which fractures formed. Hardness values are shown to be more reliable than brittleness.

File Size  1 MBNumber of Pages   12

References

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SPE

Mechanical Properties and Natural Fractures in a Horn River Shale Core from Well Logs and Hardness Measurements

Yang, Sheng, University of Calgary
Harris, Nicholas, University of Alberta
Dong, Tian, University of Alberta
Wu, Wei, University of Calgary
Chen, Zhangxin, University of Calgary
174287-MS SPE Conference Paper - 2015
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