Synonym: Hydraulic fracture = Induced fracture
Rock fracture created around a well as a result of anthropogenic invasion (see Fig. 1).
When the maximum principal stress is in the vertical direction, a vertical fracture will be created and propagate parallel to the σh,max direction and perpendicular to the σh,min direction.
In order to keep fracture opened during production the fracture void is usually filled with Proppant.
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| Fig. 1 – Hydraulic fracture schematic showing fracture half-length (Xf), fracture height (hf) and fracture width (wf). |
See Also
Petroleum Industry / Upstream / Well / Well-Reservoir Contact (WRC)
[ Production / Subsurface Production / Well & Reservoir Management (WRM) / Well stimulation / Hydraulic Fracturing ][ Proppant ]
[ Geology / Rocks / Fracture ]
[ Infinite conductivity fracture ] [ Finite conductivity fracture ]
[ Fracture conductivity (FC) ][ Dimensionless fracture conductivity (FCD) ]
[ Fracture half-length (Xf) ][ Fracture width (kf) ][ Fracture volume (Vf) ][ Fracture pore volume (Vef) ][ Fracture permeability (kf) ][ Breakdown pressure (pb) ]