Numerical simulation on multi-well fracturing considering multiple thin layers in vertical direction

Multiwell fracturing is a key technology for developing shale gas and shale oil reservoirs. In this study, a multiple planar 3D (PL3D) fracture simulator that can capture multiple thin layers was developed to examine the propagation of multiple fractures during multicluster fracturing in multiple horizontal wells. The simulator considers multiple thin layers in the vertical direction. The results of the model are validated against the analytical solution of a single radial fracture and the implicit level set algorithm (ILSA). Using the simulator, a series of numerical simulations based on the field case are performed to investigate the fracture propagation mechanism of multiwell fracturing. The completion sequence, well placement pattern, well spacing, and cluster spacing are investigated to optimize the treatment parameters. The effective fracture area is used to quantitatively describe the stimulation effect. The adaptability of the completion sequence and well placement pattern is also analysed from the perspective of “frac hits”. The results show that the completion sequence has a critical influence on the stimulation effect and fracture geometry. From the perspective of avoiding “frac-hit” fractures, fracturing the low-stress layer can form an “artificial stress barrier”, which slightly protects the well from interference from other fractures. The staggered well pattern is better than the stacked well pattern. Compared with the stacked pattern, the staggered pattern can reduce the overlap area of fractures by 80 %, which greatly reduces the probability of “frac-hits”. With increasing well spacing from 200 m to 500 m, the fracture area increases by 25 %, and the degree of uneven stimulation between the two pay zones also increases by 6 %. Considering that a small well spacing is prone to “frac hits”, a large well spacing leads to an unstimulated area between two wells, and a 350 m well spacing is optimal. The effective fracture area decreases slightly with increasing perforation cluster spacing, but the fracture geometry becomes much more regular. The results can be helpful for the field design of multiwell fracturing.