Propagation Mechanism of Pressure Waves during Pulse Hydraulic Fracturing in Horizontal Wells

Hydraulic fracturing, especially pulse hydraulic fracturing, is an important method for extracting oil and gas from low-permeability reservoirs, improving recovery rates significantly. Pulse hydraulic fracturing, which involves varying injection rates to create pressure waves, outperforms traditional constant-flow fracturing methods significantly. However, during pulse hydraulic fracturing operations, the flow properties of the fluid in the column change from moment to moment. Furthermore, current research on pulse hydraulic fracturing primarily focuses on vertical wells, while horizontal wells have become a common operational strategy. Therefore, a transient flow model of fluid within a horizontal well, considering variable-flow injection and unsteady friction conditions, is established in this paper. The model is solved using both the characteristic line method and the finite difference method. The hydrodynamic properties of the fracturing fluid were analyzed, and the propagation mechanisms of pressure waves within horizontal wells under various fluid injection schemes and well depths are analyzed to provide a reference for selecting appropriate fluid injection schemes in engineering practice. The study highlights the impact of fluid viscosity and injection flow amplitude on bottomhole pressure fluctuations, advancing the efficient development of low-permeability oilfields.