Identification of Fracture Extension Modes During Hydraulic Fracturing in Coalbed Methane Vertical Wells: A Case Study From the Southern Shizhuang Area of the Qinshui Basin, China

ABSTRACT The accurate identification of fracture extension patterns in hydraulic fracturing can provide important guidance for the optimisation of fracturing parameters. In this paper, factors such as effective hole friction and wellbore flow friction during fracturing are fully considered, and a calculation model of net bottom‐hole pressure of fracturing is constructed. By introducing the change rate of net bottom‐hole pressure and the changing characteristics of the fracturing curve, seven fracture extension modes during hydraulic fracturing in coalbed methane vertical wells are established. The accuracy of the identification method is verified by the fracture monitoring and production results in Shizhuang South Block. The results show that fracture elongation is mainly controlled by in situ stress difference, angle between natural fracture and maximum principal stress, coal tensile strength, fracturing time, proppant and angle between other factors. When the fracture construction parameters are fixed, the smaller the difference between maximum and minimum horizontal principal stresses and the smaller the natural fractures and maximum horizontal principal stresses. When the reservoir potential is similar, the effective extension index is positively correlated with the gas production effect, and the effective extension index can effectively judge the fracturing effect. The higher the proportion of effective extension mode, the longer the extension time and the higher the stable daily gas production. The research results provide a method and reference for clearly identifying the fracture extension and the occurrence conditions of different extension modes in the hydraulic fracturing process.