Complex Fracture Initiation in Non-circular Borehole Enlargements

Feng-xue QIAN , Bo-tao LIU , Yan CHEN , Zai-le ZHOU , Hui ZHAO , Jie GONG

Science Technology and Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (15) : 6391 -6399.

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Science Technology and Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (15) : 6391-6399 DOI: 10.12404/j.issn.1671-1815.2504488
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Complex Fracture Initiation in Non-circular Borehole Enlargements
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Abstract

Considering both fracture toughness and rock strength criteria, a numerical model of an elliptical-circular composite wellbore was developed. The displacement discontinuity method (DDM) was applied to investigate the fracture initiation pressure and initiation location under various in-situ stress regimes. Simulation results reveal that minor variations in wellbore geometry significantly influence fracture initiation behavior. Under near-isotropic stress conditions (deviatoric stress to mean stress ratio S/P<0.1), initiation characteristics are predominantly governed by wellbore geometry. In high deviatoric stress regimes (S/P>0.5), the stress state becomes the dominant controlling factor for initiation locations. In intermediate stress conditions (0.10≤S/P≤0.50), both wellbore geometry and stress state jointly influence initiation positions, with X-shaped multiple fracture branches being more prone to initiate from non-circular wellbores under such stress configurations. Furthermore, X-shaped fractures preferentially initiate from enlarged borehole sections. It`s provides a novel methodology for characterizing fracture initiation behavior in non-circular wellbores under complex stress fields, offering significant implications for optimizing fracturing designs and enhancing reservoir stimulation efficiency.

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hydraulic fracturing / initiation location / initiation pressure / non-circular convex wellbore / dual criterion

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Feng-xue QIAN, Bo-tao LIU, Yan CHEN, Zai-le ZHOU, Hui ZHAO, Jie GONG. Complex Fracture Initiation in Non-circular Borehole Enlargements. Science Technology and Engineering, 2026, 26(15): 6391-6399 DOI:10.12404/j.issn.1671-1815.2504488

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