Three-dimensional lattice simulation of hydraulic fracture interaction with natural fractures

Determination of the hydraulic fracture (HF) propagation patterns in fractured unconventional reservoirs typically assumes that natural fractures (NFs) persist through the full height of the reservoir/HF with uniform properties. Here a fully-coupled lattice simulator is employed to simulate the 3D interaction between HFs and NFs with spatially-varied mechanical and geometrical properties, thus capturing the dependence of HF propagation patterns on the NF cemented proportions and/or height observed in analogue laboratory experiments, and matching a 3D analytical criterion for simulation cases with different NF cohesion, friction coefficient, tensile strength, location of cemented regions, cemented proportions, and/or host rock materials.