Mechanism for Network Fracturing in Natural Fractured Reservoir

By the methods of in-house experiment and theory analysis, the fracture initiation, stretch and interconnected mechanism of natural fracture is studied in the fracturing process of main fracture and branch fracture extending. The results have shown that, the hydraulic fracture in fractured formation is composed of a few main fractures in large size and many s secondary fractures in small size. The main fracture has the extending trend with the maximum crustal stress direction. The direction of sub fracture is network along the maximum crustal stress. The higher the degree of natural fractures, the difference between maximum and minimum crustal stress smaller. And the natural fracture is easier to form larger fracture. Fracture orientation and fracture width are determined by different combinations of natural fractures and the relative orientation with the maximum crustal stress.