Influence of Oriented Perforation Design on Refracture Reorientation: Simulation and Experiment

Abstract

The oriented perforating is the essential technique to guide the refracture reorientation, but the influence of the oriented perforation design on the refracture steering radius is still unclear. In this paper, the factors influencing the refracture reorientation were studied by simulation models and experiments. The effects of initial fracture, well production, and perforations on the refracture initiation and propagation were analyzed. Three-dimensional finite element models were conducted to quantify the impact of perforation depth, density, and azimuth on the refracture. The large-scale three-axis hydraulic fracturing experiments guided by oriented perforations were also carried out to verify the fracture initiation position and propagation pattern of the simulation results. The research results showed that perforations change the near-wellbore induced stress distribution, thus changing the steering radius of the refracture. According to the simulation results, the oriented perforation design has a significant influence on the perforation guidance effect and refracture characteristics. Five hydraulic fracturing experiments proved the influence of perforating parameters on fracture initiation and morphology, which have a right consistency between the simulation results. This paper presents a numerical simulation method for evaluating the influence of the refracture reorientation characteristics under the consideration of multiple prerefracturing induced-stress and put forward the oriented perforation field design suggestions according to the study results.