Influence of formation activation induced by fracturing fluid on casing deformation during hydraulic fracturing operation in shale gas wells

Sichuan Basin in China is rich in shale gas resources and has great exploration and development capacity. It is the main area of shale gas exploration and production in China. The proved shale gas reserves discovered by Sinopec in Weirong area exceed 100 billion m3, and they play an important role in the development of shale gas in China. In Sichuan Basin, the use of traditional shale gas production methods such as multi-stage hydraulic fracturing is hampered by serious casing deformation. By December 2019, Sinopec performed hydraulic fracturing operations in 20 wells in this area, where casing deformation was encountered in 10 wells, resulting in an increase of up to 5.69% in the proportion of invalid fracture sections. In order to explain the mechanism of casing deformation during hydraulic fracturing, the geological structures of a shale gas production site in Sichuan Basin with frequent casing deformation were examined, and the geological reasons for this deformation were revealed. In addition, a geological model was established to calculate the influence of formation activation induced by fracturing fluid on the casing load, and formation activation during hydraulic fracturing was studied. The results reported in this paper are of great significance for optimizing hydraulic fracturing parameters and reducing the influence of formation activities on the casing of horizontal wells.