Lithology-Dependent Fracture Propagation in Ultra-Large True-Triaxial Hydraulic-Fracturing Experiments

Abstract

Tight reservoirs commonly exhibit low permeability and pronounced lithological heterogeneity, resulting in complex interactions among far-field stress, local structural weakness, and fluid-driven fracture propagation. In this study, four non-replicated 2 m × 2 m × 1 m physical-model specimens representing tight glutenite, tight sandstone, and No. 3 coal rock from the Huabei Oilfield were investigated using an ultra-large true-triaxial hydraulic-fracturing system. Surface-fracture observations, microseismic monitoring, and high-frequency wellhead-pressure measurements were integrated to compare fracture responses under lithology-specific combinations of injection rate, fluid viscosity, perforation configuration, and stress state. The tested glutenite cases exhibited branched or localized fracture patterns depending on the combined treatment configuration; the sandstone case was dominated by a throughgoing main fracture approximately aligned with the principal-stress direction; and the coal-rock case showed extensive participation of bedding and cleat systems. These morphological differences were accompanied by distinct pressure and microseismic signatures, indicating different pathways of hydraulic-energy redistribution and fracture activation. For the two glutenite cases, the combined change from a single-perforation configuration at 0.5 m3/min to three helical perforations at 120° and 0.7 m3/min was associated with a 42.2% larger microseismic-derived stimulated reservoir volume (SRV). Taken together, these responses indicate a shift from stronger far-field-stress-controlled localization in the comparatively uniform sandstone to progressively greater local structural control by heterogeneous interfaces in glutenite and by bedding/cleat discontinuities in coal rock. Because each configuration was represented by a single specimen and several experimental variables changed simultaneously among cases, the observed differences are interpreted as case-specific mechanistic trends rather than statistically established universal relationships. The results show the value of combining fracture morphology, microseismic spatial evolution, and pressure dynamics for interpreting lithology-dependent fracture propagation in ultra-large physical models and for developing qualitative, lithology-adapted hydraulic-fracturing concepts.