Numerical simulation of the stress field and fault sealing of complex fault combinations in Changning area, Southern Sichuan Basin, China
Jiajie Li, Qirong Qin, Hu Li, Yuanfei Wan
Abstract
Abstract In order to quantitatively study the impact of faults on shale gas productivity, taking Changning area in the south of Sichuan Basin as an example, this study analyzes the impact of fault scale and strike on shale gas productivity under complex structural environment. The typical well profile is selected to establish a three‐dimensional numerical model, and the structural stress distribution characteristics of common structural combinations in this area are analyzed by finite‐element numerical simulation. I f , I FT , and I C parameters are selected to quantitatively calculate the sealing of faults. It is found that NE‐trending faults and faults with fault drop grade of 1 in the study area have the greatest damage to shale preservation. The combination of wide and gentle syncline and small fault, low‐angle anticline, and large fault is a typical structural style in this area. The structural combination styles of well N216 and well N217 are similar, but well N216 is subjected to large compressive stress. The calculation shows that the fault plugging performance of well N216 is better than that of well N217.