Unstable Hydraulic Fracture and Stress Disturbance in Heterogeneous Rock

Unconventional energy resources, such as coalbed methane, shale oil and gas, and tight reservoirs, are increasingly developed through hydraulic fracturing to enhance rock permeability and improve recovery. The effectiveness of these processes depends largely on the morphology and complexity of fracture networks, which are governed by unstable propagation mechanisms including deflection, intersection, and penetration.
These behaviors are influenced by the heterogeneous nature of rock formations (bedding, grains, natural fractures) as well as interactions among multiple induced fractures. This book provides a systematic investigation of the relationship between fracture propagation and stress field evolution in heterogeneous media. It introduces advanced numerical methods, modeling approaches, and simulation techniques to analyze the dynamic behavior of hydraulic fractures under complex conditions, including multi-layered reservoirs, fracture-fracture interactions, and thermal effects.
Combining theoretical development with computational innovation, this work offers valuable insights into fracture network formation and its impact on reservoir performance. It serves as a useful reference for researchers and students in engineering mechanics, civil engineering, mining, petroleum engineering, and geosciences.