Visualization and characterization of experimental hydraulic fractures interacting with karst fracture-cavity distributions

Karst fracture-cavity carbonate reservoirs, in which natural cavities are connected by natural fractures to form cavity clusters in many circumstances, have become significant fields of oil and gas exploration and exploitation. Proppant fracturing is considered as the best method for exploiting carbonate reservoirs; however, previous studies primarily focused on the effects of individual types of geological formations, such as natural fractures or cavities, on fracture propagation. In this study, true-triaxial physical simulation experiments were systematically performed under four types of stress difference conditions after the accurate prefabrication of four types of different fracture-cavity distributions in artificial samples. Subsequently, the interaction mechanism between the hydraulic fractures and fracture-cavity structures was systematically analyzed in combination with the stress distribution, cross-sectional morphology of the main propagation path, and three-dimensional visualization of the overall fracture network. It was found that the propagation of hydraulic fractures near the cavity was inhibited by the stress concentration surrounding the cavity. In contrast, a natural fracture with a smaller approach angle (0° and 30°) around the cavity can alleviate the stress concentration and significantly facilitate the connection with the cavity. In addition, the hydraulic fracture crossed the natural fracture at the 45° approach angle and bypassed the cavity under higher stress difference conditions. A new stimulation effectiveness evaluation index was established based on the stimulated reservoir area (SRA), tortuosity of the hydraulic fractures (T), and connectivity index (CI) of the cavities. These findings provide new insights into the fracturing design of carbonate reservoirs.