In-situ stresses controlling hydraulic fracture propagation and fracture breakdown pressure

In-situ stress impact on hydraulic fracturing is investigated to enhance hydraulic fracturing performance. Lithology-controlled lower and upper bounds of the horizontal stresses are proposed, and an improved stress polygon method is presented. This improved method can narrow the area of the conventional stress polygon, particularly in shales; therefore, constrain the in-situ stress estimate. The lithology-controlled stresses indicate that a...