Hydraulic fracture networks, especially fracture geometry, height growth, and proppant transport within the networks, present a critical influence on productivity evaluation and optimization of fracturing parameters. However, information about hydraulic fracture networks in post-fractured formations is seldom available. In this study, the characteristics (density and orientation) of hydraulic fractures were obtained from field observations of cores taken from conglomerate hydraulic fracturing test site (CHFTS). A large number of fractures were observed in the cores, and systematic fracture description was carried out. The fracture analysis data obtained includes fracture density, fracture depth, fracture orientation, morphology, fracture surface features, apertures, fill, fracture mechanical origin (type), etc. Our results show that 228 hydraulic fractures were intersected in a span of 293.71 m of slant core and composed of irregularly spaced single fractures and fracture swarms. One of the potential sources of the observed fracture swarms is near-wellbore tortuosity. Moreover, for regions far away from the wellbore, reservoir heterogeneity can promote complex hydraulic fracture trajectories. The hydraulic fractures were mainly cross-gravel and high-angle fractures and align with maximum horizontal stress (S_Hmax) ± 15°. The fracture density, orientations, and types obtained from the core fracture description provided valuable information regarding fracture growth behavior. For the near-wellbore area with a transverse distance of less than 25 m from the hydraulically-fractured wellbore, tensile fractures were dominant. While for the area far away from the wellbore, shear fractures were dominant. Our results provide improved understanding of the spatial hydraulic fracture dimensions, proppant distribution, and mechanism of hydraulic fracture formation. The dataset acquired can also be used to calibrate numerical models and characterize hydraulic fracture geometry and proppant distribution.

To characterize the hydraulic fracture network of a conglomerate reservoir, a slant core well was drilled aimed to obtain direct information regarding hydraulic fractures through slant core at the conglomerate hydraulic fracturing test site (CHFTS). Core fracture classification was the fundamental issue of the project. In this study, three grade classifications for core fractures were proposed. Comprehensive classification of core fractures was carried out using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP)–fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) method. Finally, the fracture classification results were validated against numerical simulation. The grade-1 fracture classification included hydraulic fractures, drilling-induced fractures and core cutting-induced fractures. A total of 214 hydraulic fractures were observed. For the grade-2 classification, the hydraulic fractures were divided into 47 tensile fractures and 167 shear fractures. For the grade-3 classification, the shear fractures were subdivided into 45 tensile-shear fractures and 122 compression-shear fractures. Based on the numerical verification of the core fracture classifications, the dataset acquired was applied to analyze the spatial distribution of tensile and shear fractures. Results showed that the tensile fractures were mainly in the near-wellbore area with lateral distances of less than 20–25 m from the wellbore. The shear fractures were mainly in the far-wellbore area with lateral distances of 20–30 m from the wellbore. These results provide a basis for understanding the fracture types, density, and failure mechanisms of post-fracturing conglomerate reservoir.

The direct shear tests showed that the degradation of unevenness and waviness of the laminae plane is the primary reason for the dynamic decrease in shear strength. A shear constitutive model was proposed which considers the scale effect and the asperity geometry of the unevenness and waviness of the laminar plane. The evolution of the shear strength and stiffness with a normal stress and scale effect during the shearing of shale laminae planes was explored. The results show that high normal stress aggravates the stiffness hardening of laminae planes and forms larger peak shear stress and peak shear displacement. At the lab scale, the increase in the unevenness wavelength has a hardening effect on the shear stiffness and strength. The small-scale unevenness contributes most to the shear strength of shale laminae planes at the lab scale. At the field scale, the increase in the waviness wavelength has a softening effect on the shear stiffness and strength.