Perpustakaan Digital ITB

Hydraulic fracturing is a widely applied method to improve hydrocarbon recovery in low permeability and unconventional reservoirs. Among various available tools, PyFrac© offers an open source and modifiable Python based platform for modeling fracture behavior. However, the original version of PyFrac© is limited to single stage fracture simulation, which restricts its use in field applications that involve multistage hydraulic fracturing. This study adapts PyFrac© to enable fracture propagation modelling in multistage hydraulic fracturing by incorporating depth dependent looping and trajectory based input modification. The developed framework allows the simulation of multiple fracture stages along a horizontal wellbore and enables detailed observation of fracture propagation characteristics throughout the stimulation sequence. The simulation results demonstrate that fluid viscosity significantly affects the rate and extent of fracture growth. Higher viscosity causes delayed propagation by maintaining the fracture in a viscosity dominated regime for a longer duration before transitioning to height contained propagation. In contrast, lower viscosity facilitates faster pressure transmission to the fracture tip, resulting in earlier propagation onset and increased fracture length. Variations in fracture toughness also influence the propagation response, particularly under low viscosity conditions. The adapted PyFrac© framework provides a practical approach for visualizing and quantifying fracture width, length, and propagation regimes in multistage hydraulic fracturing scenarios. This approach supports early stage fracture design and improves the understanding of fracture propagation behavior under different fluid and rock properties, especially in complex reservoir settings.