Optimal design of hydraulic fracturing in porous media using the phase field fracture model coupled with genetic algorithm

Abstract

We present a framework for the coupling of fluid-filled fracture propagation and a genetic inverse algorithm for optimizing hydraulic fracturing scenarios in porous media. Fracture propagations are described by employing a phase field approach, which treats fracture surfaces as diffusive zones rather than of interfaces. Performance of the coupled approach is provided with applications to numerical experiments related to maximizing production or reservoir history matching for emphasizing the capability of the framework. © 2018, Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature.