The Mechanics of Fluid-driven Fractures: Theory and Applications

Answers to basic questions have remained elusive despite the publications that this subject has attracted: How is a fracture evolving in shape and size? How is the fracturing pressure varying with time? What is the process dependence on the properties of the soils or rock, on the in situ stresses, on the properties of both the fracturing fluid and the pore fluid, and on the boundary conditions? In particular, Hydraulic Fracture Mechanics by Valko and Economides, was a good treatment of the applied mechanics of the subject at the time it was written (1995), but much of the material has been developed since then, in a more theoretical way. The proposed book is based on recent efforts by the authors, to derive accurate solutions for fluid-driven fractures. Key Features of the book include: * Focuses on the fundamentals of fluid-driven fractures * Fluid driven fracturing is an essential technique in the petrolum industry * Brings new answers to a difficult problem