On relative input of viscous shear into the elasticity equation at near-front, near-inlet and the major part of a hydraulic fracture

Abstract

The input of the hydraulically induced shear traction into the elasticity equation is estimated for the entire fracture surface. It is established that, except for negligibly small vicinities of a pointed source and of the fluid front, the relative input of the viscous shear does not exceed 10 - 4 of the input of the conventionally accounted term. The estimation is true for Newtonian, as well as non-Newtonian thinning fluids. This implies that there is no need to account for viscous shear not only in the form of conventional near-front asymptotics and fracture conditions, but also in factors entering them.