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A New Method for Simulating Fractures and Evaluating Drilling Plugging Effectiveness Based on 3D Printing
YANG Liuqing, WANG Haibo, LIU Zhimin, ZENG Xin, LIU Ming
Xinjiang Oil & Gas    2026, 22 (1): 58-67.   DOI: 10.12388/j.issn.1673-2677.2026.01.007
Abstract (1553)      PDF (7494KB)(25)       Save
Lost circulation is a critical technical challenge in drilling engineering. Current laboratory simulations of fracture-induced lost circulation primarily rely on traditional methods such as steel plate fractures,metal sheets,and sand beds,which fail to adequately replicate complex characteristics of actual thief zones,including the fracture orientation,tortuosity,and surface roughness. As a result,the field application success rate of plugging materials under complex geological conditions is still generally low. This paper proposes an innovative method that integrates realistic fracture simulation of thief zones with 3D printing technology through 3D imaging reconstruction. Actual rock samples of thief zones are scanned to establish digital core models,and 3D printing is applied to creating simulated cores,which significantly improves the fidelity and compatibility to real fracture structures. On this basis,a customized high temperature high pressure dynamic circulation plugging apparatus is used to conduct systematic pressure bearing experiments of multi-scale composite fractures. The sealing performance of various plugging formulations are compared and analyzed between 3D printed cores and traditional steel plate fractures,and a new methodology applicable to realistic fracture simulation and plugging evaluation is constructed. Field testing has validated that the optimized plugging formulation presents a one-time success rate of 83%,significantly enhancing the operational feasibility and economic viability of plugging operations. This method provides effective technical support for the efficient and precise sealing of complex formation fractures and contributes substantially to improved drilling efficiency and security of oil and gas resource recovery.
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