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Preliminary Investigation of Fracture Behavior during Carbon Dioxide Fracturing of Natural Hydrogen Reservoir with Hard-Core Imperfections
Research Article  ·  Published: 18 January 2026
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Reservoir Science
Volume 2, Issue 1, 2026: 34-51
Research Article Open Access

Preliminary Investigation of Fracture Behavior during Carbon Dioxide Fracturing of Natural Hydrogen Reservoir with Hard-Core Imperfections

by
Muhammad Usman Tahir Muhammad Usman Tahir 1
Shenglan Guo Shenglan Guo 2 * ORCID
1 Atland Petro FZC, Sharjah 1377, United Arab Emirates
2 Guangzhou Gas Group Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 511436, China
* Corresponding Author: Shenglan Guo, [email protected]
Volume 2, Issue 1
Volume 2, Issue 1 2026
Received: 15 November 2025 Accepted: 10 January 2026 Published: 18 January 2026 CrossMark
Download PDF 2.21 MB Cite Metrics
DOI: 10.62762/RS.2025.759326
ARK: ark:/57805/rs.2025.759326

Article Information

Published in Reservoir Science
Volume/Issue Volume 2, Issue 1, 2026
Pages 34-51
Cited by 36 (Crossref) 35 (Scopus)

Abstract

The low concentration and poor reservoir properties of natural hydrogen suggest that reservoir stimulation measures such as fracturing is required for its efficient development. Nevertheless, the presence of reservoir imperfections, including hard and soft cores, can significantly affect fracture behavior during the fracturing operations. Moreover, there is currently a lack of relevant simulation and experimental studies addressing these effects. In the present work, the effects and mechanisms of hard cores on fracture propagation in natural hydrogen reservoirs in the Songliao basin were numerically simulated. In addition, various factors affecting propagation behavior of fracture were also analyzed. The investigation results indicate that the presence of hard cores induces the fracture propagation mode from “straight-line dominated” to “path optimization” (obstacle-avoidance) pattern, which consequently decreases propagation efficiency. The final fracture length exhibits a reduction of 12.63% compared with that in the homogeneous reservoir case, accompanied by an increase of 18.49% in the final fracture width. Furthermore, higher hard core strength and leakage coefficients significantly decrease fracture propagation efficiency, promoting the development of wide, short fractures. This research offers a preliminary theoretical framework to support the stimulation and efficient development of imperfection-bearing natural hydrogen reservoirs.

Graphical Abstract

Preliminary Investigation of Fracture Behavior during Carbon Dioxide Fracturing of Natural Hydrogen Reservoir with Hard-Core Imperfections

Keywords

natural hydrogen carbon dioxide-based fracturing reservoir imperfection fracture initiation fracture propagation

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available on request.

Funding

This work was supported without any funding.

Conflicts of Interest

Muhammad Usman Tahir is affiliated with the Atland Petro FZC, Sharjah 1377, United Arab Emirates, and Shenglan Guo is affiliated with the Guangzhou Gas Group Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 511436, China. The authors declare that these affiliations had no influence on the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or the decision to publish, and that no other competing interests exist.

AI Use Statement

The authors declare that no generative AI was used in the preparation of this manuscript.

Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate

Not applicable.

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APA Style
Tahir, M. U., & Guo, S. (2026). Preliminary Investigation of Fracture Behavior during Carbon Dioxide Fracturing of Natural Hydrogen Reservoir with Hard-Core Imperfections. Reservoir Science, 2(1), 34–51. https://doi.org/10.62762/RS.2025.759326
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TY  - JOUR
AU  - Tahir, Muhammad Usman
AU  - Guo, Shenglan
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/18
TI  - Preliminary Investigation of Fracture Behavior during Carbon Dioxide Fracturing of Natural Hydrogen Reservoir with Hard-Core Imperfections
JO  - Reservoir Science
T2  - Reservoir Science
JF  - Reservoir Science
VL  - 2
IS  - 1
SP  - 34
EP  - 51
DO  - 10.62762/RS.2025.759326
UR  - https://www.icck.org/article/abs/RS.2025.759326
KW  - natural hydrogen
KW  - carbon dioxide-based fracturing
KW  - reservoir imperfection
KW  - fracture initiation
KW  - fracture propagation
AB  - The low concentration and poor reservoir properties of natural hydrogen suggest that reservoir stimulation measures such as fracturing is required for its efficient development. Nevertheless, the presence of reservoir imperfections, including hard and soft cores, can significantly affect fracture behavior during the fracturing operations. Moreover, there is currently a lack of relevant simulation and experimental studies addressing these effects. In the present work, the effects and mechanisms of hard cores on fracture propagation in natural hydrogen reservoirs in the Songliao basin were numerically simulated. In addition, various factors affecting propagation behavior of fracture were also analyzed. The investigation results indicate that the presence of hard cores induces the fracture propagation mode from “straight-line dominated” to “path optimization” (obstacle-avoidance) pattern, which consequently decreases propagation efficiency. The final fracture length exhibits a reduction of 12.63% compared with that in the homogeneous reservoir case, accompanied by an increase of 18.49% in the final fracture width. Furthermore, higher hard core strength and leakage coefficients significantly decrease fracture propagation efficiency, promoting the development of wide, short fractures. This research offers a preliminary theoretical framework to support the stimulation and efficient development of imperfection-bearing natural hydrogen reservoirs.
SN  - 3070-2356
PB  - Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge
LA  - English
ER  -
BibTeX Format
Compatible with LaTeX, BibTeX, and other reference managers
@article{Tahir2026Preliminar,
  author = {Muhammad Usman Tahir and Shenglan Guo},
  title = {Preliminary Investigation of Fracture Behavior during Carbon Dioxide Fracturing of Natural Hydrogen Reservoir with Hard-Core Imperfections},
  journal = {Reservoir Science},
  year = {2026},
  volume = {2},
  number = {1},
  pages = {34-51},
  doi = {10.62762/RS.2025.759326},
  url = {https://www.icck.org/article/abs/RS.2025.759326},
  abstract = {The low concentration and poor reservoir properties of natural hydrogen suggest that reservoir stimulation measures such as fracturing is required for its efficient development. Nevertheless, the presence of reservoir imperfections, including hard and soft cores, can significantly affect fracture behavior during the fracturing operations. Moreover, there is currently a lack of relevant simulation and experimental studies addressing these effects. In the present work, the effects and mechanisms of hard cores on fracture propagation in natural hydrogen reservoirs in the Songliao basin were numerically simulated. In addition, various factors affecting propagation behavior of fracture were also analyzed. The investigation results indicate that the presence of hard cores induces the fracture propagation mode from “straight-line dominated” to “path optimization” (obstacle-avoidance) pattern, which consequently decreases propagation efficiency. The final fracture length exhibits a reduction of 12.63\% compared with that in the homogeneous reservoir case, accompanied by an increase of 18.49\% in the final fracture width. Furthermore, higher hard core strength and leakage coefficients significantly decrease fracture propagation efficiency, promoting the development of wide, short fractures. This research offers a preliminary theoretical framework to support the stimulation and efficient development of imperfection-bearing natural hydrogen reservoirs.},
  keywords = {natural hydrogen, carbon dioxide-based fracturing, reservoir imperfection, fracture initiation, fracture propagation},
  issn = {3070-2356},
  publisher = {Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge}
}

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