Jiacheng Wang

Senior Simulation Engineer

[email protected]

Jiacheng Wang is a Senior Simulation Engineer at ResFrac.

Before joining ResFrac, Jiacheng was a Senior Computational Software Engineer at SLB, specializing in physics-based and data-driven hybrid modeling for dynamic wireline conveyance processes. He holds a Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.

His research expertise includes physics-based and data-driven modeling of hydraulic fracturing, natural-hydraulic fracture interaction, proppant transport, and geomechanics. Jiacheng has authored academic papers on topics such as complex multi-cluster hydraulic fracture propagation, proppant transport dynamics, multivariate optimization of completion designs, and the application of physics-informed neural networks.

In his free time, Jiacheng enjoys playing video games, sim racing, high-performance racetrack driving, and photography.

Jiacheng's posts

Production Impact of Horizontal Fractures

At the 2025 SPE International Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference, we (Dontsov, Zoback, McClure, and Fowler) presented “Hydraulic Fracture Propagation Along Bedding Planes Might Be More Prevalent Than We Think” (SPE-226637). The paper reviewed case studies with evidence of horizontal or bedding plane fractures from microseismic, fiber optics, core observations, and casing deformation.

Testing the new Kryvenko model for proppant washout

What controls proppant placement during hydraulic fracturing? As described in Chapter 8 from McClure et al. (2025), ResFrac incorporates a variety of physical processes – viscous drag, gravitational settling, hindered settling, clustered settling, bed slumping, and more. In addition, ResFrac accounts for the complex physics associated with proppant flowing out of the wellbore (Dontsov, 2023; Ponners et al., 2025).

$Horizontal fracture initiated along weak bedding plane or frictional interface in ResFrac$

Horizontal hydraulic fractures in ResFrac

Horizontal hydraulic fracture propagation is believed to be widespread in shale plays where the frac gradient approaches the overburden – such as the Vaca Muerta, Utica, and Montney. However, horizontal propagation is nearly always ignored in hydraulic fracture modeling. In ResFrac, we are obsessed with ‘getting the physics right’, and so naturally, we extended our simulator to handle horizontal fracturing. The first version of this new capability was released earlier this year. We are eager to start collecting feedback from users, which will help us to fine tune the algorithm and workflow.

Jiacheng Wang

Senior Simulation Engineer

Jiacheng Wang is a Senior Simulation Engineer at ResFrac.

Jiacheng's posts

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