A large number of hydrocarbon reservoirs are naturally fractured. When subjected to hydraulic fracturing treatments, the natural fractures may influence the propagation of the hydraulic fracture, which can grow in a complicated manner creating complex fracture networks in the reservoir. In order to better understand and simulate such phenomena an element based on the eXtended Finite Element Method is proposed. The element formulation comprises fracture intersection and crossing, fracture frictional behaviour, fully coupled behaviour between displacements, pore and fracture fluid pressure, leak-off from the fracture to the surrounding medium and the eventual loss of pressure due to filter cake. The theoretical background and implementation aspects are presented. A set of analyses is performed in order to validate different features of the implemented element. Finally, the results of four practical applications are analysed and discussed: two laboratory hydraulic fracture tests, hydraulic fracture propagation in a multifractured synthetic model and percolation through a dam fractured foundation. It is concluded that the implemented code provides very good predictions of the coupled fluid-rock fracture behaviour and is capable of correctly simulating the interaction between hydraulic and natural fractures. Moreover, it is shown that the hydraulic behaviour of the models and the intersection between fractures are very sensible to parameters such as differential in-situ stresses, angle between fractures, initial hydraulic aperture and fracture face transversal conductivity.