scholarly journals A Numerical Study of Factors Affecting Fracture-Fluid Cleanup and Produced Gas/Water in Marcellus Shale: Part II

SPE Journal ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (02) ◽  
pp. 596-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxian B. Seales ◽  
Robert Dilmore ◽  
Turgay Ertekin ◽  
John Yilin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Multiphase Flow ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
Reservoir Rock ◽  
Fracture Treatment ◽  
Well Performance ◽  
Shale Formations ◽  
Fracture Fluid ◽  
Fluid Properties

Summary Horizontal wells combined with successful multistage-hydraulic-fracture treatments are currently the most-established method for effectively stimulating and enabling economic development of gas-bearing organic-rich shale formations. Fracture cleanup in the stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) is critical to stimulation effectiveness and long-term well performance. However, fluid cleanup is often hampered by formation damage, and post-fracture well performance frequently falls to less than expectations. A systematic study of the factors that hinder fracture-fluid cleanup in shale formations can help optimize fracture treatments and better quantify long-term volumes of produced water and gas. Fracture-fluid cleanup is a complex process influenced by multiphase flow through porous media (relative permeability hysteresis, capillary pressure), reservoir-rock and -fluid properties, fracture-fluid properties, proppant placement, fracture-treatment parameters, and subsequent flowback and field operations. Changing SRV and fracture conductivity as production progresses further adds to the complexity of this problem. Numerical simulation is the best and most-practical approach to investigate such a complicated blend of mechanisms, parameters, their interactions, and subsequent effect on fracture-fluid cleanup and well deliverability. In this paper, a 3D, two-phase, dual-porosity model was used to investigate the effect of multiphase flow, proppant crushing, proppant diagenesis, shut-in time, reservoir-rock compaction, gas slippage, and gas desorption on fracture-fluid cleanup and well performance in Marcellus Shale. The research findings have shed light on the factors that substantially constrain efficient fracture-fluid cleanup in gas shales, and we have provided guidelines for improved fracture-treatment designs and water management.

Evaluating Fracturing Fluid Flowback in Marcellus Using Data Mining Technologies

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiumei Zhou ◽  
Robert Dilmore ◽  
Andrew Kleit ◽  
John Yilin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
Production Data ◽  
Fracture Treatment ◽  
Water Recovery ◽  
Flowback Water ◽  
Gas Recovery ◽  
Well Completion ◽  
Geological Conditions ◽  
Fracture Fluid

Abstract Natural gas recovery from low permeability unconventional reservoirs – enabled by advanced horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracture treatment - has become a very important energy resource in the past decade. While evaluating early gas production data in order to assess likely rate decline and ultimate gas recovery has been reported in literature, flowback water recovery has been given little consideration. Fracture fluid flowback is defined herein as aqueous phase produced within three weeks following a fracture treatment (exclusive of well shut-in time). Field data from Marcellus Shale wells in Northeastern West Virginia indicated about 2-26% of the fracture fluid is recovered during flowback. However, stimulation of gas shale is a complex engineered process, and the factors that control the volumetric flowback performance are not well understood. The objective of this paper is to use post-hoc analysis to identify correlations between fracture fluid flowback and attributes of well completion and geological setting, and to identify those factors most important in predicting flowback performances. To accomplish this objective we selected a representative subset of 187 wells for which complete data are available (from a full set of 631 wells), including well location, completion data, hydraulic fracture treatment data and production data. The wells were classified into four groups based on geological settings. For each geological group, engineering and statistical analyses were applied to study the correlation between flowback data and well completion through traditional regression methods. Important factors considered to affect flowback water recovery efficiency include number of hydraulic fracture stages, lateral length, vertical depth, proppant mass applied, proppant size, fracture fluid volume applied, treatment rate, and shut-in time. The total proppant mass, proppant size and shut-in time have relatively large influence on volumetric flowback performance. The new results enable one to estimate flowback volume in a spatial domain, based on known geological conditions and completion parameters, and lead to a better understanding of flowback behaviors in Marcellus Shale. This also helps industry manage flowback water and optimize production operations.

Experimental and numerical study of size effect on long-term drying behavior of concrete: influence of drying depth

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 4029-4048 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Samouh ◽  
A. Soive ◽  
E. Rozière ◽  
A. Loukili
Keyword(s):  
Size Effect ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Drying Behavior

Experimental and numerical study on the in-plane behaviour of concrete-filled steel tubular arches with long-term effects

2021 ◽  
Vol 169 ◽  
pp. 108507
Author(s):  
Xu Han ◽  
Bing Han ◽  
Huibing Xie ◽  
Wutong Yan ◽  
Qi Ma
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
Long Term Effects

Numerical study on long-term monopile foundation response

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song-Hun Chong ◽  
Cesar Pasten
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study

scholarly journals Reservoir Performance Prediction using Integrated Production Modelling (MBAL Software)

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1484-1489
Keyword(s):  
Performance Prediction ◽  
History Matching ◽  
Material Balance ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Reservoir Rock ◽  
Rock Properties ◽  
Production Operation ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Reservoir Performance ◽  
Fluid Properties

Reservoir performance prediction is important aspect of the oil & gas field development planning and reserves estimation which depicts the behavior of the reservoir in the future. Reservoir production success is dependent on precise illustration of reservoir rock properties, reservoir fluid properties, rock-fluid properties and reservoir flow performance. Petroleum engineers must have sound knowledge of the reservoir attributes, production operation optimization and more significant, to develop an analytical model that will adequately describe the physical processes which take place in the reservoir. Reservoir performance prediction based on material balance equation which is described by Several Authors such as Muskat, Craft and Hawkins, Tarner’s, Havlena & odeh, Tracy’s and Schilthuis. This paper compares estimation of reserve using dynamic simulation in MBAL software and predictive material balance method after history matching of both of this model. Results from this paper shows functionality of MBAL in terms of history matching and performance prediction. This paper objective is to set up the basic reservoir model, various models and algorithms for each technique are presented and validated with the case studies. Field data collected related to PVT analysis, Production and well data for quality check based on determining inconsistencies between data and physical reality with the help of correlations. Further this paper shows history matching to match original oil in place and aquifer size. In the end conclusion obtained from different plots between various parameters reflect the result in history match data, simulation result and Future performance of the reservoir system and observation of these results represent similar simulation and future prediction plots result.

Marcellus Shale Gas Boom and Forestry Employment: Evidence from West Virginia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn A Gazal ◽  
Kathleen G Arano
Keyword(s):  
West Virginia ◽  
Shale Gas ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Adverse Impact ◽  
Relative Wage ◽  
Forestry Sector ◽  
Movement Effect ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Advancement in drilling technology has increased natural gas extraction activities from the Marcellus shale deposit resulting in a shale gas boom in many regions, including West Virginia. This boom has created a significant labor demand shock to local economies experiencing the boom. A number of studies have shown that a shale gas boom directly increases employment and the income of those working in the industry. However, the boom can also have an adverse impact on other sectors through the resource movement effect and intersector labor mobility, pulling workers away from a related sector like forestry. Thus, an econometric model of employment in the forestry sector was developed to investigate the impact of the Marcellus shale gas boom in West Virginia. There is evidence of a labor movement effect with forestry employment negatively affected by the Marcellus shale boom. Specifically, the overall marginal effect of the shale boom on forestry employment is approximately 435 fewer jobs. However, the extent of the decline is slightly moderated by a higher relative wage between gas and forestry, perhaps suggesting diminishing returns and overall slack in the local labor market. Study Implications Although a Marcellus shale gas boom directly increases employment and the income of those working in that industry, it can have an adverse impact on other sectors by pulling workers away from a related sector like forestry. This study showed that employment in the West Virginia forestry sector was negatively affected by the shale gas boom. An important policy issue is how to manage the cyclical nature of shale gas booms and the negative impacts on other industries with long-term growth potential, like the forestry sector. This sector does not suffer through boom-and-bust cycles, making it important for long-term economic stability.

Application Investigation of Light Proppant in Hydraulic Fracturing of Marcellus Shale

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aymen Alhemdi ◽  
Ming Gu
Keyword(s):  
History Matching ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
In Situ Stress ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Well Performance ◽  
Fracture Permeability ◽  
Fracture Conductivity ◽  
Stimulated Reservoir Volume ◽  
Conductivity Distribution ◽  
Cumulative Production

Abstract Slickwater-sand fracturing design is widely employed in Marcellus shale. The slickwater- sand creates long skinny fractures and maximizes the stimulated reservoir volume (SRV). However, due to the fast settling of sand in the water, lots of upper and deeper areas are not sufficiently propped. Reducing sand size can lead to insufficient fracture conductivity. This study proposes to use three candidate ultra-lightweight proppants ULWPs to enhance the fractured well performance in unconventional reservoirs. In step 1, the current sand pumping design is input into an in-house P3D fracture propagation simulator to estimate the fracture geometry and proppant concentrations. Next, the distribution of proppant concentration converts to conductivity and then to fracture permeability. In the third step, the fracture permeability from the second step is input into a reservoir simulator to predict the cumulative production for history matching and calibration. In step 4, the three ULWPs are used to replace the sand in the frac simulator to get new frac geometry and conductivity distribution and then import them in reservoir model for production evaluation. Before this study, the three ULWPs have already been tested in the lab to obtain their long-term conductivities under in-situ stress conditions. The conductivity distribution and production performance are analyzed and investigated. The induced fracture size and location of the produced layer for the current target well play a fundamental effect on ultra-light proppant productivity. The average conductivity of ULWPs with mesh 40/70 is larger and symmetric along the fracture except for a few places. However, ULWPs with mesh 100 generates low average conductivity and create a peak conductivity in limited areas. The ULW-3 tends to have less cumulative production compared with the other ULWPs. For this Marcellus Shale study, the advantages of ultra-lightweight proppant are restricted and reduced because the upward fracture height growth is enormous. And with the presence of the hydrocarbon layer is at the bottom of the fracture, making a large proportion of ULWPs occupies areas that are not productive places. The current study provides a guidance for operators in Marcellus Shale to determine (1) If the ULWP can benefit the current shale well treated by sand, (2) what type of ULWP should be used, and (3) given a certain type of ULWP, what is the optimum pumping schedule and staging/perforating design to maximize the well productivity. The similar workflow can be expanded to evaluate the economic potential of different ULWPs in any other unconventional field.

Artificial Lift Optimization for Shallow Carbonate Magwa and Ostracod Formations with Massive Propped Fractures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nasser AlAskari ◽  
Muhamad Zaki ◽  
Ahmed AlJanahi ◽  
Hamed AlGhadhban ◽  
Eyad Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Production Performance ◽  
Shallow Depth ◽  
Production Rates ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Artificial Lift ◽  
Geological Conditions ◽  
Fracture Fluid ◽  
Reservoir Potential ◽  
Gas Lift

Abstract Objectives/Scope: The Magwa and Ostracod formations are tight and highly fractured carbonate reservoirs. At shallow depth (1600-1800 ft) and low stresses, wide, long and conductive propped fracture has proven to be the most effective stimulation technique for production enhancement. However, optimizing flow of the medium viscosity oil (17-27 API gravity) was a challenge both at initial phase (fracture fluid recovery and proppant flowback risks) and long-term (depletion, increasing water cut, emulsion tendency). Methods, Procedures, Process: Historically, due to shallow depth, low reservoir pressure and low GOR, the optimum artificial lift method for the wells completed in the Magwa and Ostracod reservoirs was always sucker-rod pumps (SRP) with more than 300 wells completed to date. In 2019 a pilot re-development project was initiated to unlock reservoir potential and enhance productivity by introducing a massive high-volume propped fracturing stimulation that increased production rates by several folds. Consequently, initial production rates and drawdown had to be modelled to ensure proppant pack stability. Long-term artificial lift (AL) design was optimized using developed workflow based on reservoir modelling, available post-fracturing well testing data and production history match. Results, Observations, Conclusions: Initial production results, in 16 vertical and slanted wells, were encouraging with an average 90 days production 4 to 8 times higher than of existing wells. However, the initial high gas volume and pressure is not favourable for SRP. In order to manage this, flexible AL approach was taken. Gas lift was preferred in the beginning and once the production falls below pre-defined PI and GOR, a conversion to SRP was done. Gas lift proved advantageous in handling solids such as residual proppant and in making sure that the well is free of solids before installing the pump. Continuous gas lift regime adjustments were taken to maximize drawdown. Periodical FBHP surveys were performed to calibrate the single well model for nodal analysis. However, there limitations were present in terms of maximizing the drawdown on one side and the high potential of forming GL induced emulsion on the other side. Horizontal wells with multi-stage fracturing are common field development method for such tight formations. However, in geological conditions of shallow and low temperature environment it represented a significant challenge to achieve fast and sufficient fracture fluid recovery by volume from multiple fractures without deteriorating the proppant pack stability. This paper outlines local solutions and a tailored workflow that were taken to optimize the production performance and give the brown field a second chance. Novel/Additive Information: Overcoming the different production challenges through AL is one of the keys to unlock the reservoir potential for full field re-development. The Magwa and Ostracod formations are unique for stimulation applications for shallow depth and range of reservoirs and fracture related uncertainties. An agile and flexible approach to AL allowed achieving the full technical potential of the wells and converted the project to a field development phase. The lessons learnt and resulting workflow demonstrate significant value in growing AL projects in tight and shallow formations globally.

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