scholarly journals Development and Calibration of a Semianalytic Model for Shale Wells with Nonuniform Distribution of Induced Fractures Based on ES-MDA Method

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 3718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Zhang ◽  
Shu Jiang ◽  
Xinyue Wu ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Qingbang Meng
Keyword(s):  
Shale Gas ◽  
Fractal Dimensions ◽  
Nonuniform Distribution ◽  
Fracture System ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Gas Reservoir ◽  
Unconventional Gas ◽  
Fracture Spacing ◽  
Unconventional Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Induced Fractures

Given reliable parameters, a newly developed semianalytic model could offer an efficient option to predict the performance of the multi-fractured horizontal wells (MFHWs) in unconventional gas reservoirs. However, two major challenges come from the accurate description and significant parameters uncertainty of stimulated reservoir volume (SRV). The objective of this work is to develop and calibrate a semianalytic model using the ensemble smoother with multiple data assimilation (ES-MDA) method for the uncertainty reduction in the description and forecasting of MFHWs with nonuniform distribution of induced fractures. The fractal dimensions of induced-fracture spacing (dfs) and aperture (dfa) and tortuosity index of induced-fracture system (θ) are included based on fractal theory to describe the properties of SRV region. Additionally, for shale gas reservoirs, gas transport mechanisms, e.g., viscous flow with slippage, Knudsen diffusion, and surface diffusion, among multi-media including porous kerogen, inorganic matter, and fracture system are taken into account and the model is verified. Then, the effects of the fractal dimensions and tortuosity index of induced fractures on MFHWs performances are analyzed. What follows is employing the ES-MDA method with the presented model to reduce uncertainty in the forecasting of gas production rate for MFHWs in unconventional gas reservoirs using a synthetic case for the tight gas reservoir and a real field case for the shale gas reservoir. The results show that when the fractal dimensions of induced-fracture spacing and aperture is smaller than 2.0 or the tortuosity index of induced-fracture system is larger than 0, the permeability of induced-fracture system decreases with the increase of the distance from hydraulic fractures (HFs) in SRV region. The large dfs or small θ causes the small average permeability of the induced-fracture system, which results in large dimensionless pseudo-pressure and small dimensionless production rate. The matching results indicate that the proposed method could enrich the application of the semianalytic model in the practical field.

ANALYTIC EVALUATION METHOD OF FRACTAL EFFECTIVE STIMULATED RESERVOIR VOLUME FOR FRACTURED WELLS IN UNCONVENTIONAL GAS RESERVOIRS

Fractals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (06) ◽  
pp. 1850097 ◽  
Author(s):  
QI ZHANG ◽  
YULIANG SU ◽  
HUI ZHAO ◽  
WENDONG WANG ◽  
KAIJIE ZHANG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shale Gas ◽  
Radial Flow ◽  
Transport Mechanisms ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Unconventional Gas ◽  
Stimulated Reservoir Volume ◽  
Reservoir Volume ◽  
Fractal Index ◽  
Unconventional Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Fractured Well

It has been proved that effective stimulated reservoir volume (ESRV) is a significant area dominant to the production of the fractured well in unconventional gas reservoirs. Although ESRV properties can be estimated based on the microseismic technology and the analysis of actual fracturing data, the operations are complicated and results are inaccurate. Due to the complex structure of stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) with fractal and chaotic characteristics, a fractal evaluation model for ESRV (ESRV-FEM) of fractured wells in unconventional gas (both tight and shale gas) reservoirs is developed. Multiple gas transport mechanisms, SRV and unstimulated reservoir volume (USRV) are included. According to the pressure transient analysis (PTA), influences of multiple transport mechanisms on gas transport behaviors in ESRV are conducted. Moreover, the fractal index representing the heterogeneity degree is applied to estimate the ESRV under different inter-porosity flow coefficients and storage ratio conditions based on the ESRV-FEM. In addition, the presented ESRV-FEM is validated by an actual field case. The results show that gas adsorption has a significant effect on the radial flow duration time in SRV, and the heterogeneity makes the radial flow on PTA curves no longer show a horizontal line with the value of 0.5. Calculated ESRV sizes are compared with the assumed ones under different fractal indexes. The stronger the heterogeneity, the smaller ESRV is. The ESRV size of a fractured well in shale gas reservoirs is only 52.11% of SRV size when the fractal index equals to 0.6. The ESRV-FEM presented in this paper is expected to provide an effective method for the evaluation of the ESRV of fractured wells in unconventional gas reservoirs.

High-Resolution Numerical Modeling of Complex and Irregular Fracture Patterns in Shale-Gas Reservoirs and Tight Gas Reservoirs

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (04) ◽  
pp. 443-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
O.M.. M. Olorode ◽  
C.M.. M. Freeman ◽  
G.J.. J. Moridis ◽  
T.A.. A. Blasingame
Keyword(s):  
Shale Gas ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Tight Gas ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Unconventional Gas ◽  
Fracture Patterns ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Unconventional Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Secondary Fractures

Summary Various models featuring horizontal wells with multiple fractures have been proposed to characterize flow behavior over time in tight gas systems and shale-gas systems. Currently, little is known about the effects of nonideal fracture patterns and coupled primary-/secondary-fracture interactions on reservoir performance in unconventional gas reservoirs. We developed a 3D Voronoi mesh-generation application that provides the flexibility to accurately represent various complex and irregular fracture patterns. We also developed a numerical simulator of gas flow through tight porous media, and used several Voronoi grids to assess the potential performance of such irregular fractures on gas production from unconventional gas reservoirs. Our simulations involved up to a half-million cells, and we considered production periods that are orders of magnitude longer than the expected productive life of wells and reservoirs. Our aim was to describe a wide range of flow regimes that can be observed in irregular fracture patterns, and to fully assess even nuances in flow behavior. We investigated coupled primary/secondary fractures, with multiple/vertical hydraulic fractures intersecting horizontal secondary "stress-release" fractures. We studied irregular fracture patterns to show the effect of fracture angularity and nonplanar fracture configurations on production. The results indicate that the presence of high-conductivity secondary fractures results in the highest increase in production, whereas, contrary to expectations, strictly planar and orthogonal fractures yield better production performance than nonplanar and nonorthogonal fractures with equivalent propped-fracture lengths.

A Generalized Framework Model for the Simulation of Gas Production in Unconventional Gas Reservoirs

SPE Journal ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (05) ◽  
pp. 845-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Shu Wu ◽  
Jianfang Li ◽  
Didier-Yu Ding ◽  
Cong Wang ◽  
Yuan Di
Keyword(s):  
Shale Gas ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Unconventional Reservoirs ◽  
Hydraulic Fractures ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Unconventional Gas ◽  
Shale Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Framework Model ◽  
Unconventional Gas Reservoirs

Summary Unconventional gas resources from tight-sand and shale gas reservoirs have received great attention in the past decade around the world because of their large reserves and technical advances in developing these resources. As a result of improved horizontal-drilling and hydraulic-fracturing technologies, progress is being made toward commercial gas production from such reservoirs, as demonstrated in the US. However, understandings and technologies needed for the effective development of unconventional reservoirs are far behind the industry needs (e.g., gas-recovery rates from those unconventional resources remain very low). There are some efforts in the literature on how to model gas flow in shale gas reservoirs by use of various approaches—from modified commercial simulators to simplified analytical solutions—leading to limited success. Compared with conventional reservoirs, gas flow in ultralow-permeability unconventional reservoirs is subject to more nonlinear, coupled processes, including nonlinear adsorption/desorption, non-Darcy flow (at both high flow rate and low flow rate), strong rock/fluid interaction, and rock deformation within nanopores or microfractures, coexisting with complex flow geometry and multiscaled heterogeneity. Therefore, quantifying flow in unconventional gas reservoirs has been a significant challenge, and the traditional representative-elementary-volume- (REV) based Darcy's law, for example, may not be generally applicable. In this paper, we discuss a generalized mathematical framework model and numerical approach for unconventional-gas-reservoir simulation. We present a unified framework model able to incorporate known mechanisms and processes for two-phase gas flow and transport in shale gas or tight gas formations. The model and numerical scheme are based on generalized flow models with unstructured grids. We discuss the numerical implementation of the mathematical model and show results of our model-verification effort. Specifically, we discuss a multidomain, multicontinuum concept for handling multiscaled heterogeneity and fractures [i.e., the use of hybrid modeling approaches to describe different types and scales of fractures or heterogeneous pores—from the explicit modeling of hydraulic fractures and the fracture network in stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) to distributed natural fractures, microfractures, and tight matrix]. We demonstrate model application to quantify hydraulic fractures and transient flow behavior in shale gas reservoirs.

Production Performance Analysis of Unconventional Gas Reservoirs with Different Well Trajectories and Completion Techniques

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Cihan Erturk ◽  
Caglar Sinayuc
Keyword(s):  
Shale Gas ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Coal Bed ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Unconventional Gas ◽  
Future Production ◽  
Unconventional Gas Reservoirs

Abstract The significance of unconventional gas reservoirs has been increasing for recent years owing to economic viability of their development, therefore assessment of the challenges and common pitfalls regarding those resources have been gaining importance at the same time. In this regard, the optimization of production performance of these reservoirs with the different well trajectories and completion techniques and identifying the best case scenario become more significant. That is absolutely challenging process due to the several reasons such as ultra-low permeability, desorption effect, and complex geological characteristics. However, it is possible to analyze the various parameters and observe their impact on each system with the help of advances in algorithms, computer power, and integrated software. The objective of this work is to investigate and understand the effect of some reservoir and completion parameters on the future production performance of shale gas and coal bed methane (CBM) reservoirs. A practical model is constructed with the field and synthetic data for the analysis of gas production rate and cumulative gas production versus time in multi-layered shale gas and CBM reservoirs respectively. Changes in the thickness of various stratified layers, permeability, wellbore position, number of hydraulic fracture stage, and also production profile of each system are studied using different well trajectories. The results are obtained by running a series of reservoir simulation conducted by a commercial numerical simulator with dual porosity model for CBM and shale gas reservoirs.

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