The "Checker Model," An Improvement in Modeling Naturally Fractured Reservoirs With a Tridimensional, Triphasic, Black-Oil Numerical Model

1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (05) ◽  
pp. 743-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrie Bossie-Codreanu ◽  
Paul R. Bia ◽  
Jean-Claude Sabathier
Keyword(s):  
Transfer Functions ◽  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Fracture Network ◽  
Fractured Reservoir ◽  
Local Flow ◽  
Fractured Medium ◽  
Black Oil ◽  
Matrix Blocks ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Conventional Models

Abstract This paper describes an approach to simulating the flow of water, oil, and gas in fully or partially fractured reservoirs with conventional black-oil models. This approach is based on the dual porosity concept and uses a conventional tridimensional, triphasic, black-oil model with minor modifications. The basic feature is an elementary volume of the fractured reservoir that is simulated by several model cells; the matrix is concentrated into one matrix cell and tee fractures into the adjacent fracture cells. Fracture cells offer a continuous path for fluid flows, while matrix cello are discontinuous ("checker board" display). The matrix-fracture flows are calculated directly by the model. Limitations and applications of this approximate approach are discussed and examples given. Introduction Fractured reservoir models were developed to simulate fluid flows in a system of continuous fractures of high permeability and low porosity that surround discontinuous, porous, oil-saturated matrix blocks of much lower permeability but higher porosity. The use of conventional models that permeability but higher porosity. The use of conventional models that actually simulate the fractures and matrix blocks is restricted to small systems composed of a limited number of matrix blocks. The common approach to simulating a full-field fractured reservoir is to consider a general flow within the fracture network and a local flow (exchange of fluids) between matrix blocks and fractures. This local flow is accounted for by the introduction of source or sink terms (transfer functions). In this formulation, the model is not directly predictive because the source term (transfer function) is, in fact, entered data and is derived from outside the model by one of the following approaches:analytical computation,empirical determination (laboratory experiments), ornumerical simulation of one or several matrix blocks on a conventional model. To derive these transfer functions, imposing some boundary conditions is necessary. Unfortunately, it is generally impossible to foresee all the conditions that will arise in a, matrix block and its surrounding fractures during its field life. It would be helpful, therefore, to have a model that is able to compute directly the local flows according to changing conditions. However, to have low computing times, it is necessary to use an approximate formulation and, thus, to adjust some parameters to match results that are externally (and more accurately) derived in a few basis, well-defined conditions. By current investigative techniques, only a very general description of the matrix blocks and fissures can be obtained, so our knowledge of local flows is very approximate. This paper presents a modeling procedure that is an approximate but helpful approach to the simulation of fractured reservoirs and requires a few, simple modifications of conventional black-oil mathematical models. Review of the Literature Numerous papers related to single- and multiphase flow in fractured porous media have been published over the last three decades. On the basis of data from fractured limestone and sand-stone reservoirs, fractured reservoirs are pictured as stacks of matrix blocks separated by fractures (Figs. 1 and 2). The fractured reservoirs with oil-saturated matrices usually are referred to as "double porosity" systems. Primary porosity is associated with matrix blocks, while secondary porosity is associated with fractures. The porosity of the matrices is generally much greater than that of the fractures, but permeability within fractures may be 100 and even over 10,000 times higher permeability within fractures may be 100 and even over 10,000 times higher than within the matrices. The main difference between flow in a fractured medium and flow in a conventional porous system is that, in a fractured medium, the interconnected fracture network provides the main path for fluid flow through the reservoir, while local flows (exchanges of fluids) occur between the discontinuous matrix blocks and the surrounding fractures. Matrix oil flows into the fractures, and the fractures carry the oil to the wellbore. For single-phase flow, Barenblatt et al constructed a formula based on the dual porosity approach. They consider the reservoir as two overlying continua, the matrices and the fractures. SPEJ p. 743

Unsteady-State Behavior of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

1965 ◽  
Vol 5 (01) ◽  
pp. 60-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.S. Odeh
Keyword(s):  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Naturally Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Unsteady State ◽  
Fractured Reservoir ◽  
State Behavior ◽  
Naturally Fractured ◽  
Matrix Blocks ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Porosity And Permeability ◽  
Bulk Volume

Abstract A simplified model was employed to develop mathematically equations that describe the unsteady-state behavior of naturally fractured reservoirs. The analysis resulted in an equation of flow of radial symmetry whose solution, for the infinite case, is identical in form and function to that describing the unsteady-state behavior of homogeneous reservoirs. Accepting the assumed model, for all practical purposes one cannot distinguish between fractured and homogeneous reservoirs from pressure build-up and/or drawdown plots. Introduction The bulk of reservoir engineering research and techniques has been directed toward homogeneous reservoirs, whose physical characteristics, such as porosity and permeability, are considered, on the average, to be constant. However, many prolific reservoirs, especially in the Middle East, are naturally fractured. These reservoirs consist of two distinct elements, namely fractures and matrix, each of which contains its characteristic porosity and permeability. Because of this, the extension of conventional methods of reservoir engineering analysis to fractured reservoirs without mathematical justification could lead to results of uncertain value. The early reported work on artificially and naturally fractured reservoirs consists mainly of papers by Pollard, Freeman and Natanson, and Samara. The most familiar method is that of Pollard. A more recent paper by Warren and Root showed how the Pollard method could lead to erroneous results. Warren and Root analyzed a plausible two-dimensional model of fractured reservoirs. They concluded that a Horner-type pressure build-up plot of a well producing from a factured reservoir may be characterized by two parallel linear segments. These segments form the early and the late portions of the build-up plot and are connected by a transitional curve. In our analysis of pressure build-up and drawdown data obtained on several wells from various fractured reservoirs, two parallel straight lines were not observed. In fact, the build-up and drawdown plots were similar in shape to those obtained on homogeneous reservoirs. Fractured reservoirs, due to their complexity, could be represented by various mathematical models, none of which may be completely descriptive and satisfactory for all systems. This is so because the fractures and matrix blocks can be diverse in pattern, size, and geometry not only between one reservoir and another but also within a single reservoir. Therefore, one mathematical model may lead to a satisfactory solution in one case and fail in another. To understand the behavior of the pressure build-up and drawdown data that were studied, and to explain the shape of the resulting plots, a fractured reservoir model was employed and analyzed mathematically. The model is based on the following assumptions:1. The matrix blocks act like sources which feed the fractures with fluid;2. The net fluid movement toward the wellbore obtains only in the fractures; and3. The fractures' flow capacity and the degree of fracturing of the reservoir are uniform. By the degree of fracturing is meant the fractures' bulk volume per unit reservoir bulk volume. Assumption 3 does not stipulate that either the fractures or the matrix blocks should possess certain size, uniformity, geometric pattern, spacing, or direction. Moreover, this assumption of uniform flow capacity and degree of fracturing should be taken in the same general sense as one accepts uniform permeability and porosity assumptions in a homogeneous reservoir when deriving the unsteady-state fluid flow equation. Thus, the assumption may not be unreasonable, especially if one considers the evidence obtained from examining samples of fractured outcrops and reservoirs. Such samples show that the matrix usually consists of numerous blocks, all of which are small compared to the reservoir dimensions and well spacings. Therefore, the model could be described to represent a "homogeneously" fractured reservoir. SPEJ P. 60ˆ

Convection in Fractured Reservoirs Numerical Calculation of Convection in a Vertical Fissure, Including the Effect of Matrix-Fissure Transfer

1976 ◽  
Vol 16 (05) ◽  
pp. 281-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.W. Peaceman
Keyword(s):  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Saturation Pressure ◽  
Fractured Reservoir ◽  
Density Inversion ◽  
Dissolved Gas ◽  
Rectangular Shape ◽  
Pressure Depletion ◽  
Matrix Blocks ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Transfer Parameters

Abstract A fractured reservoir undergoing pressure depletion, evolution of gas at the top of the oil zone leads to an unstable density inversion in the fissures. The resulting convection brings heavy oil into contact with matrix blocks containing light oil, and results in the transfer of dissolved gas between matrix and fissure in the undersaturated region of the oil zone. To provide a better understanding of this process, numerical solutions were obtained to the differential equations that describe convection in a vertical fissure and include the matrix-fissure transfer. The numerical procedure is an extension of the method of characteristics for miscible displacement problems in two dimensions. The effect of gas evolution in the upper portion of the oil zone is also included in the numerical model. Calculations for a vertical fissure of rectangular shape, with an initial sinusoidal perturbation of an in verse density gradient, show an initial exponential growth of the perturbation that agrees well with that predicted from mathematical theory. Calculations predicted from mathematical theory. Calculations for a vertical fissure having a similar, but slightly tilted, rectangular shape and with an initial, correspondingly tilted, inverse density gradient, show that the effect of the matrix-fissure transfer parameters on the time for overturning can be parameters on the time for overturning can be correlated quite well by curves obtained from mathematical perturbation theory. The most realistic calculations were carried out for the same vertical fissure having a slightly tilted rectangular shape, with declining pressure at the apex and gas evolution included in the gassing zone. The relative saturation-pressure depression in the fissure below the gassing zone can be characterized as increasing as the square of the time, following an incubation period. For practical ranges of the matrix-fissure period. For practical ranges of the matrix-fissure transfer parameters investigated, it is concluded that saturation-pressure depression will be significant. A preliminary correlation for this Pb depression was obtained. The fissure thickness was found to affect the Pb depression significantly. Introduction Most fractured reservoirs of commercial interest are characterized by the existence of a system of high-conductivity fissures together with a large number of matrix blocks containing most of the oil. It has been recognized for some time that analysis of the behavior of a fractured reservoir must involve an understanding of the performance of single matrix blocks under the various environmental conditions that can exist in the fissures. However, it has only recently been recognized that a similar need exists for a better understanding of convective mixing taking place within the oil-filled portion of the fissure system. In a fractured reservoir undergoing pressure depletion, gas will be evolved at all points of the reservoir where the oil pressure has declined below the original saturation pressure. This depth interval is referred to as the gassing zone. Because of the high conductivity of the fracture, the gas in the fissures will segregate rapidly from the oil before reaching the producing wells and most, if not all, of it will join the expanding gas cap. At a sufficient depth, however, the oil pressure will still be higher than the saturation pressure, and the oil there remains in an undersaturated condition. In the gassing zone, gas evolves from the oil in both the fissures and the matrix. The oil left behind in the fissures within the gassing zone contains less dissolved gas and is heavier than the oil below it in the undersaturated zone. This density inversion can result in considerable convection within the highly conductive fissures. As a result of this convection, heavy oil containing less gas is transported downward through the fissures, placing it in contact with matrix blocks containing lighter oil with more dissolved gas. Transfer of dissolved gas from matrix to fissure takes place owing to molecular diffusion through the porous matrix rock; and even more transfer takes place owing to local convection within the matrix block induced by the density contrast between fissure and matrix oil. SPEJ p. 281

scholarly journals Streamline simulation of water-oil displacement in a heterogeneous fractured reservoir using different transfer functions

2018 ◽  
Vol 73 ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Mesbah ◽  
Ali Vatani ◽  
Majid Siavashi
Keyword(s):  
Transfer Function ◽  
Transfer Functions ◽  
Water Saturation ◽  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Rock Properties ◽  
Fractured Reservoir ◽  
Commercial Software ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Eulerian Grid ◽  
Streamline Method

Main parts of oil and gas reserves are stored in fractured reservoirs. Simulation of multiphase flow in fractured reservoirs requires a large amount of calculations due to the complexity, reservoir scale and heterogeneity of the rock properties. The accuracy and speed of the streamline method for simulating hydrocarbon reservoirs at field scale make it more applicable than conventional Eulerian simulators using finite difference and finite element techniques. Conventional simulators for fractured reservoirs consume a great deal of time and expense and require powerful CPUs like supercomputers. This makes the development of a fast, powerful and precise simulation method of great importance. The present study was undertaken to develop a computational code as a streamline simulator to study waterflooding in a two-dimensional fractured reservoir with heterogeneous permeability using the Dual Porosity-Single Permeability (DPSP) model. In this simulator, the pressure equation is solved implicitly over an Eulerian grid and then the streamlines are generated using Pollock's semi-analytical method and are traced. At this point, the Time-Of-Flight (TOF) is developed and the saturation equations are mapped and solved explicitly along the streamlines. Next, the results are transferred back onto the Eulerian grid and the calculations are repeated until the simulation end time. In fractured reservoirs, the interaction between the matrix and fracture is included in the transfer functions. Transfer functions model fluid flow and production mechanisms between the matrix and fracture. They introduce source/sink equations between the matrix and fracture and they are distributed throughout the media. In the current study, a problem is simulated using streamline method and several important transfer functions. A new linear transfer function with a constant coefficient is introduced that is based on differences in water saturation between the matrix and fracture. The simulation results were then compared and a commercial software is applied to solve the same problem. The results of the streamline simulator were compared with those of the commercial software and showed appropriate accuracy for the newly introduced transfer function. The accuracy and efficiency of the streamline simulator for simulation of two-phase flow in fractured reservoirs using different transfer functions are confirmed and the results are verified.

Hydraulic Characterization of Fractured Reservoirs: Simulation on Discrete Fracture Models

2002 ◽  
Vol 5 (02) ◽  
pp. 154-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Sarda ◽  
L. Jeannin ◽  
R. Basquet ◽  
B. Bourbiaux
Keyword(s):  
Reservoir Simulation ◽  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Fracture Network ◽  
Dual Porosity ◽  
Fractured Reservoir ◽  
Fracture Networks ◽  
Matrix Fracture ◽  
Discrete Fracture ◽  
The Matrix

Summary Advanced characterization methodology and software are now able to provide realistic pictures of fracture networks. However, these pictures must be validated against dynamic data like flowmeter, well-test, interference-test, or production data and calibrated in terms of hydraulic properties. This calibration and validation step is based on the simulation of those dynamic tests. What has to be overcome is the challenge of both accurately representing large and complex fracture networks and simulating matrix/ fracture exchanges with a minimum number of gridblocks. This paper presents an efficient, patented solution to tackle this problem. First, a method derived from the well-known dual-porosity concept is presented. The approach consists of developing an optimized, explicit representation of the fractured medium and specific treatments of matrix/fracture exchanges and matrix/matrix flows. In this approach, matrix blocks of different volumes and shapes are associated with each fracture cell depending on the local geometry of the surrounding fractures. The matrix-block geometry is determined with a rapid image-processing algorithm. The great advantage of this approach is that it can simulate local matrix/fracture exchanges on large fractured media in a much faster and more appropriate way. Indeed, the simulation can be carried out with a much smaller number of cells compared to a fully explicit discretization of both matrix and fracture media. The proposed approach presents other advantages owing to its great flexibility. Indeed, it accurately handles the cases in which flows are not controlled by fractures alone; either the fracture network may be not hydraulically connected from one well to another, or the matrix may have a high permeability in some places. Finally, well-test cases demonstrate the reliability of the method and its range of application. Introduction In recent years, numerous research programs have been focusing on the topic of fractured reservoirs. Major advances were made, and oil companies now benefit from efficient methodologies, tools, and software for fractured reservoir studies. Nowadays, a study of a fractured reservoir, from fracture detection to full-field simulation, includes the following main steps: geological fracture characterization, hydraulic characterization of fractures, upscaling of fracture properties, and fractured reservoir simulation. Research on fractured reservoir simulation has a long history. In the early 1960s, Barenblatt and Zheltov1 first introduced the dual-porosity concept, followed by Warren and Root,2 who proposed a simplified representation of fracture networks to be used in dual-porosity simulators. Based on this concept, reservoir simulators3 are now able to correctly reproduce the main driving mechanisms occurring in fractured reservoirs, such as water imbibition, gas/oil and water/oil gravity drainage, molecular diffusion, and convection in fractures. Even single-medium simulators can perform fractured reservoir simulation when adequate pseudocapillary pressure curves and pseudorelative permeability curves can be input. Indeed, except for particular cases such as thermal recovery processes, full-field simulation of fractured reservoirs is no longer a problem. Geological characterization of fractures progressed considerably in the 1990s. The challenge was to analyze and integrate all the available fracture data to provide a reliable description of the fracture network both at field scale and at local reservoir cell scale. Tools have been developed for merging seismic, borehole imaging, lithological, and outcrop data together with the help of geological and geomechanical rules.3 These tools benefited from the progress of seismic acquisition and borehole imaging. Indeed, accurate seismic data lead to reliable models of large-scale fracture networks, and borehole imaging gives the actual fracture description along the wells, which enables a reliable statistical determination of fracture attributes. Finally, these tools provide realistic pictures of fracture networks. They are applied successfully in numerous fractured-reservoir studies. The upscaling of fracture properties is the problem of translating the geological description of fracture networks into reservoir simulation parameters. Two approaches are possible. In the first one, the fractured reservoir is considered as a very heterogeneous matrix reservoir; therefore, one applies the classical techniques available for heterogeneous single-medium upscaling. The second approach is based on the dual-porosity concept and consists of upscaling the matrix and the fracture separately. Based on this second approach, methodologies and software were developed in the 1990s to calculate equivalent fracture parameters with respect to the dual-porosity concept (i.e., a fracture-permeability tensor with main flow directions and anisotropy and a shape factor that controls the matrix/fracture exchange kinetics3–5). For a given reservoir grid cell, the upscaling procedures consist of generating the corresponding 3D discrete fracture network and computing the equivalent parameters from this network. In particular, the permeability tensor is computed from the results of steady-state flow simulations in the discrete fracture network alone (without the matrix).

Convection in Fractured Reservoirs - The Effect of Matrix-Fissure Transfer on the Instability of a Density Inversion in a Vertical Fissure

1976 ◽  
Vol 16 (05) ◽  
pp. 269-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.W. Peaceman
Keyword(s):  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Saturation Pressure ◽  
High Conductivity ◽  
Fractured Reservoir ◽  
Density Inversion ◽  
Dissolved Gas ◽  
Rate Of Growth ◽  
Pressure Depletion ◽  
Matrix Blocks ◽  
The Matrix

Abstract In a fractured reservoir undergoing pressure depletion, evolution of gas at the top of the oil zone leads to an unstable density inversion in the fissures. The resulting convection brings heavy oil into contact with matrix blocks containing light oil, and results in the transfer of dissolved gas between matrix and fissure in the undersaturated region of the oil zone. To provide a better understanding of dis process, an earlier perturbation analysis of a density inversion in a vertical fissure has been extended to include the matrix-assure transfer. It was found that matrix-fissure transfer does not affect the stability or instability of a density inversion, nor does it affect the spacing of density angers or the size of convection cells. A quantitative expression for the rate of growth of unstable density fingers was derived. The effect of matrix-fissure transfer is always to reduce the rate of growth. For practical reservoir cases, while any density inversion should be highly unstable, matrix-fissure transfer can be expected to cause a significant reduction in the linger growth rate. Introduction Most fractured reservoirs of commercial interest are characterized by the existence of a system of high-conductivity fissures together with a large number of matrix blocks containing most of the oil. It has been recognized for some time that the analysis of the behavior of a fractured reservoir must involve an understanding of the performance of single matrix blocks under the various environmental conditions that can exist in the fissures. However, only recently has it been recognized that a similar need exists for a better understanding of the convective mixing that probably takes place within the oil-filled portion of the fissure system. In a fractured reservoir undergoing pressure depletion, gas will be evolved at all points of the reservoir where the oil pressure has declined below the original saturation pressure. This depth interval is referred to as the gassing zone. Because of the high conductivity of the fracture, the gas in the fissures will segregate rapidly from the oil before reaching the producing wells and most, if not all, of it will join the expanding gas cap. At a sufficient depth, however, the oil pressure will still be higher than the saturation pressure, and the oil there remains in an undersaturated condition. (See Fig. 1.) In the gassing zone, gas evolves from the oil in both the fissures and the matrix. The oil left behind in the fissures within the gassing zone contains less dissolved gas and is heavier than the oil below it in the undersaturated zone. SPEJ P. 269

Fractured Reservoir Simulation

1983 ◽  
Vol 23 (01) ◽  
pp. 42-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Kent Thomas ◽  
Thomas N. Dixon ◽  
Ray G. Pierson
Keyword(s):  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Fracture Flow ◽  
Fracture System ◽  
Fractured Reservoir ◽  
Three Phase ◽  
Matrix Fracture ◽  
Naturally Fractured ◽  
Matrix Blocks ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Saturation History

Abstract This paper describes the development of a three-dimensional (3D), three-phase model for simulating the flow of water, oil, and gas in a naturally fractured reservoir. A dual porosity system is used to describe the fluids present in the fractures and matrix blocks. Primary flow present in the fractures and matrix blocks. Primary flow in the reservoir occurs within the fractures with local exchange of fluids between the fracture system and matrix blocks. The matrix/fracture transfer function is based on an extension of the equation developed by Warren and Root and accounts for capillary pressure, gravity, and viscous forces. Both the fracture flow equations and matrix/fracture flow are solved implicitly for pressure, water saturation, gas saturation, and saturation pressure. We present example problems to demonstrate the utility of the model. These include a comparison of our results with previous results: comparisons of individual block matrix/fracture transfers obtained using a detailed 3D grid with results using the fracture model's matrix/fracture transfer function; and 3D field-scale simulations of two- and three-phase flow. The three-phase example illustrates the effect of free gas saturation on oil recovery by waterflooding. Introduction Simulation of naturally fractured reservoirs is a challenging task from both a reservoir description and a numerical standpoint. Flow of fluids through the reservoir primarily is through the high-permeability, low-effective-porosity fractures surrounding individual matrix blocks. The matrix blocks contain the majority of the reservoir PV and act as source or sink terms to the fractures. The rate of recovery of oil and gas from a fractured reservoir is a function of several variables, included size and properties of matrix blocks and pressure and saturation history of the fracture system. Ultimate recovery is influenced by block size, wettability, and pressure and saturation history. Specific mechanisms pressure and saturation history. Specific mechanisms controlling matrix/fracture flow include water/oil imbibition, oil imbibition, gas/oil drainage, and fluid expansion. The study of naturally fractured reservoirs has been the subject of numerous papers over the last four decades. These include laboratory investigations of oil recovery from individual matrix blocks and simulation of single- and multiphase flow in fractured reservoirs. Warren and Root presented an analytical solution for single-phase, unsteady-state flow in a naturally fractured reservoir and introduced the concept of dual porosity. Their work assumed a continuous uniform porosity. Their work assumed a continuous uniform fracture system parallel to each of the principal axes of permeability. Superimposed on this system was a set of permeability. Superimposed on this system was a set of identical rectangular parallelopipeds representing the matrix blocks. Mattax and Kyte presented experimental results on water/oil imbibition in laboratory core samples and defined a dimensionless group that relates recovery to time. This work showed that recovery time is proportional to the square root of matrix permeability divided by porosity and is inversely proportional to the square of porosity and is inversely proportional to the square of the characteristic matrix length. Yamamoto et al. developed a compositional model of a single matrix block. Recovery mechanisms for various-size blocks surrounded by oil or gas were studied. SPEJ P. 42

scholarly journals A Decomposed Fracture Network Model for Characterizing Well Performance of Fracture Networks on the Basis of an Approximated Flow Equation

Lithosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (Special 1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiazheng Liu ◽  
Xiaotong Liu ◽  
Hongzhang Zhu ◽  
Xiaofei Ma ◽  
Yuxue Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Network Model ◽  
Fracture Network ◽  
Flow Equation ◽  
Fractured Reservoir ◽  
Well Performance ◽  
Fracture Networks ◽  
Reservoir Heterogeneity ◽  
Matrix Blocks ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Production Period

Abstract The gridless analytical and semianalytical methodologies can provide credible solutions for describing the well performance of the fracture networks in a homogeneous reservoir. Reservoir heterogeneity, however, is common in unconventional reservoirs, and the productivity can vary significantly along the horizontal wells drilled for producing such reservoirs. It is oversimplified to treat the entire reservoir matrix as homogeneous if there are regions with extremely nonuniform properties in the reservoir. However, the existing analytical and semianalytical methods can only model simple cases involving matrix heterogeneity, such as composite, layered, or compartmentalized reservoirs. A semianalytical methodology, which can model fracture networks in heterogeneous reservoirs, is still absent; in this study, we propose a decomposed fracture network model to fill this gap. We discretize a fractured reservoir into matrix blocks that are bounded by the fractures and/or the reservoir boundary and upscale the local properties to these blocks; therefore, a heterogeneous reservoir can be represented with these blocks that have nonuniform properties. To obtain a general flow equation to characterize the transient flow in the blocks that may exhibit different geometries, we approximate the contours of pressure with the contours of the depth of investigation (DOI) in each block. Additionally, the borders of each matrix block represent the fractures in the reservoir; thus, we can characterize the configurations of complex fracture networks by assembling all the borders of the matrix blocks. This proposed model is validated against a commercial software (Eclipse) on a multistage hydraulic fracture model and a fracture network model; both a homogeneous case and a heterogeneous case are examined in each of these two models. For the heterogeneous case, we assign different permeabilities to the matrix blocks in an attempt to characterize the reservoir heterogeneity. The calculation results demonstrate that our new model can accurately simulate the well performance even when there is a high degree of permeability heterogeneity in the reservoir. Besides, if there are high-permeability regions existing in the fractured reservoir, a BDF may be observed in the early production period, and formation linear flow may be indistinguishable in the early production period because of the influence of reservoir heterogeneity.

Simulation of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs With Semi-Implicit Source Terms

1977 ◽  
Vol 17 (03) ◽  
pp. 201-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.H. Rossen
Keyword(s):  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Fractured Reservoir ◽  
Simulation Techniques ◽  
Fracture Simulation ◽  
Reservoir Systems ◽  
Matrix Blocks ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Matrix Rock ◽  
Source Sink

Abstract Conventional reservoir simulation techniques prove to be inadequate when applied directly to the prove to be inadequate when applied directly to the study of fractured reservoir systems. Such systems are characterized by extremes in porosity, permeability, and saturation. The vast bulk of the permeability, and saturation. The vast bulk of the reservoir volume is occupied by relatively low-permeability, disjoint matrix blocks of various sizes surrounded by a small volume of high-permeability, interconnected fracture space. Our approach to this complex problem bas been to treat the matrix blocks as source and sink terms in an otherwise conventional simulation that models only the fracture system. The source/sink terms are functions of matrix rock and fluid properties with fracture saturation and pressure defining the boundary conditions. These functions are derived either by history-matching simulations or independently by laboratory experiments or single matrix-block simulation. This basic concept of a source/sink treatment is not unique to this work. However, the numerical formulation and implementation of these terms in the fracture simulation offers significant advantages over existing modeling procedures. The fundamental advantage of our approach is that these source terms are handled semi-implicitly in both the pressure and saturation calculations involved in pressure and saturation calculations involved in the fracture simulation. This avoids instability problems that are inherent in a sequential problems that are inherent in a sequential fracture-matrix solution and links more closely the behavior of the matrix and the fracture. Special techniques are developed for modeling the effects of fluid contact movement within a large simulation grid block and for treating receding gas-oil and water-oil contacts. Hysteresis effects are included in matrix blocks that begin to imbibe oil after drainage has begun. Introduction Conventional reservoir simulation techniques are not capable of adequately modeling large, naturally fractured reservoir systems. Extreme discontinuities in porosity, permeability, and saturation exist throughout the reservoir. Most of the fluids are found in very low-permeability, disjoint matrix blocks of various sizes, while most of the fluid mobility is in a small volume of high-permeability, interconnected fracture space. The distribution of fluids within the fracture is usually governed primarily by gravity segregation while the behavior of the individual matrix blocks depends on pressure, fluid environment, and matrix fluid saturation. Fluids can move readily throughout the reservoir in the fracture space, but fluids that reside in matrix rock must enter the fracture to move any great distance. The behavior of individual matrix blocks in response to various drive mechanisms has been studied experimentally by Crawford and Yazdil and has been simulated in two dimensions by Kleppe and Morse and Yamamoto et al. Other investigators have studied the single-phase pressure behavior of fractured reservoirs and its effect on pressure buildup curves. Kazemi investigated single-phase flow in a radial reservoir dominated by horizontal fractures. Closman simultaneously solved equations for flow between matrix and fracture and for flow along the fracture planes for a radial aquifer to develop relationships similar to those developed by van Everdingen and Hursts for water influx. Simulation of an entire reservoir system with multiple phases further complicates the problem and makes additional simulator modifications necessary. Asfari and Witherspoon have developed a modeling approach for reservoirs with a regular pattern of noncommunicating vertical fractures by pattern of noncommunicating vertical fractures by assigning constant pressures along each fracture. Several investigators have applied finiteelement techniques to the fracture-matrix flow problem. problem. Our approach to this complex problem has been to model the flow in the fracture system and to treat fluid transfer to and from the matrix much as injection and production are modeled in conventional simulators. Transfer of fluid into the fracture will be represented by a "source" term and transfer from the fracture to the matrix will be represented by a "sink" (or negative source) term. SPEJ P. 201

Efficient Field-Scale Simulation of Black Oil in a Naturally Fractured Reservoir Through Discrete Fracture Networks and Homogenized Media

2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (04) ◽  
pp. 750-758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liyong Li ◽  
Seong H. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Element Method ◽  
Boundary Element ◽  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Fracture Network ◽  
Fractured Reservoir ◽  
Fracture Networks ◽  
Black Oil ◽  
Naturally Fractured ◽  
Grid Block ◽  
Element Method

Summary This paper describes a hybrid finite volume method, designed to simulate multiphase flow in a field-scale naturally fractured reservoir. Lee et al. (WRR 37:443-455, 2001) developed a hierarchical approach in which the permeability contribution from short fractures is derived in an analytical expression that from medium fractures is numerically solved using a boundary element method. The long fractures are modeled explicitly as major fluid conduits. Reservoirs with well-developed natural fractures include many complex fracture networks that cannot be easily modeled by simple long fracture formulation and/or homogenized single continuity model. We thus propose a numerically efficient hybrid method in which small and medium fractures are modeled by effective permeability, and large fractures are modeled by discrete fracture networks. A simple, systematic way is devised to calculate transport parameters between fracture networks and discretized, homogenized media. An efficient numerical algorithm is also devised to solve the dual system of fracture network and finite volume grid. Black oil formulation is implemented in the simulator to demonstrate practical applications of this hybrid finite volume method. Introduction Many reservoirs are highly fractured due to the complex tectonic movement and sedimentation process the formation has experienced. The permeability of a fracture is usually much larger than that of the rock matrix; as a result, the fluid will flow mostly through the fracture network, if the fractures are connected. This implies that the fracture connectivities and their distribution will determine fluid transport in a naturally fractured reservoir (Long and Witherspoon 1985). Because of statistically complex distribution of geological heterogeneity and multiple length and time scales in natural porous media, three approaches (Smith and Schwartz 1993) are commonly used in describing fluid flow and solute transport in naturally fractured formations:discrete fracture models;continuum models using effective properties for discrete grids; andhybrid models that combine discrete, large features and equivalent continuum. Currently, most reservoir simulators use dual continuum formulations (i.e., dual porosity/permeability) for naturally fractured reservoirs in which matrix blocks are divided by very regular fracture patterns (Kazemi et al. 1976, Van Golf-Racht 1982). Part of the primary input into these simulation models is the permeability of the fracture system assigned to the individual grid-blocks. This value can only be reasonably calculated if the fracture systems are regular and well connected. Field characterization studies have shown, however, that fracture systems are very irregular, often disconnected, and occur in swarms (Laubach 1991, Lorenz and Hill 1991, Narr et al. 2003). Most naturally fractured reservoirs include fractures of multiple- length scales. The effective grid-block permeability calculated by the boundary element method becomes expensive as the number of fractures increases. The calculated effective properties for grid-blocks also underestimates the properties for long fractures whose length scale is much larger than the grid-block size. Lee et al. (2001) proposed a hierarchical method to model fluid flow in a reservoir with multiple-length scaled fractures. They assumed that short fractures are randomly distributed and contribute to increasing the effective matrix permeability. An asymptotic solution representing the permeability contribution from short fractures was derived. With the short fracture contribution to permeability, the effective matrix permeability can be expressed in a general tensor form. Thus, they also developed a boundary element method for Darcy's equation with tensor permeability. For medium-length fractures in a grid-block, a coupled system of Poisson equations with tensor permeability was solved numerically using a boundary element method. The grid-block effective permeabilities were used with a finite difference simulator to compute flow through the fracture system. The simulator was enhanced to use a control-volume finite difference formulation (Lee et al. 1998, 2002) for general tensor permeability input (i.e., 9-point stencil for 2-D and 27-point stencil for 3-D). In addition, long fractures were explicitly modeled by using the transport index between fracture and matrix in a gridblock. In this paper we adopt their transport index concept and extend the hierarchical method:to include networks of long fractures;to model fracture as a two-dimensional plane; andto allow fractures to intersect with well bore. This generalization allows us to model a more realistic and complex fracture network that can be found in naturally fractured reservoirs. To demonstrate this new method for practical reservoir applications, we furthermore implement a black oil formulation in the simulator. We explicitly model long fractures as a two-dimensional plane that can penetrate several layers. The method, presented in this paper, allows a general description of fracture orientation in space. For simplicity of computational implementation however, both the medium-length and long fractures considered in this paper are assumed to be perpendicular to bedding boundaries. In addition, we derive a source/sink term to model the flux between matrix and long fracture networks. This source/sink allows for coupling multiphase flow equations in long fractures and matrix. The paper is organized as follows. In Section 2 black oil formulation is briefly summarized and the transport equations for three phase flow are presented. The fracture characterization and hierarchical modeling approach, based on fracture length, are discussed in Section 3. In Section 4 we review homogenization of short and medium fractures, which is part of our hierarchical approach to modeling flow in porous media with multiple length-scale fractures. In Section 5 we discuss a discrete network model of long fractures. We also derive transfer indices between fracture and effective matrix blocks. In Section 6 we present numerical examples for tracer transport in a model with simple fracture network, interactions of fractures and wells, and black oil production in a reservoir with a complex fracture network system. Finally, the summary of our main results and conclusion follows.

Theory of Waterflooding in Fractured Reservoirs

1978 ◽  
Vol 18 (02) ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham de Swaan
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Fractured Reservoir ◽  
Relative Permeabilities ◽  
Water Imbibition ◽  
Matrix Blocks ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Numerical Formulation

Abstract This paper presents a new theory of the incompressible flow of two fluids (water displacing oil) in a fractured porous material composed of two distinct media - matrix blocks of low transmissibility embedded in a highly transmissible medium. This general description includes heterogeneous porous media not necessarily of the fractured type. The theory accounts for an important fact not considered in framer analytical model found in the literature. The blocks downstream in a reservoir subject to waterflood are exposed to a varying water saturation resulting from the water imbibition of the upstream blocks. Expressions for the water-oil ratio and the cumulative-oil production are derived, allowing a complete economic evaluation of a fractured-reservoir waterflood project. Comparison of experimental curves reported in the literature with curves obtained using this theory show a good fit. Introduction Imbibition is a most important mechanism of oil production in the waterflooding of fractured production in the waterflooding of fractured reservoirs. Using the action of capillary forces, it allows the recovery of oil from the interior of blocks that cannot be reached by the externally applied gradients of the waterflood. Previous papers assume a function to describe the time rate of exchange of oil and water for a single matrix block. In a lineal reservoir, a water table advances as water is injected with the matrix blocks progressively exposed to water, depending on their position. The oil released by the matrix blocks is assumed transferred instantly to the water-oil interphase,. In this way, the oil production is an added function of individual block contributions. An analytical approach to this problem, and a numerical model, use the problem, and a numerical model, use the simplifying assumption of a water front. This may be a sound description in the presence of vertical high-transmissivity fractures where oil may segregate readily, but in fractures with a discrete transmissivity, it is expected that water imbibition and the simultaneous release of oil by these blocks will give rise to a varying saturation in the fractures that will affect the imbibition rates of the downstream blocks. Braester's analytical approach assumes relative permeabilities of both wetting and nonwetting permeabilities of both wetting and nonwetting phases, intermediate between the fracture's and the phases, intermediate between the fracture's and the matrix's relative permeabilities; these intermediate permeabilities are impossible to measure. The permeabilities are impossible to measure. The model also uses an approximation of the fluid interchange between fractures and blocks. The model may be used for predictions after finding parameters to match observed oil and water parameters to match observed oil and water productions. productions. Kleppe and Morse conducted laboratory experiments on matrix blocks surrounded by fractures and numerical simulations (with rather coarse numerical grids) of Braester's laboratory system. Their numerical simulation computations agree well with the experimental results. This numerical formulation is exact or causalistic; capillary pressures and relative permeabilities are computed pressures and relative permeabilities are computed at every grid block. Their experimental and numerical results are used to test the theory presented here. presented here. Another numerical formulation assumes an approximation for the fluid interchange between fractures and matrix blocks. This approximate formulation did not try to reproduce the exact formulation results of Kleppe and Morse, nor their laboratory experiments. The theory presented here analitically accounts for varying saturations in the fractures by introducing a convolution. A somewhat similar approach -was used successfully to describe the transient one-phase flow in a fractured reservoir. THEORY An outline of the subject theory (developed in the Appendix) includes the following assumed mechanisms and their corresponding mathematical expressions. SPEJ P. 117

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