Numerical Approach for the Prediction of Formation and Hydraulic Fracture Properties Considering Elliptical Flow Regime in Tight Gas Reservoirs

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Mofazzal Hossain ◽  
Omar Al-Fatlawi ◽  
Dominic Brown ◽  
Mohammed Ajeel
Keyword(s):  
Flow Regime ◽  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Numerical Approach ◽  
Tight Gas ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Tight Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Fracture Properties ◽  
Elliptical Flow

A New Approach for Reliable Estimation of Hydraulic Fracture Properties Using Elliptical Flow Data in Tight Gas Wells

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (02) ◽  
pp. 254-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yueming Cheng ◽  
W. John Lee ◽  
Duane A. McVay
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Finite Conductivity ◽  
Tight Gas ◽  
Well Test ◽  
Pressure Data ◽  
Gas Wells ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Fracture Properties ◽  
Elliptical Flow ◽  
Half Length

Summary Gas wells in low-permeability formations usually require hydraulic fracturing to be commercially viable. Pressure transient analysis in hydraulically fractured tight gas wells is commonly based on analysis of three flow regimes: bilinear, linear, and pseudoradial. Without the presence of pseudoradial flow, neither reservoir permeability nor fracture half-length can be independently estimated. In practice, as pseudoradial flow is often absent, the resulting estimation is uncertain and unreliable. On the other hand, elliptical flow, which exists between linear flow and pseudoradial flow, is of long duration (typically months to years). We can acquire much rate and pressure data during this flow regime, but no practical well test analysis technique is currently available to interpret these data. This paper presents a new approach to reliably estimate reservoir and hydraulic fracture properties from analysis of pressure data obtained during the elliptical flow period. The method is applicable to estimate fracture half-length, formation permeability, and skin factor independently for both infinite- and finite-conductivity fractures. It is iterative and features rapid convergence. The method can estimate formation permeability when pseudoradial flow does not exist. Coupled with stable deconvolution technology, which converts variable production-rate and pressure measurements into an equivalent constant-rate pressure drawdown test, this method can provide fracture-property estimates from readily available, noisy production data. We present synthetic and field examples to illustrate the procedures and demonstrate the validity and applicability of the proposed approach.

Impacts of Diverse Fluvial Depositional Environments on Hydraulic Fracture Growth in Tight Gas Reservoirs

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (01) ◽  
pp. 8-25
Author(s):  
Patricia H. Cuba ◽  
Jennifer Miskimins ◽  
Donna S. Anderson ◽  
Mary M. Carr
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Depositional Environments ◽  
Tight Gas ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Tight Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Fracture Growth

Induced and natural fracture interaction in tight-gas reservoirs

2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 611
Author(s):  
Mohammad Rahman ◽  
Sheik Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Natural Fracture ◽  
Tight Gas ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Differential Stress ◽  
Tight Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Reservoir Development ◽  
Well Spacing ◽  
Tight Gas Reservoir

This paper investigates the interaction of an induced hydraulic fracture in the presence of a natural fracture and the subsequent propagation of this induced fracture. The developed, fully coupled finite element model integrates a wellbore, an induced hydraulic fracture, a natural fracture, and a reservoir that simulates interaction between the induced and natural fracture. The results of this study have shown that natural fractures can have a profound effect on induced fracture propagation. In most cases, the induced fracture crosses the natural fracture at high angles of approach and high differential stress. At low angles of approach and low differential stress, the induced fracture is more likely to be arrested and/or break out from the far-end side of the natural fracture. It has also been observed that the propagation of the induced fracture is stopped by a large natural fracture at a high angle of approach, when the injection rate remains low. At a low angle of approach, the induced fracture deviates and propagates along the natural fracture. Crossing of the natural fracture and/or arrest by the natural fracture is controlled by the shear strength of the natural fracture, natural fracture orientation, and the in situ stress state of the reservoir. In tight-gas reservoir development, the optimum well spacing and induced hydraulic fracture length are correlated. Therefore, fracturing design should be performed during the initial reservoir development planning phase along with the well spacing design to obtain an optimal depletion strategy. This model has a potential application in the design and optimisation of fracturing design in unconventional reservoirs including tight-gas reservoirs and enhanced geothermal systems.

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