A Comprehensive Model for Performance Forecast of Multiple Fractured Horizontal Well in Unconventional Reservoirs: A Case Study

Abstract

Abstract Performance forecast of multiple fractured horizontal well (MFHW) becomes a hotspot in the development of shale gas (SG) reservoirs. Due to geological and engineering factors, there exists complex mechanisms including stress-sensitivity effect, diffusion flow, gas desorption, finite fracture conductivity, and wellbore hydraulics. However, little work has been done to focus on these complex mechanisms simultaneously. To comprehensively study this issue, a more comprehensive model was proposed in this paper. In this model, some aspects were all considered: (1) flow mechanisms of viscous flow, slip flow, transition flow, and Knudsen flow, (2) gas desorption and diffusion flow, (3) stress-sensitivity effect of permeability, and (4) wellbore hydraulics in the horizontal wellbore. The first part of this paper was model development and solution. During this process, model was developed based on the flow mechanisms of SG and its solution was obtained by applying a semi-analytical method. The second part involves model validation and case study. To verify the model, the results from the proposed model were compared with those from a commercial software, KAPPA Ecrin. After model validation, based on a real case from the Sichuan Basin, type-curve matching and parameter estimations were conducted using the proposed model. This study further narrows the gap between theory and practice of performance predictions for MFHW in SG reservoirs.