A modified projection-based embedded discrete fracture model (pEDFM) for practical and accurate numerical simulation of fractured reservoir

Abstract

pEDFM is a new numerical model which is proposed in the last three years to handle the flow simulation with complex fracture networks. Previous works show that classical EDFM has a good performance only for production or injection simulation of multistage fractured well, but pEDFM can effectively handle more general cases than EDFM. Although pEDFM has been validated by by some works, this paper points out that there are still some limitations in previous pEDFM need to be resolved, lying on lack of a practical method to select projected faces, the proficiency in the transmissibility formula of f-m connections, and poor performances in some cases. Then, corresponding modifications are presented to resolve these limitations, and these modifications include A practical algorithm called “micro-translation method” to select projected-faces combinations, the physical transmissibility formula of additional fracture-matrix (f-m) connections and an extended pEDFM framework by considering additional fracture-fracture (f-f) connections. Some test cases are implemented to illustrate the necessity and validity of these modifications. Besides, two examples are implemented to illustrate the robustness of the modified pEDFM workflow for practical application of a fractured reservoir.