Abstract
This study applies the Lindenmayer system based on fractal theory to generate synthetic fracture networks in hydraulically fractured wells. The applied flow model is based on complex analysis methods, which can quantify the flow near the fractures, and being gridless, is computationally faster than traditional discrete volume simulations. The representation of hydraulic fractures as fractals is a more realistic representation than planar bi-wing fractures used in most reservoir models. Fluid withdrawal from the reservoir with evenly spaced hydraulic fractures may leave dead zones between planar fractures. Complex fractal networks will drain the reservoir matrix more effectively, due to the mitigation of stagnation flow zones. The flow velocities, pressure response, and drained rock volume (DRV) are visualized for a variety of fractal fracture networks in a single-fracture treatment stage. The major advancement of this study is the improved representation of hydraulic fractures as complex fractals rather than restricting to planar fracture geometries. Our models indicate that when the complexity of hydraulic fracture networks increases, this will suppress the occurrence of dead flow zones. In order to increase the DRV and improve ultimate recovery, our flow models suggest that fracture treatment programs must find ways to create more complex fracture networks.
Highlights
The massive shift in US oil and gas production, after the Millennium turn, from conventional to unconventional reservoirs, has seen the hydraulic fracturing of production wells become a crucial aspect of completion engineering
A simple fractal code written in MATLAB from the M2-TUM group from the TU Munich was modified for our purpose of fractal network generation in 2D
The simulations in this work show that the fracture geometry and complexity have a significant impact on the detailed hydrocarbon migration route near the fractures
Summary
The massive shift in US oil and gas production, after the Millennium turn, from conventional to unconventional reservoirs, has seen the hydraulic fracturing of production wells become a crucial aspect of completion engineering. The productivity of shale wells is primarily based on how effectively hydraulic fractures help to provide new pathways for flow toward the wells from the reservoir matrix with ultralow permeability. A proper understanding of the creation of hydraulic fractures and modeling of fluid flow near these fractures is needed for improvement in both the early well productivity and the ultimate recovery factor. The engineering of hydraulic fractures in unconventional hydrocarbon. The fracture spacing is designed using estimations of geomechanical rock properties from pilot wells in combination with fracture propagation models
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