Efficient linear dual-medium model for production prediction

Abstract

<p indent="0mm">Production prediction (PP) is the basis for assessing the fracturing effect and exploitation value of a reservoir. A reasonable, efficient, and accurate PP model is vital for exploiting unconventional gas reservoirs. Referring to microseism monitoring results, a new PP model was proposed based on the linear fracture-network assumption, which considers the distribution properties of fractures. The flow model equations were developed based on the dual-medium assumption. Then, the simulation and prediction program were developed by numerical methods, and a software platform was built. The results show that the proposed PP model outperforms the traditional tri-linear model. The main advantages are as follows: the theoretical basis of the proposed model is more reasonable, which is more consistent with the microseism monitoring results; the proposed PP model is more efficient, with a prediction time that is less than one-thousandth or even one ten-thousandth of that of the traditional model; and the proposed model has similar or higher accuracy than the traditional model. The proposed model can provide valuable guidance for predicting and assessing gas reservoir production, including shale and coalbed gas.