Elemental Study of Single Fractures Conductivity Using 3D Prototyping and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Abstract

Abstract Fluid flow in fractures is of great interest in the oil and gas industry due to its numerous applications in naturally and hydraulically fracture reservoirs. In order to resolve a fracture's conductivity, its structural and hydraulic properties must be analyzed extensively. Advancements in Real-time Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) tests and 3D-printing technology impelled them to become valuable analytical tools. This paper takes a multi-disciplinary approach to improve empirical studies of flow in fractures. A resin core-plug of parallel-plate fracture model was created. The fracture design has a well-known theoretical solution which was used to validate experimental results. To increase fluid susceptibility to NMR measurements, fractures were replicated 6 times in each plug. X-ray micro-computed tomography images were conducted to evaluate the manufacturing quality and geometrical parameters. NMR T2 relaxation time and saturation profiles were conducted to monitor the flood front and asses the fracture volume. The NMR pore volume can be substituted in the cubic law equation to obtain the fracture permeability. 3D printing technology provides a non-destructive and efficient method of controlling geometrical parameters in the designed models. In addition, 3D printing is flexible regarding the manufacturing material, which allows control of surface wettability. All of these factors would improve the quality of model studies, including the current study of the impact for different geometrical factors on fracture conductivity