Abstract
ultra-low permeability; hydraulic fracturing; cyclical gas injection; fracking stages
Highlights
Bakken, an enormous liquid-rich shale resource and its adjoining formation of Three Forks, extending from North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota in the United States, to Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada, has made strong contributions to oil production in North America
It is assumed that 10% of produced gas in each production cycle is re-injected to the reservoir in proceeding injection cycle
net present value (NPV) is negative during the development phase and starts to increase immediately after start of natural depletion
Summary
An enormous liquid-rich shale resource and its adjoining formation of Three Forks, extending from North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota in the United States, to Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada, has made strong contributions to oil production in North America. According to the 2013 United States Geological Survey (USGS) project reports, there are 7.4 billion barrels of unrecovered oil that can be produced from the Bakken and Three Forks formations [1]. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that the Canadian portion of the Bakken reservoir contains 1.6 billion barrels of oil and 2.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas [2]. Low permeability in unconventional reservoirs prevents oil from flowing naturally into the wellbore. The ultra-low (micro- to nano-Darcy) matrix permeability makes the aforementioned resources geologically unfavorable for recovery. The low viscosity and high compressibility of hydrocarbon fluids make them viable potential options for oil production
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