Limited Entry Fracturing Design and Optimization for Thin-Interbedded Low-Permeability Reservoir

Abstract

Limited entry fracturing technique is an effective method to stimulate low-permeability reservoirs. Especially for thin-interbedded reservoirs, this technique can, to a large extent, save fracturing operation cost and improve effectively stimulation degree of oil layers. In order to get targeted operations, various influence factors should be taken into account, to further optimize limited entry fracturing frame. Low-permeability thin interbedded reservoirs being featured with low permeability, multiple and thin layers, the numerical simulation method is applied to analyze the effect of perforation number and formation parameters, including minimum principal stress, pay thickness, permeability and porosity, on entry flow rate and fracture geometries. Through simulation, we find: the higher minimum principal stress, which is the main factor affecting proppant length, the shorter the proppant length; the thicker the pay zone or the more the perforation number, the larger the proppant width, while pay zone thickness and perforation number are the main factors affecting proppant width; the more the perforation number, which has the largest effect on proppant height, the larger the proppant height. Nonetheless, permeability and porosity has minor effects on fracture geometries.