Pressure behaviours and flow regimes of a horizontal well with multiple inclined hydraulic fractures

Abstract

Hydraulic fractures have become a common stimulation application in the oil and gas industry, especially in tight formations. Published models assume the hydraulic fractures are vertical and symmetric. However, recent studies have shown that fractures are asymmetric and inclined with respect to the vertical direction and the axis of the wellbore. This paper introduces new analytical models that can be used to investigate the pressure behaviour and flow regimes of a horizontal well with multiple hydraulic fractures. The hydraulic fractures in this model could be longitudinal or transverse, vertical or inclined, symmetrical or asymmetrical. The fractures are propagated in isotropic or anisotropic formations and considered having different dimensions and different spacing. These models are solved using MATLAB codes to create several analytical solutions for the flow regimes that are expected to develop in the vicinity of the wellbore. These solutions can be used to calculate various reservoir parameters, including directional permeability, fracture length, skin factors, and angle of inclination.