Solutions of Heat- and Fluid-Flow Problems in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs: Part 1 – Heat-Flow Problems

Abstract

SummaryThis is the first of two papers concerning the solution of heat- and fluid-flow problems in naturally fractured reservoirs. It deals with the temperature behavior of a naturally fractured reservoir. The naturally fractured reservoir model used assumes unsteady-state heat transfer between the matrix and fracture systems. The model consists of a production (or injection) well fully penetrating a reservoir containing equally spaced horizontal fractures.The problem of hot- or cold-water injection into a naturally fractured reservoir is considered, and a solution describing the temperature distribution in such a reservoir is given that can be used to locate the thermal front and to estimate the reservoir volume affected by the injection process. It also has application in estimating the amount of heat that can be extracted from a geothermal reservoir as the result of a reinjection process. The results of a field test support the validity of the model.