Transient responses of multifractured systems with discrete secondary fractures in unconventional reservoirs

Abstract

This paper provides a semi-analytical model to analyze the transient responses of multifractured systems with discrete secondary fractures in unconventional reservoirs. The model idealizes the stimulated reservoir volume as two regions: a primary hydraulic-fracture and discrete secondary fractures. Transient pressure and derivative responses are obtained by coupling an analytical model for matrix flow and a numerical model for fracture flow. This approach can consider the fracture characteristics in detail. For example, the discrete secondary fractures may interconnect the primary hydraulic-fracture with different inclination, nonuniform fracture spacing and varying conductivity. The semi-analytical model was verified in comparison with the results of a fully numerical simulation model.Transient flow behavior of the system was analyzed in detail. The study has shown that a multifractured system with discrete secondary fractures may exhibit four flow regimes: bilinear flow, fluid feed flow, matrix linear flow and pseudosteady-state flow. In the fluid feed flow period, the secondary fractures act as supply sources to feed the primary hydraulic-fracture to generate a dip on the type curves. Local solutions for the matrix linear flow are similar to that for a finite conductivity vertical fracture and can be correlated with the ratio of the total length of the secondary fractures to that of the primary hydraulic-fracture and an intercept term. With the increasing of number of secondary fracture, the ending time of the bilinear flow will be advanced and the fluid feed flow period will come earlier. The dimensionless secondary fracture length determines the slope of the straight line of the matrix linear flow on square-root-dimensionless-time plot. As the secondary fracture inclination decreases, the duration of the matrix linear flow period is shortened and the beginning time of the pseudosteady-state flow period is delayed. In addition, the secondary fracture conductivity affects the depth of the dip and the beginning time of the matrix linear flow period. However, the influence is not appreciable on the log/log graph.