Vertically Fractured Well Performance in Rectangular Drainage Area

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents two new models to define the dimensionless productivity index of finite conductivity fractured well either for pseudo-steady state or steady state conditions in the rectangular shape reservoir. Maximum dimensionless productivity index (JD) of a fractured well in a square drainage is 6/π at pseudo-steady state, and 4/π steady state. The same well in a rectangular drainage can have larger JD with the same area and dimensionless proppant number (Nprop). Since rectangular geometry provides much larger JD, it seams reasonable to consider this geometry for field development. For a given set of reservoir conditions there is an optimum rectangular geometry aspect ratio (rectangle length width ratio), which when fractured properly, will yield the maximum possible JD under pseudo steady state. Optimizing the aspect ratio impacts the well spacing, which has major significance for field development planning or infill evaluation. The purpose of this work is to provide performance type curves for a fractured well in rectangular drainage area and provide a methodology to determine the optimum aspect ratio for a given set of reservoir conditions.