Non-Darcy Compressible Flow of Real Gases in Propped Fracture

Abstract

The development of a simple hyraulically fractured gas well model is presented. A one-dimensional fracture flow model is used to investigate the effects of non-Darcy flow of a real gas in a hydraulically induced, vertical, propped fracture.A sensitivity analysis was performed on the inertial resistance factor 8, to determine how any variation in the value of 8 would affect performance predictions based on non-Darcy flow.It was observed that non-Darcy flow effects in the fracture may be significant especially at the vicinity of the wellbore.It was also noted that the accuracy of non-Darcy flow predictions is quite sensitive to the interial resistance factor. Test results of the model are presented.

The state-of-the-art in natural gas production

“…Studies (Gil et al, 2001;Ubani and Evans, 1982) showed that significant turbulence flow can exist in a fracture at any time in the life of a vertically fractured gas well. On the average, about 10% of the total fracture pressure drop can be attributed to turbulence effects (Kakar et al, 2004).…”