Pressure-Transient Behavior and Inflow Performance of Horizontal Wells Intersecting Discrete Fractures

Abstract

SPE Members Abstract New analytical pressure-transient solutions and dynamic inflow performance equations for horizontal wells intersecting discrete fractures in an infinite reservoir are presented. The horizontal well is assumed orthogonally penetrating multiple identical and parallel fractures. The reservoir containing the horizontal well is bounded by non-flow parallel planes at the top and the bottom. The pressure-transient solutions are derived using the source and Green's functions developed by Gringarten and Ramey, as well as the superposition principle. The dynamic inflow performance equations are derived by applying the derived transient solutions. The derived analytical pressure-transient solutions may provide a theoretical basis for the analysis of the transient pressure behavior of horizontal wells intersecting discrete fractures. New evaluation techniques may be developed for determining reservoir properties and fracture characteristics from horizontal well testing. The dynamic inflow performance models presents a theoretical tool for evaluating the effects of fractures on horizontal well performance. They are particularly useful in the production modelling of horizontal wells in tight reservoirs with natural or induced fractures. Introduction The pressure-transient solutions and well testing techniques for evaluating the behavior of a single vertical fracture (a fractured vertical well, for example) have been well documented in the literature. The pressure-transient behavior for a horizontal well in a non-fractured reservoir with various boundary conditions has been investigated by numerous researchers. More recently, studies on the pressure-transient solutions of horizontal wells in more heterogeneous and more anisotropic reservoirs, such as stratified, laterally composite, and naturally fractured (dual porosity) reservoirs, have also been presented. All of these studies have contributed significantly to the understanding of horizontal well performance. It appears, however, that the information on the pressure-transient solutions for a horizontal well intersecting multiple discrete fractures has not become available in the literature. As horizontal well technology is becoming more suitable in developing naturally fractured reservoirs, and tight reservoirs when coupled with hydraulic fracturing, appropriate well testing techniques need to be developed for evaluating the fracture characteristics and reservoir properties, and accurate in flow performance equations derived for estimating the production potential of a horizontal well in such a system. P. 307^

Pressure Transient Analysis for Finite Conductivity Multi-staged Fractured Horizontal Well in Fractured-Vuggy Carbonate Reservoirs

“…Fortunately, many studies on pressure behaviors of MFHW in clastic and unconventional reservoirs have been performed in recent 20 years [21], [22], [23], [24], [25], [26], [27], which can guide to study PTA of MFHW in fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs.…”

Pressure transient analysis of multistage fracturing horizontal wells with finite fracture conductivity in shale gas reservoirs

“…Therefore, the governing equation of every media can be derived; however, the interference among hydraulic fractures is ignored. Some scholars, including Nashawi (2006), Hegre (1991, 1994), Guo and Evans (1993), Horne and Temeng (1995), Chen and Rajagopal (1997), presented some transient analytical solutions in Laplace domain for the fracturing horizontal well with multiple finite conductivity by using sink-source integral. Some other scholars, including Al-Kobaisi and Ozkan (2004), Valk and Amini (2007), Brown et al (2011), coped with this issue using numerical difference method.…”

Performance of horizontal wells with fracture networks in shale gas formation

“…The methodologies can be approximately classified into three types: (1) analytical method El-Banbi, 1998;Ezulike and Dehghanpour, 2013;Ozkan et al, 2011;Soliman et al, 1990;Stalgorova and Mattar, 2012a;Stalgorova and Mattar, 2012b;Xu et al, 2013). The analytical method is the most rapid and convenient one, but it is inaccurate due to the ignorance of fracture interferences; (2) semi-analytical method Guo and Evans, 1993;Horne and Temeng, 1995;Larsen and Hegre, 1991;Raghavan et al, 1997). Fracture interferences can be easily considered by using the semi-analytical method, and the semi-analytical solution is always obtained by using Stehfest numerical inversion (Stehfest, 1970); (3) numerical method (Al-Kobaisi and Ozkan, 2004;Freeman, 2010;Karcher et al, 1986;Olorode et al, 2012;Valko and Amini, 2007;Yu et al, 2014).…”