Projection-based embedded discrete fracture model(pEDFM)is an effective numerical model to handle the flow in fractured reservoirs,with high efficiency and strong generalization of flow models.However,this paper point...Projection-based embedded discrete fracture model(pEDFM)is an effective numerical model to handle the flow in fractured reservoirs,with high efficiency and strong generalization of flow models.However,this paper points out that pEDFM fails to handle flow barriers in most cases,and identifies the physical projection configuration of fractures is a key step in pEDFM.This paper presents and proves the equivalence theorem,which explains the geometric nature of physical projection configurations of fractures,that is,the projection configuration of a fracture being physical is equivalent to it being topologically homeomorphic to the fracture,by analyzing the essence of pEDFM.Physical projection configurations of fractures may be rigorously established based on this theorem,allowing pEDFM to obtain physical numerical results for many flow models,particularly those with flow barriers.Furthermore,a natural idea emerges of employing flow barriers to flexibly‘cut’the formation to quickly handle the flow problems in the formation with complex geological conditions,and several numerical examples are implemented to test this idea and application of the improved pEDFM.展开更多
To solve the problems of long experiment period and difficult measurement in core imbibition experiments,fracture-matrix microfluidic chips of different sizes,boundary conditions and wettability regulated by surface p...To solve the problems of long experiment period and difficult measurement in core imbibition experiments,fracture-matrix microfluidic chips of different sizes,boundary conditions and wettability regulated by surface property modification were designed to research the imbibition mechanisms of oil-water,oil-surfactant solution and oil-WinsorⅢtype surfactant solution.In the oil-water,and oil-wettability modification system imbibition process,oil was replaced from the matrix through Haines jump,the capillary back pressure was the main resistance blocking the flow of oil,the reduction of interfacial tension caused the weakening of Haines jump,reduction of oil discharge rate,and increase of oil recovery.The imbibition of oil-water or oil-surfactant solution with low interfacial tension was a counter-current imbibition process dominated by capillary force,in which all boundaries had similar contribution to imbibition,and the recovery data obtained from this experiment fit well with the classic imbibition scaling equation.The imbibition of oil and Winsor III type surfactant solution was a co-current imbibition process dominated by gravity under super-low interfacial tension,and is essentially the formation and re-balance of neutral microemulsion.The imbibition dynamics obtained from this experiment fit well with the modified imbibition scaling equation.展开更多
Fluid flow in fractured media has been studied for decades and received considerable attention in the oil and gas industry because of the high productivity of naturally fractured reservoirs.Due to formation complexity...Fluid flow in fractured media has been studied for decades and received considerable attention in the oil and gas industry because of the high productivity of naturally fractured reservoirs.Due to formation complexity and reservoir heterogeneity,characterizing fluid flow with an appropriate reservoir model presents a challenging task that differs relatively from homogeneous conventional reservoirs in many aspects of view,including geological,petrophysical,production,and economics.In most fractured reservoirs,fracture networks create complex pathways that affect hydrocarbon flow,well performance,hence reservoir characterization.A better and comprehensive understanding of the available reservoir modeling approaches is much needed to accurately characterize fluid flow behavior in NFRs.Therefore,in this paper,a perspective review of the available modeling approaches was presented for fluid flow characterization in naturally fractured medium.Modeling methods were evaluated in terms of their description,application,advantages,and disadvantages.This study has also included the applications of these reservoir models in fluid flow characterizing studies and governing equations for fluid flow.Dual continuum models were proved to be better than single continuum models in the presence of large scale fractures.In comparison,discrete models were more appropriate for reservoirs that contain a smaller number of fractures.However,hybrid modeling was the best method to provide accurate and scalable fluid flow modeling.It is our understanding that this paper will bridge the gap between the fundamental understanding and application of NFRs modeling approaches and serve as a useful reference for engineers and researchers for present and future applications.展开更多
Fracture network connectivity and aperture (or conductivity) distribution are two crucial features controlling flow behavior of naturally fractured reservoirs. The effect of connectivity on flow properties is well d...Fracture network connectivity and aperture (or conductivity) distribution are two crucial features controlling flow behavior of naturally fractured reservoirs. The effect of connectivity on flow properties is well documented. In this paper, however, we focus here on the influence of fracture aperture distribution. We model a two dimensional fractured reservoir in which the matrix is impermeable and the fractures are well connected. The fractures obey a power-law length distribution, as observed in natural fracture networks. For the aperture distribution, since the information from subsurface fracture networks is limited, we test a number of cases: log-normal distributions (from narrow to broad), power-law distributions (from narrow to broad), and one case where the aperture is pro- portional to the fracture length. We find that even a well- connected fracture network can behave like a much sparser network when the aperture distribution is broad enough (c~ 〈 2 for power-law aperture distributions and σ ≥ 0.4 for log-normal aperture distributions). Specifically, most fractures can be eliminated leaving the remaining dominant sub-network with 90% of the permeability of the original fracture network. We determine how broad the aperture distribution must be to approach this behavior and the dependence of the dominant sub-network on the parameters of the aperture distribution. We also explore whether one can identify the dominant sub-network without doing flow calculations.展开更多
Based on the plane of weakness theory, a model for predicting borehole stability in fractured reservoirs under different stress states was estiblisted and the equations for solving borehole stability were developed. T...Based on the plane of weakness theory, a model for predicting borehole stability in fractured reservoirs under different stress states was estiblisted and the equations for solving borehole stability were developed. The minimum downhole pressures required to maintain borehole stability under different natural fracture occurrences were calculated by using the data from a well in the Tazhong (central Tarim) area, Tarim Basin, west China. Several conclusions were drawn for naturally fractured reservoirs with a dip angle from less than 10° to greater than 30°. Application in three wells in the Tazhong area indicates that this model is practically useful.展开更多
The high-resolution azimuthal resistivity laterolog response in a fractured formation was numerically simulated using a three-dimensional finite element method. Simulation results show that the azimuthal resistivity i...The high-resolution azimuthal resistivity laterolog response in a fractured formation was numerically simulated using a three-dimensional finite element method. Simulation results show that the azimuthal resistivity is determined by fracture dipping as well as dipping direction, while the amplitude differences between deep and shallow laterolog resistivities are mainly controlled by the former. A linear relationship exists between the corrected apparent conductivities and fracture aperture. With the same fracture aperture, the deep and shallow laterolog resistivities present small values with negative separations for low-angle fractures, while azimuthal resistivities have large variations with positive separations for high-angle fractures that intersect the borehole. For dipping fractures, the variation of the azimuthal resistivity becomes larger when the fracture aperture increases. In addition, for high-angle fractures far from the borehole, a negative separation between the deep and shallow resistivities exists when fracture aperture is large as well as high resistivity contrast exists between bedrock and fracture fluid. The decreasing amplitude of dual laterolog resistivity can indicate the aperture of low-angle fractures, and the variation of the deep azimuthal resistivity can give information of the aperture of high-angle fractures and their position relative to the borehole.展开更多
Focused on the lost circulation control in deep naturally fractured reservoirs, the multiscale structure of fracture plugging zone is proposed based on the theory of granular matter mechanics, and the structural failu...Focused on the lost circulation control in deep naturally fractured reservoirs, the multiscale structure of fracture plugging zone is proposed based on the theory of granular matter mechanics, and the structural failure pattern of plugging zone is developed to reveal the plugging zone failure mechanisms in deep, high temperature, high pressure, and high in-situ stress environment. Based on the fracture plugging zone strength model, key performance parameters are determined for the optimal selection of loss control material(LCM). Laboratory fracture plugging experiments with new LCM are carried out to evaluate the effect of the key performance parameters of LCM on fracture plugging quality. LCM selection strategy for fractured reservoirs is developed. The results show that the force chain formed by LCMs determines the pressure stabilization of macro-scale fracture plugging zone. Friction failure and shear failure are the two major failure patterns of fracture plugging zone. The strength of force chain depends on the performance of micro-scale LCM, and the LCM key performance parameters include particle size distribution, fiber aspect ratio, friction coefficient, compressive strength, soluble ability and high temperature resistance. Results of lab experiments and field test show that lost circulation control quality can be effectively improved with the optimal material selection based on the extracted key performance parameters of LCMs.展开更多
Many properties of natural fractures are uncertain,such as their spatial distribution,petrophysical properties,and fluid flow performance.Bayesian theorem provides a framework to quantify the uncertainty in geological...Many properties of natural fractures are uncertain,such as their spatial distribution,petrophysical properties,and fluid flow performance.Bayesian theorem provides a framework to quantify the uncertainty in geological modeling and flow simulation,and hence to support reservoir performance predictions.The application of Bayesian methods to fractured reservoirs has mostly been limited to synthetic cases.In field applications,however,one of the main problems is that the Bayesian prior is falsified,because it fails to predict past reservoir production data.In this paper,we show how a global sensitivity analysis(GSA)can be used to identify why the prior is falsified.We then employ an approximate Bayesian computation(ABC)method combined with a tree-based surrogate model to match the production history.We apply these two approaches to a complex fractured oil and gas reservoir where all uncertainties are jointly considered,including the petrophysical properties,rock physics properties,fluid properties,discrete fracture parameters,and dynamics of pressure and transmissibility.We successfully identify several reasons for the falsification.The results show that the methods we propose are effective in quantifying uncertainty in the modeling and flow simulation of a fractured reservoir.The uncertainties of key parameters,such as fracture aperture and fault conductivity,are reduced.展开更多
Often oilfield fractured horizontal wells produce water flowing in multiple directions.In this study,a method to identify such channeling paths is developed.The dual-medium model is based on the principle of inter-wel...Often oilfield fractured horizontal wells produce water flowing in multiple directions.In this study,a method to identify such channeling paths is developed.The dual-medium model is based on the principle of inter-well connectivity and considers the flow characteristics and related channeling terms.The Lorentz curve is drawn to qualitatively discern the geological type of the low-permeability fractured reservoir and determine the channeling direction and size.The practical application of such an approach to a sample oilfield shows that it can accurately identify the channeling paths of the considered low-permeability fractured reservoir and predict production performances according to the inter-well connectivity model.As a result,early detection of water channeling becomes possible,paving the way to real-time production system optimization in low-permeability fractured reservoirs.展开更多
By comparing numerical simulation results of single-porosity and dual-porosity models,the significant effect of reinfiltration to naturally fractured reservoirs was confirmed.A new governing equation was proposed for ...By comparing numerical simulation results of single-porosity and dual-porosity models,the significant effect of reinfiltration to naturally fractured reservoirs was confirmed.A new governing equation was proposed for oil drainage in a matrix block under the reinfiltration process.Utilizing inspectional analysis,a dimensionless equation suitable for scaling of recovery curves for matrix blocks under reinfiltration has been obtained.By the design of experiments,test cases with different rock and fluid properties were defined to confirm the scope of the presented equation.The defined cases were simulated using a realistic numerical simulation approach.This method can estimate the oil amount getting into the matrix block through reinfiltration,help simulate the oil drainage process in naturally fractured reservoirs accurately,and predict the recovery rate of matrix block in the early to middle periods of production.Using the defined scaling equation in the dual-porosity model can improve the accuracy of the predicted recovery rate.展开更多
Transient rate decline curve analysis for constant pressure production is presented in this pa- per for a naturally fractured reservoir. This approach is based on exponential and constant bottom-hole pressure solution...Transient rate decline curve analysis for constant pressure production is presented in this pa- per for a naturally fractured reservoir. This approach is based on exponential and constant bottom-hole pressure solution. Based on this method, when In (flow rate) is plotted versus time, two straight lines are ob- tained which can be used for estimating different parameters of a naturally fractured reservoir. Parameters such as storage capacity ratio (co), reservoir drainage area (A), reservoir shape factor (CA), fracture per- meability (ky), interporosity flow parameter (,~) and the other parameters can be determined by this ap- proach. The equations are based on a model originally presented by Warren and Root and extended by Da Prat et al. and Mavor and Cinco-Ley. The proposed method has been developed to be used for naturally fractured reservoirs with different geometries. This method does not involve the use of any chart and by us- ing the pseudo steady state flow regime, the influence of wellbore storage on the value of the parameters ob- tained from this technique is negligible. In this technique, all the parameters can be obtained directly while in conventional approaches like type curve matching method, parameters such as co and g should be ob- tained by other methods like build-up test analysis and this is one of the most important advantages of this method that could save time during reservoir analyses. Different simulated and field examples were used for testing the proposed technique. Comparison between the obtained results by this approach and the results of type curve matching method shows a high performance of decline curves in well testing.展开更多
This paper compares the fluid flow phenomena occurring within a fractured reservoir for three different fracture models using computational fluid dynamics.The effect of the fracture-matrix interface condition is studi...This paper compares the fluid flow phenomena occurring within a fractured reservoir for three different fracture models using computational fluid dynamics.The effect of the fracture-matrix interface condition is studied on the pressure and velocity distribution.The fracture models were compared based on the variation in pressure and permeability conditions.The model was developed for isotropic and anisotropic permeability conditions.The results suggest that the fracture aperture can have a drastic effect on fluid flow.The porous fracture-matrix interface condition produces more realistic transport of fluids.By increasing the permeability in the isotropic porous matrix,the pressure drop was significantly higher in both the fracture and reservoir region.Under anisotropic conditions in the 3D fractured reservoir,the effect of the higher longitudinal permeability was found to lower the pressure in the fractured reservoir.Depending on the properties of the fractured reservoir,this study can enhance the understanding of fracture-matrix fluid interaction and provide a method for production optimisation.展开更多
Fractured hydrate-bearing reservoirs show significantly anisotropic geophysical properties. The joint application of seismic and electromagnetic explorations is expected to accurately assess hydrate resources in the f...Fractured hydrate-bearing reservoirs show significantly anisotropic geophysical properties. The joint application of seismic and electromagnetic explorations is expected to accurately assess hydrate resources in the fractured reservoirs. However, the anisotropic joint elastic-electrical properties in such reservoirs that are the key to the successful application of the joint explorations, remain poorly understood. To obtain such knowledge, we designed and implemented dedicated laboratory experiments to study the anisotropic joint elastic-electrical properties in fractured artificial silica sandstones (with fracture density of about 6.2%, porosity of approximately 25.7%, and mean grainsize of 0.089 mm) with evolving methane hydrate. The experimental results showed that the anisotropic compressional wave velocities respectively increased and decreased with the forming and dissociating hydrate, and the variation in the increasing trend and the decreasing extent of the velocity perpendicular to the fractures were more significant than that parallel to the fractures, respectively. The experimental results also showed that the overall decreasing trend of the electrical conductivity parallel to the fractures was steeper than that perpendicular to the fractures during hydrate formation, and the general variations of the two conductivities with complex trend were similar during hydrate dissociation. The variations in the elastic and electrical anisotropic parameters with forming and dissociating hydrate were also found to be distinct. Interpretation of the experimental results suggested that the hydrate binding to the grains evolved to bridge the surfaces of fractures when saturation exceeded 10% during hydrate formation, and the bridging hydrate gradually evolved to floating in fractures during dissociation. The experimental results further showed that the anisotropic velocities and electrical conductivities were correlated with approximately consistent trends of different slopes during hydrate formation, and the joint elastic-electrical anisotropic parameters exhibited a sharp peak at the hydrate saturation of about 10%. The results suggested that the anisotropic joint properties can be employed not only to accurately estimate hydrate saturation but also possibly to identify hydrate distribution in the fractures.展开更多
Seismic properties of hydrate-bearing reservoirs that are affected significantly by the hydrate distribution are key for quantitative assessment of the reservoir.The knowledge of hydrate distribution in fractured rese...Seismic properties of hydrate-bearing reservoirs that are affected significantly by the hydrate distribution are key for quantitative assessment of the reservoir.The knowledge of hydrate distribution in fractured reservoirs remains poorly understood.To obtain such knowledge,we measured and analyzed five anisotropic velocities needed to fully characterize the seismic anisotropy in an artificial sandstone with aligned fractures during hydrate formation associated with varying distribution.We showed that while the formation of hydrate improved the velocities,the improvement was more significant for hydrate saturation above 10%.We also showed that the increasing trends varied among the anisotropic velocities when hydrate saturation was above 10%.Specifically,the compressional wave velocity travelling vertical to the bedding plane and the shear wave velocity with polarization perpendicular to the bedding plane increased more rapidly than the other compressional and shear wave velocities,respectively.Interpretation of the anisotropic seismic results suggested that the hydrate tends to bind to the grains in the fractures at low hydrate saturation,and becomes to bridge the fracture surfaces when the hydrate saturation exceeds 10%.The results have provided new insights into the hydrate distribution and its resulting anisotropic seismic properties in fractured reservoirs.This will pave the way for the successful assessment of hydrate in fractured reservoirs.展开更多
Naturally fractured reservoirs make important contributions to global oil and gas reserves and production.The modeling and simulation of naturally fractured reservoirs are different from conventional reservoirs as the...Naturally fractured reservoirs make important contributions to global oil and gas reserves and production.The modeling and simulation of naturally fractured reservoirs are different from conventional reservoirs as the existence of natural fractures.To address the development optimization problem of naturally fractured reservoirs,we propose an optimization workflow by coupling the optimization methods with the embedded discrete fracture model(EDFM).Firstly,the effective and superior performance of the workflow is verified based on the conceptual model.The stochastic simplex approximate gradient(StoSAG)algorithm,the ensemble optimization(EnOpt)algorithm,and the particle swarm optimization(PSO)algorithm are implemented for the production optimization of naturally fractured reservoirs based on the improved versions of the Egg model and the PUNQ-S3 model.The results of the two cases demonstrate the effectiveness of this optimization workflow by finding the optimal well controls which yield the maximum net present value(NPV).Compared to the initial well control guess,the final NPV obtained from the production optimization of fractured reservoirs based on all three optimization algorithms is significantly enhanced.Compared with the optimization results of the PSO algorithm,StoSAG and EnOpt have significant advantages in terms of final NPV and computational efficiency.The results also show that fractures have a significant impact on reservoir production.The economic efficiency of fractured reservoir development can be significantly improved by the optimization workflow.展开更多
Streamline simulation is developed to simulate waterflooding in fractured reservoirs. Conventional reservoir simulation methods for fluid flow simulation in large and complex reservoirs are very costly and time consum...Streamline simulation is developed to simulate waterflooding in fractured reservoirs. Conventional reservoir simulation methods for fluid flow simulation in large and complex reservoirs are very costly and time consuming. In streamline method, transport equations are solved on one-dimensional streamlines to reduce the computation time with less memory for simulation. First, pressure equation is solved on an Eulerian grid and streamlines are traced. Defining the "time of flight", saturation equations are mapped and solved on streamlines. Finally, the results are mapped back on Eulerian grid and the process is repeated until the simulation end time. The waterflooding process is considered in a fractured reservoir using the dual porosity model. Afterwards, a computational code is developed to solve the same problem by the IMPES method and the results of streamline simulation are compared to those of the IMPES and a commercial software. Finally, the accuracy and efficiency of streamline simulator for simulation of two-phase flow in fractured reservoirs has been proved.展开更多
A three-dimensional reconstruction of rough fracture surfaces of hydraulically fractured rock outcrops is carried out by casting process,a large-scale experimental setup for visualizing rough fractures is built to per...A three-dimensional reconstruction of rough fracture surfaces of hydraulically fractured rock outcrops is carried out by casting process,a large-scale experimental setup for visualizing rough fractures is built to perform proppant transport experiments.The typical characteristics of proppant transport and placement in rough fractures and its intrinsic mechanisms are investigated,and the influences of fracture inclination,fracture width and fracturing fluid viscosity on proppant transport and placement in rough fractures are analyzed.The results show that the rough fractures cause variations in the shape of the flow channel and the fluid flow pattern,resulting in the bridging buildup during proppant transport to form unfilled zone,the emergence of multiple complex flow patterns such as channeling,reverse flow and bypassing of sand-carrying fluid,and the influence on the stability of the sand dune.The proppant has a higher placement rate in inclined rough fractures,with a maximum increase of 22.16 percentage points in the experiments compared to vertical fractures,but exhibits poor stability of the sand dune.Reduced fracture width aggravates the bridging of proppant and induces higher pumping pressure.Increasing the viscosity of the fracturing fluid can weaken the proppant bridging phenomenon caused by the rough fractures.展开更多
Geothermal energy plays an important role in urban construction of the Xiong’an New Area. Geothermal reservoir fracture distribution of the Mesoproterozoic Jixianian Wumishan Formation(Fm.) carbonate reservoir in the...Geothermal energy plays an important role in urban construction of the Xiong’an New Area. Geothermal reservoir fracture distribution of the Mesoproterozoic Jixianian Wumishan Formation(Fm.) carbonate reservoir in the Rongcheng geothermal field are evaluated based on FMI log from Wells D19 and D21. The results show carbonate reservoir fracture density of Well D19 is 15.2/100 m, greater than that of Well D21 with a value of 9.2/100 m. Reservoir porosity and permeability of Well D19 are better than that of Well D21, and the water saturation is bimodally distributed. The movable fluid volume ratio(BVM) of Well D19 is 2% to 8% with some zones exceeding 20%, while the value of Well D21 is less than 4%. Therefore, reservoir fractures in Well D19 are more conducive to fluid flow. Reservoir fractures have a similar occurrence to normal faults, indicating that the tensile stress field controlled the formation of such fractures. Developed reservoir fractures provide a good channel for groundwater convection. The circulation of regional groundwater and the heat exchange between water and rock and the multiple heat accumulation patterns form a stable and high potential heat reservoir in the Rongcheng geothermal field.展开更多
Fractured reservoirs are an important target for oil and gas exploration in the Tarim Basin and the prediction of this type of reservoir is challenging.Due to the complicated fracture system in the Tarim Basin,the con...Fractured reservoirs are an important target for oil and gas exploration in the Tarim Basin and the prediction of this type of reservoir is challenging.Due to the complicated fracture system in the Tarim Basin,the conventional AVO inversion method based on HTI theory to predict fracture development will result in some errors.Thus,an integrated research concept for fractured reservoir prediction is put forward in this paper.Seismic modeling plays a bridging role in this concept,and the establishment of an anisotropic fracture model by Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) is the key part.Because the fracture system in the Tarim Basin shows complex anisotropic characteristics,it is vital to build an effective anisotropic model.Based on geological,well logging and seismic data,an effective anisotropic model of complex fracture systems can be set up with the DFN method.The effective elastic coefficients,and the input data for seismic modeling can be calculated.Then seismic modeling based on this model is performed,and the seismic response characteristics are analyzed.The modeling results can be used in the following AVO inversion for fracture detection.展开更多
In fractured reservoirs, the fractures not but also form the main flow channels which connect productivity of reservoirs. However, because of the only provide the storage space for hydrocarbons, the pores of the matri...In fractured reservoirs, the fractures not but also form the main flow channels which connect productivity of reservoirs. However, because of the only provide the storage space for hydrocarbons, the pores of the matrix, so fractures dominate the heterogeneity and randomness of the distribution of fractures, exploration and evaluation of fractured reservoirs is still one of the most difficult problems in the oil industry. In recent years, seismic anisotropy has been applied to the assessment of fractured formations, whereas electrical anisotropy which is more intense in fractured formations than seismic anisotropy has not been studied or used so extensively. In this study, fractured reservoir models which considered multiple sets of fractures with smooth and partly closed, rough surfaces were established based on the fractures and pore network, and the vertical and horizontal electrical resistivities were derived as a function of the matrix and fracture porosities according to Ohm's law. By using the anisotropic resistivity equations, variations of the electrical anisotropy of three types of fractured models under the conditions of free pressure and confining pressure were analyzed through the variations of the exerted pressure, matrix porosity, fracture aperture and formation water resistivity. The differences of the vertical and horizontal resistivities and the anisotropy between the connected and non-connected fractures were also analyzed. It is known from the simulated results that an increase of the confining pressure causes a decrease of electrical anisotropy because of the elasticity of the closed fractures and the decrease of the fracture aperture. For a fixed fracture porosity, the higher the matrix porosity, the weaker the electrical anisotropy in the rock formation.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52104017)National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2019YFA0705501)State Center for Research and Development of Oil Shale Exploitation,and Cooperative Innovation Center of Unconventional Oil and Gas(Ministry of Education&Hubei Province),Yangtze University(No.UOG2020-17).
文摘Projection-based embedded discrete fracture model(pEDFM)is an effective numerical model to handle the flow in fractured reservoirs,with high efficiency and strong generalization of flow models.However,this paper points out that pEDFM fails to handle flow barriers in most cases,and identifies the physical projection configuration of fractures is a key step in pEDFM.This paper presents and proves the equivalence theorem,which explains the geometric nature of physical projection configurations of fractures,that is,the projection configuration of a fracture being physical is equivalent to it being topologically homeomorphic to the fracture,by analyzing the essence of pEDFM.Physical projection configurations of fractures may be rigorously established based on this theorem,allowing pEDFM to obtain physical numerical results for many flow models,particularly those with flow barriers.Furthermore,a natural idea emerges of employing flow barriers to flexibly‘cut’the formation to quickly handle the flow problems in the formation with complex geological conditions,and several numerical examples are implemented to test this idea and application of the improved pEDFM.
基金Supported by the China National Science and Technology Major Project(2017ZX05009-005-003)the Strategic Consulting Project of Chinese Academy of Engineering(2018-XZ-09)the Science Foundation of China University of Petroleum,Beijing(No.2462019QNXZ04)。
文摘To solve the problems of long experiment period and difficult measurement in core imbibition experiments,fracture-matrix microfluidic chips of different sizes,boundary conditions and wettability regulated by surface property modification were designed to research the imbibition mechanisms of oil-water,oil-surfactant solution and oil-WinsorⅢtype surfactant solution.In the oil-water,and oil-wettability modification system imbibition process,oil was replaced from the matrix through Haines jump,the capillary back pressure was the main resistance blocking the flow of oil,the reduction of interfacial tension caused the weakening of Haines jump,reduction of oil discharge rate,and increase of oil recovery.The imbibition of oil-water or oil-surfactant solution with low interfacial tension was a counter-current imbibition process dominated by capillary force,in which all boundaries had similar contribution to imbibition,and the recovery data obtained from this experiment fit well with the classic imbibition scaling equation.The imbibition of oil and Winsor III type surfactant solution was a co-current imbibition process dominated by gravity under super-low interfacial tension,and is essentially the formation and re-balance of neutral microemulsion.The imbibition dynamics obtained from this experiment fit well with the modified imbibition scaling equation.
文摘Fluid flow in fractured media has been studied for decades and received considerable attention in the oil and gas industry because of the high productivity of naturally fractured reservoirs.Due to formation complexity and reservoir heterogeneity,characterizing fluid flow with an appropriate reservoir model presents a challenging task that differs relatively from homogeneous conventional reservoirs in many aspects of view,including geological,petrophysical,production,and economics.In most fractured reservoirs,fracture networks create complex pathways that affect hydrocarbon flow,well performance,hence reservoir characterization.A better and comprehensive understanding of the available reservoir modeling approaches is much needed to accurately characterize fluid flow behavior in NFRs.Therefore,in this paper,a perspective review of the available modeling approaches was presented for fluid flow characterization in naturally fractured medium.Modeling methods were evaluated in terms of their description,application,advantages,and disadvantages.This study has also included the applications of these reservoir models in fluid flow characterizing studies and governing equations for fluid flow.Dual continuum models were proved to be better than single continuum models in the presence of large scale fractures.In comparison,discrete models were more appropriate for reservoirs that contain a smaller number of fractures.However,hybrid modeling was the best method to provide accurate and scalable fluid flow modeling.It is our understanding that this paper will bridge the gap between the fundamental understanding and application of NFRs modeling approaches and serve as a useful reference for engineers and researchers for present and future applications.
文摘Fracture network connectivity and aperture (or conductivity) distribution are two crucial features controlling flow behavior of naturally fractured reservoirs. The effect of connectivity on flow properties is well documented. In this paper, however, we focus here on the influence of fracture aperture distribution. We model a two dimensional fractured reservoir in which the matrix is impermeable and the fractures are well connected. The fractures obey a power-law length distribution, as observed in natural fracture networks. For the aperture distribution, since the information from subsurface fracture networks is limited, we test a number of cases: log-normal distributions (from narrow to broad), power-law distributions (from narrow to broad), and one case where the aperture is pro- portional to the fracture length. We find that even a well- connected fracture network can behave like a much sparser network when the aperture distribution is broad enough (c~ 〈 2 for power-law aperture distributions and σ ≥ 0.4 for log-normal aperture distributions). Specifically, most fractures can be eliminated leaving the remaining dominant sub-network with 90% of the permeability of the original fracture network. We determine how broad the aperture distribution must be to approach this behavior and the dependence of the dominant sub-network on the parameters of the aperture distribution. We also explore whether one can identify the dominant sub-network without doing flow calculations.
文摘Based on the plane of weakness theory, a model for predicting borehole stability in fractured reservoirs under different stress states was estiblisted and the equations for solving borehole stability were developed. The minimum downhole pressures required to maintain borehole stability under different natural fracture occurrences were calculated by using the data from a well in the Tazhong (central Tarim) area, Tarim Basin, west China. Several conclusions were drawn for naturally fractured reservoirs with a dip angle from less than 10° to greater than 30°. Application in three wells in the Tazhong area indicates that this model is practically useful.
基金co-funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41174099,41474100)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (14CX06077A)National Major Science & Technology Projects of China(2011ZX05003,2011ZX05009,2011ZX05020,2011ZX 05035)
文摘The high-resolution azimuthal resistivity laterolog response in a fractured formation was numerically simulated using a three-dimensional finite element method. Simulation results show that the azimuthal resistivity is determined by fracture dipping as well as dipping direction, while the amplitude differences between deep and shallow laterolog resistivities are mainly controlled by the former. A linear relationship exists between the corrected apparent conductivities and fracture aperture. With the same fracture aperture, the deep and shallow laterolog resistivities present small values with negative separations for low-angle fractures, while azimuthal resistivities have large variations with positive separations for high-angle fractures that intersect the borehole. For dipping fractures, the variation of the azimuthal resistivity becomes larger when the fracture aperture increases. In addition, for high-angle fractures far from the borehole, a negative separation between the deep and shallow resistivities exists when fracture aperture is large as well as high resistivity contrast exists between bedrock and fracture fluid. The decreasing amplitude of dual laterolog resistivity can indicate the aperture of low-angle fractures, and the variation of the deep azimuthal resistivity can give information of the aperture of high-angle fractures and their position relative to the borehole.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51604236)Science and Technology Program of Sichuan Province(Grant No.2018JY0436)the Sichuan Province Youth Science and Technology Innovation Team Project(Grant No.2016TD0016)
文摘Focused on the lost circulation control in deep naturally fractured reservoirs, the multiscale structure of fracture plugging zone is proposed based on the theory of granular matter mechanics, and the structural failure pattern of plugging zone is developed to reveal the plugging zone failure mechanisms in deep, high temperature, high pressure, and high in-situ stress environment. Based on the fracture plugging zone strength model, key performance parameters are determined for the optimal selection of loss control material(LCM). Laboratory fracture plugging experiments with new LCM are carried out to evaluate the effect of the key performance parameters of LCM on fracture plugging quality. LCM selection strategy for fractured reservoirs is developed. The results show that the force chain formed by LCMs determines the pressure stabilization of macro-scale fracture plugging zone. Friction failure and shear failure are the two major failure patterns of fracture plugging zone. The strength of force chain depends on the performance of micro-scale LCM, and the LCM key performance parameters include particle size distribution, fiber aspect ratio, friction coefficient, compressive strength, soluble ability and high temperature resistance. Results of lab experiments and field test show that lost circulation control quality can be effectively improved with the optimal material selection based on the extracted key performance parameters of LCMs.
文摘Many properties of natural fractures are uncertain,such as their spatial distribution,petrophysical properties,and fluid flow performance.Bayesian theorem provides a framework to quantify the uncertainty in geological modeling and flow simulation,and hence to support reservoir performance predictions.The application of Bayesian methods to fractured reservoirs has mostly been limited to synthetic cases.In field applications,however,one of the main problems is that the Bayesian prior is falsified,because it fails to predict past reservoir production data.In this paper,we show how a global sensitivity analysis(GSA)can be used to identify why the prior is falsified.We then employ an approximate Bayesian computation(ABC)method combined with a tree-based surrogate model to match the production history.We apply these two approaches to a complex fractured oil and gas reservoir where all uncertainties are jointly considered,including the petrophysical properties,rock physics properties,fluid properties,discrete fracture parameters,and dynamics of pressure and transmissibility.We successfully identify several reasons for the falsification.The results show that the methods we propose are effective in quantifying uncertainty in the modeling and flow simulation of a fractured reservoir.The uncertainties of key parameters,such as fracture aperture and fault conductivity,are reduced.
文摘Often oilfield fractured horizontal wells produce water flowing in multiple directions.In this study,a method to identify such channeling paths is developed.The dual-medium model is based on the principle of inter-well connectivity and considers the flow characteristics and related channeling terms.The Lorentz curve is drawn to qualitatively discern the geological type of the low-permeability fractured reservoir and determine the channeling direction and size.The practical application of such an approach to a sample oilfield shows that it can accurately identify the channeling paths of the considered low-permeability fractured reservoir and predict production performances according to the inter-well connectivity model.As a result,early detection of water channeling becomes possible,paving the way to real-time production system optimization in low-permeability fractured reservoirs.
文摘By comparing numerical simulation results of single-porosity and dual-porosity models,the significant effect of reinfiltration to naturally fractured reservoirs was confirmed.A new governing equation was proposed for oil drainage in a matrix block under the reinfiltration process.Utilizing inspectional analysis,a dimensionless equation suitable for scaling of recovery curves for matrix blocks under reinfiltration has been obtained.By the design of experiments,test cases with different rock and fluid properties were defined to confirm the scope of the presented equation.The defined cases were simulated using a realistic numerical simulation approach.This method can estimate the oil amount getting into the matrix block through reinfiltration,help simulate the oil drainage process in naturally fractured reservoirs accurately,and predict the recovery rate of matrix block in the early to middle periods of production.Using the defined scaling equation in the dual-porosity model can improve the accuracy of the predicted recovery rate.
文摘Transient rate decline curve analysis for constant pressure production is presented in this pa- per for a naturally fractured reservoir. This approach is based on exponential and constant bottom-hole pressure solution. Based on this method, when In (flow rate) is plotted versus time, two straight lines are ob- tained which can be used for estimating different parameters of a naturally fractured reservoir. Parameters such as storage capacity ratio (co), reservoir drainage area (A), reservoir shape factor (CA), fracture per- meability (ky), interporosity flow parameter (,~) and the other parameters can be determined by this ap- proach. The equations are based on a model originally presented by Warren and Root and extended by Da Prat et al. and Mavor and Cinco-Ley. The proposed method has been developed to be used for naturally fractured reservoirs with different geometries. This method does not involve the use of any chart and by us- ing the pseudo steady state flow regime, the influence of wellbore storage on the value of the parameters ob- tained from this technique is negligible. In this technique, all the parameters can be obtained directly while in conventional approaches like type curve matching method, parameters such as co and g should be ob- tained by other methods like build-up test analysis and this is one of the most important advantages of this method that could save time during reservoir analyses. Different simulated and field examples were used for testing the proposed technique. Comparison between the obtained results by this approach and the results of type curve matching method shows a high performance of decline curves in well testing.
文摘This paper compares the fluid flow phenomena occurring within a fractured reservoir for three different fracture models using computational fluid dynamics.The effect of the fracture-matrix interface condition is studied on the pressure and velocity distribution.The fracture models were compared based on the variation in pressure and permeability conditions.The model was developed for isotropic and anisotropic permeability conditions.The results suggest that the fracture aperture can have a drastic effect on fluid flow.The porous fracture-matrix interface condition produces more realistic transport of fluids.By increasing the permeability in the isotropic porous matrix,the pressure drop was significantly higher in both the fracture and reservoir region.Under anisotropic conditions in the 3D fractured reservoir,the effect of the higher longitudinal permeability was found to lower the pressure in the fractured reservoir.Depending on the properties of the fractured reservoir,this study can enhance the understanding of fracture-matrix fluid interaction and provide a method for production optimisation.
基金financial supports received from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42174136,41821002 and 41874151)the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation,China(ZR2021JQ14).
文摘Fractured hydrate-bearing reservoirs show significantly anisotropic geophysical properties. The joint application of seismic and electromagnetic explorations is expected to accurately assess hydrate resources in the fractured reservoirs. However, the anisotropic joint elastic-electrical properties in such reservoirs that are the key to the successful application of the joint explorations, remain poorly understood. To obtain such knowledge, we designed and implemented dedicated laboratory experiments to study the anisotropic joint elastic-electrical properties in fractured artificial silica sandstones (with fracture density of about 6.2%, porosity of approximately 25.7%, and mean grainsize of 0.089 mm) with evolving methane hydrate. The experimental results showed that the anisotropic compressional wave velocities respectively increased and decreased with the forming and dissociating hydrate, and the variation in the increasing trend and the decreasing extent of the velocity perpendicular to the fractures were more significant than that parallel to the fractures, respectively. The experimental results also showed that the overall decreasing trend of the electrical conductivity parallel to the fractures was steeper than that perpendicular to the fractures during hydrate formation, and the general variations of the two conductivities with complex trend were similar during hydrate dissociation. The variations in the elastic and electrical anisotropic parameters with forming and dissociating hydrate were also found to be distinct. Interpretation of the experimental results suggested that the hydrate binding to the grains evolved to bridge the surfaces of fractures when saturation exceeded 10% during hydrate formation, and the bridging hydrate gradually evolved to floating in fractures during dissociation. The experimental results further showed that the anisotropic velocities and electrical conductivities were correlated with approximately consistent trends of different slopes during hydrate formation, and the joint elastic-electrical anisotropic parameters exhibited a sharp peak at the hydrate saturation of about 10%. The results suggested that the anisotropic joint properties can be employed not only to accurately estimate hydrate saturation but also possibly to identify hydrate distribution in the fractures.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41821002,and 41874151)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.18CX05008A)the Postgraduate Innovation Project of China University of Petroleum(East China)(Grant No.YCX2020002)。
文摘Seismic properties of hydrate-bearing reservoirs that are affected significantly by the hydrate distribution are key for quantitative assessment of the reservoir.The knowledge of hydrate distribution in fractured reservoirs remains poorly understood.To obtain such knowledge,we measured and analyzed five anisotropic velocities needed to fully characterize the seismic anisotropy in an artificial sandstone with aligned fractures during hydrate formation associated with varying distribution.We showed that while the formation of hydrate improved the velocities,the improvement was more significant for hydrate saturation above 10%.We also showed that the increasing trends varied among the anisotropic velocities when hydrate saturation was above 10%.Specifically,the compressional wave velocity travelling vertical to the bedding plane and the shear wave velocity with polarization perpendicular to the bedding plane increased more rapidly than the other compressional and shear wave velocities,respectively.Interpretation of the anisotropic seismic results suggested that the hydrate tends to bind to the grains in the fractures at low hydrate saturation,and becomes to bridge the fracture surfaces when the hydrate saturation exceeds 10%.The results have provided new insights into the hydrate distribution and its resulting anisotropic seismic properties in fractured reservoirs.This will pave the way for the successful assessment of hydrate in fractured reservoirs.
基金This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51904323,52174052).
文摘Naturally fractured reservoirs make important contributions to global oil and gas reserves and production.The modeling and simulation of naturally fractured reservoirs are different from conventional reservoirs as the existence of natural fractures.To address the development optimization problem of naturally fractured reservoirs,we propose an optimization workflow by coupling the optimization methods with the embedded discrete fracture model(EDFM).Firstly,the effective and superior performance of the workflow is verified based on the conceptual model.The stochastic simplex approximate gradient(StoSAG)algorithm,the ensemble optimization(EnOpt)algorithm,and the particle swarm optimization(PSO)algorithm are implemented for the production optimization of naturally fractured reservoirs based on the improved versions of the Egg model and the PUNQ-S3 model.The results of the two cases demonstrate the effectiveness of this optimization workflow by finding the optimal well controls which yield the maximum net present value(NPV).Compared to the initial well control guess,the final NPV obtained from the production optimization of fractured reservoirs based on all three optimization algorithms is significantly enhanced.Compared with the optimization results of the PSO algorithm,StoSAG and EnOpt have significant advantages in terms of final NPV and computational efficiency.The results also show that fractures have a significant impact on reservoir production.The economic efficiency of fractured reservoir development can be significantly improved by the optimization workflow.
文摘Streamline simulation is developed to simulate waterflooding in fractured reservoirs. Conventional reservoir simulation methods for fluid flow simulation in large and complex reservoirs are very costly and time consuming. In streamline method, transport equations are solved on one-dimensional streamlines to reduce the computation time with less memory for simulation. First, pressure equation is solved on an Eulerian grid and streamlines are traced. Defining the "time of flight", saturation equations are mapped and solved on streamlines. Finally, the results are mapped back on Eulerian grid and the process is repeated until the simulation end time. The waterflooding process is considered in a fractured reservoir using the dual porosity model. Afterwards, a computational code is developed to solve the same problem by the IMPES method and the results of streamline simulation are compared to those of the IMPES and a commercial software. Finally, the accuracy and efficiency of streamline simulator for simulation of two-phase flow in fractured reservoirs has been proved.
基金Supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFE0137200)Outstanding Youth Natural Science Fund of Shaanxi Province(2022JC-37)+2 种基金Innovation Capability Support Program of Shaanxi(2023-CX-TD-31)Natural Science Basic Research Project of Shaanxi Province(2024JC-YBQN-0381)National Natural Science Foundation of China(51874240,52204021)。
文摘A three-dimensional reconstruction of rough fracture surfaces of hydraulically fractured rock outcrops is carried out by casting process,a large-scale experimental setup for visualizing rough fractures is built to perform proppant transport experiments.The typical characteristics of proppant transport and placement in rough fractures and its intrinsic mechanisms are investigated,and the influences of fracture inclination,fracture width and fracturing fluid viscosity on proppant transport and placement in rough fractures are analyzed.The results show that the rough fractures cause variations in the shape of the flow channel and the fluid flow pattern,resulting in the bridging buildup during proppant transport to form unfilled zone,the emergence of multiple complex flow patterns such as channeling,reverse flow and bypassing of sand-carrying fluid,and the influence on the stability of the sand dune.The proppant has a higher placement rate in inclined rough fractures,with a maximum increase of 22.16 percentage points in the experiments compared to vertical fractures,but exhibits poor stability of the sand dune.Reduced fracture width aggravates the bridging of proppant and induces higher pumping pressure.Increasing the viscosity of the fracturing fluid can weaken the proppant bridging phenomenon caused by the rough fractures.
基金funded by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2019YFB1504101)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.2019M663087)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42002189)。
文摘Geothermal energy plays an important role in urban construction of the Xiong’an New Area. Geothermal reservoir fracture distribution of the Mesoproterozoic Jixianian Wumishan Formation(Fm.) carbonate reservoir in the Rongcheng geothermal field are evaluated based on FMI log from Wells D19 and D21. The results show carbonate reservoir fracture density of Well D19 is 15.2/100 m, greater than that of Well D21 with a value of 9.2/100 m. Reservoir porosity and permeability of Well D19 are better than that of Well D21, and the water saturation is bimodally distributed. The movable fluid volume ratio(BVM) of Well D19 is 2% to 8% with some zones exceeding 20%, while the value of Well D21 is less than 4%. Therefore, reservoir fractures in Well D19 are more conducive to fluid flow. Reservoir fractures have a similar occurrence to normal faults, indicating that the tensile stress field controlled the formation of such fractures. Developed reservoir fractures provide a good channel for groundwater convection. The circulation of regional groundwater and the heat exchange between water and rock and the multiple heat accumulation patterns form a stable and high potential heat reservoir in the Rongcheng geothermal field.
基金co-supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2011CB201103)the National Science and Technology Major Project(GrantNo.2011ZX05004003)
文摘Fractured reservoirs are an important target for oil and gas exploration in the Tarim Basin and the prediction of this type of reservoir is challenging.Due to the complicated fracture system in the Tarim Basin,the conventional AVO inversion method based on HTI theory to predict fracture development will result in some errors.Thus,an integrated research concept for fractured reservoir prediction is put forward in this paper.Seismic modeling plays a bridging role in this concept,and the establishment of an anisotropic fracture model by Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) is the key part.Because the fracture system in the Tarim Basin shows complex anisotropic characteristics,it is vital to build an effective anisotropic model.Based on geological,well logging and seismic data,an effective anisotropic model of complex fracture systems can be set up with the DFN method.The effective elastic coefficients,and the input data for seismic modeling can be calculated.Then seismic modeling based on this model is performed,and the seismic response characteristics are analyzed.The modeling results can be used in the following AVO inversion for fracture detection.
基金The authors also would like to acknowledge the support of the National Basic Research Program (973 Program) (2007CB209607) of ChinaNational High-tech R&D Program (863 Program) (2007AA060502)the Fundamental Research Project (07A10303) of CNPC
文摘In fractured reservoirs, the fractures not but also form the main flow channels which connect productivity of reservoirs. However, because of the only provide the storage space for hydrocarbons, the pores of the matrix, so fractures dominate the heterogeneity and randomness of the distribution of fractures, exploration and evaluation of fractured reservoirs is still one of the most difficult problems in the oil industry. In recent years, seismic anisotropy has been applied to the assessment of fractured formations, whereas electrical anisotropy which is more intense in fractured formations than seismic anisotropy has not been studied or used so extensively. In this study, fractured reservoir models which considered multiple sets of fractures with smooth and partly closed, rough surfaces were established based on the fractures and pore network, and the vertical and horizontal electrical resistivities were derived as a function of the matrix and fracture porosities according to Ohm's law. By using the anisotropic resistivity equations, variations of the electrical anisotropy of three types of fractured models under the conditions of free pressure and confining pressure were analyzed through the variations of the exerted pressure, matrix porosity, fracture aperture and formation water resistivity. The differences of the vertical and horizontal resistivities and the anisotropy between the connected and non-connected fractures were also analyzed. It is known from the simulated results that an increase of the confining pressure causes a decrease of electrical anisotropy because of the elasticity of the closed fractures and the decrease of the fracture aperture. For a fixed fracture porosity, the higher the matrix porosity, the weaker the electrical anisotropy in the rock formation.