Evaluation of hydraulic fracturing of horizontal wells in tight reservoirs based on the deep neural network with physical constraints

Accurate diagnosis of fracture geometry and conductivity is of great challenge due to the complex morphology of volumetric fracture network. In this study, a DNN (deep neural network) model was proposed to predict fracture parameters for the evaluation of the fracturing effects. Field experience and the law of fracture volume conservation were incorporated as physical constraints to improve the prediction accuracy due to small amount of data. A combined neural network was adopted to input both static geological and dynamic fracturing data. The structure of the DNN was optimized and the model was validated through k-fold cross-validation. Results indicate that this DNN model is capable of predicting the fracture parameters accurately with a low relative error of under 10% and good generalization ability. The adoptions of the combined neural network, physical constraints, and k-fold cross-validation improve the model performance. Specifically, the root-mean-square error (RMSE) of the model decreases by 71.9% and 56% respectively with the combined neural network as the input model and the consideration of physical constraints. The mean square error (MRE) of fracture parameters reduces by 75% because the k-fold cross-validation improves the rationality of data set dividing. The model based on the DNN with physical constraints proposed in this study provides foundations for the optimization of fracturing design and improves the efficiency of fracture diagnosis in tight oil and gas reservoirs.

Productivity analysis of horizontal wells intercepted by multiple finite-conductivity fractures

Horizontal wells in the anisotropic reservoirs can be stimulated by hydraulic fracturing in order to create multiple finite-conductivity vertical fractures. Several methods for evaluating the productivity of the horizontal wells have been presented in the literature. With such methods, however, it is still difficult to obtain an accurate result. This paper firstly presents the dimensionless conductivity theory of vertical fractures. Then models for calculating the equivalent wellbore radius and the skin factor due to flow convergence to the well bore are proposed after analyzing the steady-state flow in porous reservoirs. By applying the superposition principle to the pressure drop, a new method for evaluating the productivity of horizontal wells intercepted by multiple finite-conductivity fractures is developed. The influence of fracture conductivity and fracture half length on the horizontal well productivity is quantitatively analyzed with a synthetic case. Optimum fracture number and fracture space are further discussed in this study. The results prove that the method outlined here should be useful to design optimum fracturing of horizontal wells.

Numerical simulation and dimension reduction analysis of electromagnetic logging while drilling of horizontal wells in complex structures

Electromagnetic logging while drilling(LWD)is one of the key technologies of the geosteering and formation evaluation for high-angle and horizontal wells.In this paper,we solve the dipole source-generated magnetic/electric fields in 2D formations efficiently by the 2.5D finite diff erence method.Particularly,by leveraging the field’s rapid attenuation in spectral domain,we propose truncated Gauss–Hermite quadrature,which is several tens of times faster than traditional inverse fast Fourier transform.By applying the algorithm to the LWD modeling under complex formations,e.g.,folds,fault and sandstone pinch-outs,we analyze the feasibility of the dimension reduction from 2D to 1D.For the formations with smooth lateral changes,like folds,the simplified 1D model’s results agree well with the true responses,which indicate that the 1D simplification with sliding window is feasible.However,for the formation structures with drastic rock properties changes and sharp boundaries,for instance,faults and sandstone pinch-outs,the simplified 1D model will lead to large errors and,therefore,2.5D algorithms should be applied to ensure the accuracy.

Research into magnetic guidance technology for directional drilling in SAGD horizontal wells

SAGD horizontal wells are used to enhance oil recovery from heavy oil reservoirs.This technology requires precise separation between the production well and the injection well to ensure the efficient drainage of the reservoir.By studying the attitude of the downhole probe tube and the production well trajectory,an algorithm is proposed for eliminating ferromagnetic interference while drilling injection wells.A high accuracy filter circuit has been designed to correct the detected magnetic signals,which are ultra-weak,frequency-instable,and narrow-band.The directional drilling magnetic guidance system（DD-MGS） has been developed by integrating these advanced techniques.It contains a sub-system for the ranging calculation software,a magnetic source,a downhole probe tube and a sub-system for collecting ＆ processing the detected signals.The DD-MGS has succeeded in oilfield applications.It can guide the directional drilling trajectory not only in the horizontal section but also in the build section of horizontal injection wells.This new technology has broad potential applications.

Optimization of perforation distribution for horizontal wells based on genetic algorithms

Early water breakthrough and a rapid increase in water cut are always observed in high- permeability completion intervals when perforations are uniformly distributed in the wellbore in heterogeneous reservoirs. Optimization of perforating parameters in partitioned sections in horizontal intervals helps homogenize the inflow from the reservoir and thus is critically important for enhanced oil recovery. This paper derives a coupled reservoir-wellbore flow model based on inflow controlling theory. Genetic algorithms are applied to solving the model as they excel in obtaining the global optimum of discrete functions. The optimized perforating strategy applies a low perforation density in high- permeability intervals and a high perforation density in low-permeability intervals. As a result, the inflow profile is homogenized and idealized.

The critical rate of horizontal wells in bottom-water reservoirs with an impermeable barrier

Barrier impacts on water cut and critical rate of horizontal wells in bottom water-drive reservoirs have been recognized but not investigated quantitatively. Considering the existence of impermeable barriers in oil formations, this paper developed a horizontal well flow model and obtained mathematical equations for the critical rate when water cresting forms in bottom-water reservoirs. The result shows that the barrier increases the critical rate and delays water breakthrough. Further study of the barrier size and location shows that increases in the barrier size and the distance between the barrier and oil-water contact lead to higher critical rates. The critical rate gradually approaches a constant as the barrier size increases. The case study shows the method presented here can be used to predict the critical rate in a bottom-water reservoir and applied to investigate the water cresting behavior of horizontal wells.

Stress redistribution in multi-stage hydraulic fracturing of horizontal wells in shales

Multi-stage hydraulic fracturing of horizontal wells is the main stimulation method in recovering gas from tight shale gas reservoirs, and stage spacing deter- mination is one of the key issues in fracturing design. The initiation and propagation of hydraulic fractures will cause stress redistribution and may activate natural fractures in the reservoir. Due to the limitation of the analytical method in calculation of induced stresses, we propose a numerical method, which incorporates the interaction of hydraulic fractures and the wellbore, and analyzes the stress distri- bution in the reservoir under different stage spacing. Simulation results indicate the following： （1） The induced stress was overestimated from the analytical method because it did not take into account the interaction between hydraulic fractures and the horizontal wellbore. （2） The hydraulic fracture had a considerable effect on the redis- tribution of stresses in the direction of the horizontal wellbore in the reservoir. The stress in the direction per- pendicular to the horizontal wellbore after hydraulic frac- turing had a minor change compared with the original in situ stress. （3） Stress interferences among fractures were greatly connected with the stage spacing and the distance from the wellbore. When the fracture length was 200 m, and the stage spacing was 50 m, the stress redistribution due to stage fracturing may divert the original stress pat- tern, which might activate natural fractures so as to generate a complex fracture network.

A novel method for predicting breakthrough time of horizontal wells in bottom water reservoirs

Dimensional analysis and numerical simulations were carried out to research prediction method of breakthrough time of horizontal wells in bottom water reservoir. Four dimensionless independent variables and dimensionless time were derived from 10 influencing factors of the problem by using dimensional analysis. Simulations of horizontal well in reservoir with bottom water were run to find the prediction correlation. A general and concise functional relationship for predicting breakthrough time was established based on simulation results and theoretical analysis. The breakthrough time of one conceptual model predicted by the correlation is very close to the result by Eclipse with less than 2% error. The practical breakthrough time of one well in Helder oilfield is 10 d, and the predicted results by the method is 11.2 d, which is more accurate than the analytical result. Case study indicates that the method could predict breakthrough time of horizontal well under different reservoir conditions accurately. For its university and ease of use, the method is suitable for quick prediction of breakthrough time.

A novel steady-state productivity equation for horizontal wells in bottom water drive gas reservoirs

It is known that there is a discrepancy between field data and the results predicted from the previous equations derived by simplifying three-dimensional（3-D） flow into two-dimensions（2-D）.This paper presents a new steady-state productivity equation for horizontal wells in bottom water drive gas reservoirs.Firstly,the fundamental solution to the 3-D steady-state Laplace equation is derived with the philosophy of source and the Green function for a horizontal well located at the center of the laterally infinite gas reservoir.Then,using the fundamental solution and the Simpson integral formula,the average pseudo-pressure equation and the steady-state productivity equation are achieved for the horizontal section.Two case-studies are given in the paper,the results calculated from the newly-derived formula are very close to the numerical simulation performed with the Canadian software CMG and the real production data,indicating that the new formula can be used to predict the steady-state productivity of such horizontal gas wells.

The productivity evaluation model and its application for finite conductivity horizontal wells in fault block reservoirs

It is very difficult to evaluate the productivity of horizontal wells in fault block reservoirs due to the influence of fault sealing.On the basis of the method of images and source-sink theory,a semianalytical model coupling reservoir and finite conductivity horizontal wellbore flow dynamics was built,in which the influence of fault sealing was taken into account.The distribution of wellbore flow and radial inflow profiles along the horizontal interval were also obtained.The impact of the distance between the horizontal well and the fault on the well productivity was quantitatively analyzed.Based on this analysis,the optimal distance between the horizontal well and the fault in banded fault block reservoirs could be determined.According to the field application,the relative error calculated by the model proposed in this paper is within ±15%.It is an effective evaluation method for the productivity of horizontal wells in fault block reservoirs.The productivity of the horizontal well increases logarithmically as the distance between the horizontal well and the fault increases.The optimal distance between the horizontal well and the fault is 0.25-0.3 times the horizontal well length.

Steam Flooding after Steam Soak in Heavy Oil Reservoirs through Extended-reach Horizontal Wells

This paper presents a new development scheme of simultaneous injection and production in a single horizontal well drilled for developing small block reservoirs or offshore reservoirs. It is possible to set special packers within the long completion horizontal interval to establish an injection zone and a production zone. This method can also be used in steam flooding after steam soak through a horizontal well. Simulation results showed that it was desirable to start steam flooding after six steam soaking cycles and at this time the oil/steam ratio was 0.25 and oil recovery efficiency was 23.48%. Steam flooding performance was affected by separation interval and steam injection rate. Reservoir numerical simulation indicated that maximum oil recovery would be achieved at a separation section of 40-50 m at steam injection rate of 100-180 t/d; and the larger the steam injection rate, the greater the water cut and pressure difference between injection zone and production zone. A steam injection rate of 120 t/d was suitable for steam flooding under practical injection-production conditions. All the results could be useful for the guidance of steam flooding projects.

A numerical method for simulating planar 3D multi-fracture propagation in multi-stage fracturing of horizontal wells

To resolve the issue of design for multi-stage and multi-cluster fracturing in multi-zone reservoirs, a new efficient algorithm for the planar 3 D multi-fracture propagation model was proposed. The model considers fluid flow in the wellbore-perforation-fracture system and fluid leak-off into the rock matrix, and uses a 3 D boundary integral equation to describe the solid deformation. The solid-fluid coupling equation is solved by an explicit integration algorithm, and the fracture front is determined by the uniform tip asymptotic solutions and shortest path algorithm. The accuracy of the algorithm is verified by the analytical solution of radial fracture, results of the implicit level set algorithm, and results of organic glass fracturing experiment. Compared with the implicit level set algorithm(ILSA), the new algorithm is much higher in computation speed. The numerical case study is conducted based on a horizontal well in shale gas formation of Zhejiang oilfield. The impact of stress heterogeneity among multiple clusters and perforation number distribution on multi-fracture growth and fluid distribution among multiple fractures are analyzed by numerical simulation. The results show that reducing perforation number in each cluster can counteract the effect of stress contrast among perforation clusters. Adjusting perforation number in each cluster can promote uniform flux among clusters, and the perforation number difference should better be 1-2 among clusters. Increasing perforation number in the cluster with high in situ stress is conducive to uniform fluid partitioning. However, uniform fluid partitioning is not equivalent to uniform fracture geometry. The fracture geometry is controlled by the stress interference and horizontal principal stress profile jointly.

Water-out performance and pattern of horizontal wells for marine sandstone reservoirs in Tarim Basin, NW China

Based on geological analysis,reservoir numerical simulation and production performance analysis,water-out performance and pattern of horizontal wells in Tarim marine sandstone reservoir were studied.Compared with continental sandstone reservoirs,the marine sandstone reservoirs in Tarim Basin were characterized by low oil viscosity,good reservoir continuity,and development of interbeds,which together with the large amount of horizontal wells,resulted in fast production rate and high recovery degree of the reservoirs.The main controlling factors of uneven water-out in horizontal wells were reservoir seepage barrier,injection-production well pattern,and dominant seepage channel.Thus 9 types in 4 categories of typical water-out pattern of horizontal wells in Tarim marine sandstone reservoirs were identified,and water-out management measures were proposed for them respectively according to their water-out mechanism and remaining oil distribution characteristics.Finally,the water-out pattern can be identified based on the inflection characteristics of derivative curve of water-oil ratio.This study of the water-out pattern can provide guidance for the adjustment policy of water injection in horizontal wells in marine sandstone reservoirs of Tarim Oilfield.

Practice and understanding of sidetracking horizontal drilling in old wells in Sulige Gas Field, NW China

To seek effective ways of lowering development cost and tapping inter-well remaining reserves, sidetracking horizontal wells from old wells in Su10 and Su53 Block were conducted. The engineering and geological problems such as leakage, collapse and sticking in slim-hole sidetracking, and difficult evaluation of remaining gas were gradually overcome, and a set of drilling and completion technology, well deployment optimization technology and geo-steering technology suitable for sidetracking horizontal wells in tight sandstone gas reservoirs have been worked out. By making full use of the old well, sidetracking horizontal wells can greatly reduce development costs, enhance the producing degree of inter-well remaining reserves, and get production 3-5 times of that of adjacent vertical wells.Its production effect is influenced by encountered sandstone length, the position of the horizontal segment in the reservoir, produced effective reservoir thickness, gas saturation, controlled reserves and fracturing effect, etc. Up to now, in Block Su10 and Su53, 12 sidetracking horizontal wells have been drilled, which have an average drilling cycle of 49 days, average horizontal section length of 689 m,average effective drilling ratio of 61.5%, average well-head pressure of 16.2 MPa, and daily output of 4.7×10~4 m^3 at the initial stage after production. By the end of 2017, the average yield increment was more than 1 000×10~4 m^3 with good effect. With the increase of low yield old wells, wells in the enrichment regions tend to be saturated and the rest gas-bearing areas are lower in grade, therefore, sidetracking horizontal well can be used for optimization of well pattern, well deployment mode and exploitation of remaining oil areas.

Study on productivity of horizontal wells with segmental perforation based on pseudo steady-state flow

Segmental perforation is widely used for horizontal wells. However,the flow of fluid in porous media is a complex problem. Using the Fourier transform,principle of potential superposition,trigonometric function transform,asymptotic analyses,a pressure solution of a pseudo steady-state flow model in 3D circular-boxed media has been established. Comparing with the productivity of vertical wells,an equivalence radius model can be obtained. Based on the model,a method of evaluating the productivity of segmental perforation horizontal well is presented by means of principle of superposition. It shows that the equivalence radius is different for various positions of horizontal wells; the output of both ends of horizontal wells is greater than the others under the same length of perforation interval; it is more important to obtain high productivity by increasing the length of perforation interval than enlarging the spacing between perforation intervals. The result of this research can be used to ascertain the yield of each perforated interval.

Application of Combined Production Logging Technology in Horizontal Wells

随着海上油气田开发的不断深化,水平井技术已在增储上产中起到了巨大作用,但也面临着出水及含水不断升高的问题。进行水平段储层生产测井,确定井下层内生产情况及储层动用情况,是后期控水稳产、措施挖潜的关键。水平井因井眼轨迹与储层平行、流体重力分异明显、上/下坡流共存等因素,常规居中测量中心流速的测井技术已不适用;同时,水平井为单层开采,剩余油饱和度分布无标准水层刻度,为生产层剩余油分布监测提出了挑战。提出了阵列式多相流测井仪组合(MAPS)和剩余油饱和度测井技术(RPM)的组合测井方式,通过水平段截面速度剖面、流体性质分布以及剩余油饱和度分布三者间的相互验证、综合解释的解决方案,取得了良好效果。

Annual Output of Five Horizontal Wells Reaches One Million Tons

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Study on Water Ridge Variation of Horizontal Wells in Bottom Water Reservoir

X oilfield is a typical strong bottom water reservoir in Bohai Sea. It is developed by single sand body horizontal well. The edge and bottom water of the reservoir is active and natural energy development mode is adopted. At present, the comprehensive water cut of the oilfield is more than 96%, and has entered the stage of high water cut oil recovery. At present, fluid extraction from old wells and new adjustment wells are the main ways to increase oil production. With the deepening of development, the distribution of underground remaining oil is becoming more and more complex. In order to further improve the implementation effect of adjustment wells, the study of residual oil distribution law is increasingly important, and the study of water ridge morphology of horizontal wells in bottom water reservoir has an important guiding role in the study of remaining oil distribution. The main contents of this paper are as follows: the influence of horizontal well spacing, vertical and horizontal permeability ratio, single well liquid production, vertical position of horizontal well, oil-water viscosity ratio, water cut and interlayer on water ridge morphology. These understandings can effectively guide the deployment and optimization of adjustment wells. It provides technical support for the prediction of watered out thickness and optimization of adjustment well layout scheme in X oilfield, and guides the further development and production of the oilfield.