Summary The importance of evaluating well productivity after hydraulic fracturing cannot be overemphasized. This has necessitated the improvement in the quality of rate and pressure measurements during flowback of multistage-fractured wells. Similarly, there have been corresponding improvements in the ability of existing transient models to interpret multiphase flowback data. However, the complexity of these models introduces high uncertainty in the estimates of resulting parameters, such as fracture pore volume (PV), half-length, and permeability. This paper proposes a two-phase tank model for reducing parameter uncertainty and estimating fracture PV independent of fracture geometry. This study starts by use of rate-normalized-pressure (RNP) plots to observe changes in fluid-flow mechanisms from multistage-fractured wells. The fracture “pressure-supercharge” observations form the basis for developing the proposed two-phase tank model. This model is a linear relationship between RNP and time, useful for interpreting flowback data in wells that show pseudosteady-state behavior (unit slope on log-log RNP plots). The linear relationship is implemented on a simple Monte Carlo spreadsheet. This is then used to estimate and conduct uncertainty analysis on effective fracture PV by use of probabilistic distributions of average fracture compressibility and gas/water saturations. Also, the proposed model investigates the contributions of various drive mechanisms during flowback (fracture closure, gas expansion, and water depletion) by use of quantitative drive indices similar to those used in conventional reservoir engineering. Application of the proposed tank model to flowback data from 15 shale-gas and tight-oil wells estimates the effective fracture PV and initial average gas saturation in the active fracture network. The results show that fracture-PV estimation is most sensitive to fracture closure compared with gas expansion and water depletion, making fracture closure the primary drive mechanism during early-flowback periods. Also, the initial average gas saturation for all wells is less than 20%. The parameters estimated from the proposed model could be used as input guides for more-complex studies (such as discrete-fracture-network modeling and transient-flowback simulation). This reduces the number of unknown parameters and uncertainty in output results from complex models.
Although existing models for analysing single-phase flowback water production at the onset of flowback in tight oil and gas reservoirs provide estimates of fracture volume, they are not applicable to shale gas reservoirs. This is because flowback data from shale gas wells do not show this single phase region. Instead, they show a surprising trend of immediate gas breakthrough. This paper attempts to (1) understand the fundamental reasons for this early gas breakthrough, (2) develop a representative mathematical model that describes this behaviour and (3) estimate the effective fracture volume and equivalent fracture half-length by history matching the early-time two-phase flowback data. From the diagnostic plots generated from of rate/pressure data of 8 multi-fractured horizontal wells completed in the Muskwa Formation, the gas-water ratio (GWR) plots indicate the presence of initial free gas in the complex fracture network. This conclusion is backed by the imbibition experiments conducted on shale samples collected from the same formation showing the presence of gas-saturated natural fractures. The linear diffusivity equation is solved for early-time two-phase gas/water flow in the hydraulic fractures. The primary drive mechanism at the onset of flowback is initial free gas expansion within the fracture network. Secondary drive mechanisms considered include fracture water expansion and fracture closure. The driving forces are modeled by an effective compressibility term analogous to the total compressibility in conventional multiphase flow formulations. Also, two-phase water/gas flow is handled by an explicitly determined relative permeability function of time. Eventually a new pseudo-time function is defined to account for the changes in gas properties and relative permeability with time. Rate normalized pseudo-pressure versus pseudo-time plots give a straight line when applied to field data, thus the solution can be used to characterize hydraulic fractures in a manner similar to conventional well testing methods.
Summary The topic of interwell communication in unconventional reservoirs has received significant attention because it has direct implications for well-spacing considerations. However, it has been the observation of the authors that interference is often inferred without direct evidence of its occurrence, or without an understanding of the various mechanisms of interference. Some common discussions on interference among engineers refer to fracture “hits” and fracture-fluid production that suddenly appears at offset producing wells. These are indications of communication, but do not necessarily imply that a strong connection will be maintained throughout the life of the wells. This paper presents a rigorous procedure for correctly identifying interference by use of data acquired during a typical multiwell-pad-production scheme. First, the various mechanisms of interference are defined. Next, analytical simulations are run to reveal the expected behavior for interference through fractures and reservoir matrix. Data provided from an eight-well pad in the Horn River basin are then scoured, revealing evidence of interference between at least two wells. Through this exercise, a procedure is developed for identifying interference by searching for changes in buildup trends while wells are staggered on/off production. Finally, the data are history matched with numerical models to confirm the interference mechanism. The procedure in this paper is designed to help production analysts diagnose interference and avoid common pitfalls. The work flow is generalized and can be applied to other multiwell-pad completions.
Many stimulated shale gas wells experience surprisingly low fracturing fluid recoveries. Fracture closure, gravity segregation, fracture tortuosity, proppant distribution, and shut-in (soaking) time have been widely postulated to be the contributing factors. This study examines the impacts of these factors on fracturing fluid distribution using flow and geomechanical simulations. The results are analyzed to understand the circumstances under which fluid recovery might be beneficial or detrimental to well performance. A series of 3D numerical models are constructed based on petrophysical parameters, fluid properties and operational constraints representative of Horn River shale gas reservoir. Hydraulic fracture is modeled explicitly in the computational domain. Complex partially-propped fracture geometry is computed using numerical constitutive models. The physical process of fracture closure during shut-in and production periods is modeled by adjusting the fracture volume and fracture conductivity dynamically. Non-Darcy behavior due to high gas velocity in fracture and matrix desorption are considered. The coupled effect of multi-phase flow, gravity and geomechanics is simulated to examine the mechanisms responsible for the low fracturing fluid recovery and the ensuing fluid distribution away from the wellbore. Water uptake into the matrix is influenced by forced and spontaneous imbibition due to the large pressure differential across the matrix-fracture interface and matrix capillarity. Additional water is displaced into the matrix as pressure depletes and fracture closes. Gravity segregation may lead to water accumulating near the bottom of a vertical planar fracture, but fracture tortuosity could limit the segregation and promote a more uniform fluid distribution. The influence of proppant distribution is far more complex: results of the geomechanical simulation confirm the formation of a residual opening above of the proppant pack in a partially-propped fracture. Despite gas production is often hampered by non-uniform proppant distribution, the residual opening offers a highly conductive flow path for gas, which is much more mobile than the water-based fracturing fluid; this further aggravates the phenomenon of gravity segregation. Extended shut-in time may enhance the initial gas rate, but lower late-time production is observed. Analysis of the residual opening of a partially-propped fracture and its implications on production performance is novel. The results highlight the interactions between different mechanisms on fracturing fluid distribution in 3D. A few practical insights pertinent to the optimal operation strategy are explained.
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