Based on the analysis of horizontal well flow and flow characteristics in fractures, this paper presents a new method to predict the inflow performance of fractured horizontal wells with single phase flow at steady state conditions.
More and more horizontal wells are drilled today and we encounter more fractured horizontal wells. While predicting the inflow performance of fractured horizontal wells, we found that there is a need for a new model which couples the flow from rock matrix and flow from fractures, and is applicable for horizontal wells both with and without fractures. The model presented in this paper serves the purpose.
The presented model can be easily used in horizontal wells with or without fractures. Results from the new model are compared with those from commonly used models in petroleum industry for fractured and unfractured horizontal well flow models such as Economides et al., Joshi, Babu and Odeh, and Guo and Schechter. Results from the new model are also compared with field data obtained from published literature.
The new model may be used in well planning, production design, production system analysis and well efficiency improvement.