Gas-Water Production of a Continental Tight-Sandstone Gas Reservoir under Different Fracturing Conditions

Abstract

A numerical model of hydraulic fracture propagation is introduced for a representative reservoir (Yuanba continental tight sandstone gas reservoir in Northeast Sichuan). Different parameters are considered, i.e., the interlayer stress difference, the fracturing discharge rate and the fracturing fluid viscosity. The results show that these factors affect the gas and water production by influencing the fracture size. The interlayer stress difference can effectively control the fracture height. The greater the stress difference, the smaller the dimensionless reconstruction volume of the reservoir, while the flowback rate and gas production are lower. A large displacement fracturing construction increases the fracture-forming efficiency and expands the fracture size. The larger the displacement of fracturing construction, the larger the dimensionless reconstruction volume of the reservoir, and the higher the fracture-forming efficiency of fracturing fluid, the flowback rate, and the gas production. Low viscosity fracturing fluid is suitable for long fractures, while high viscosity fracturing fluid is suitable for wide fractures. With an increase in the fracturing fluid viscosity, the dimensionless reconstruction volume and flowback rate of the reservoir display a non-monotonic behavior, however, their changes are relatively small.