Optimization of Well and Hydraulic Fracture Spacing for Tight/Shale Gas Reservoirs

Balan, Huseyin Onur; Gupta, Anuj; Georgi, Daniel T.; Al-Shawaf, Ali

doi:10.15530/urtec-2016-2435369

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…It is essential to find a well spacing that can balance the recovery and economics. Many studies have focused on this area both numerically and analytically [4,5]. Some of them have investigated the controlling factors for the well spacing determination, such as fracture half-length, reservoir permeability, rock properties, and natural fractures [6][7][8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Application of Integrated Assisted History Matching and Embedded Discrete Fracture Model Workflow for Well Spacing Optimization in Shale Gas Reservoirs with Complex Natural Fractures

Chang

et al. 2021

Geofluids

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An appropriate well spacing plan is critical for the economic development of shale gas reservoirs. The biggest challenge for well spacing optimization is interpreting the subsurface uncertainties associated with hydraulic and natural fractures. Another challenge is the existence of complex natural fractures. This work applied an integrated well spacing optimization workflow in shale gas reservoirs of the Sichuan Basin in China with both hydraulic and natural fractures. The workflow consists of five components: data preparation, reservoir simulation, estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) analysis, economic calculation, and well spacing optimization. Firstly, the multiple realizations of thirteen uncertain parameters of matrix and fractures, including matrix permeability and porosity, three relative permeability parameters, hydraulic fracture height, half-length, width, conductivity, water saturation, and natural fracture number, length, and conductivity, were captured by the assisted history matching (AHM). The fractures were modeled by the embedded discrete fracture model (EDFM) accurately and efficiently. Then, 84 AHM solutions combining with five well spacing scenarios from 517 ft to 1550 ft would generate 420 simulation cases. After reservoir simulation of these 420 cases, we forecasted the long-term gas production for each well spacing scenario. Gas EUR degradation and well interference would imply the critical well spacing. The net present value (NPV) for all scenarios would be calculated and trained by K -nearest neighbors (KNN) proxy to better understand the relationship between well spacing and NPV. In this study, the optimum well spacing was determined as 793 ft, corresponding with a maximum NPV of 18 million USD, with the contribution of hydraulic fractures and natural fractures.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Application of Integrated Assisted History Matching and Embedded Discrete Fracture Model Workflow for Well Spacing Optimization in Shale Gas Reservoirs with Complex Natural Fractures

Chang

et al. 2021

Geofluids

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show abstract

“…However, in the case of this ANN model, it was difficult to show the weight of key influencing factors on the production. Balan et al (2016) [8] conducted an optimization of hydraulic fracturing spacing for tight and shale gas reservoirs. However, only single HF was considered in the analysis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydraulic Fracture Design with a Proxy Model for Unconventional Shale Gas Reservoir with Considering Feasibility Study

Kim

Choe

2019

Energies

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Shale gas is a natural gas trapped in shale formation and is being actively developed in North America. Due to the low permeability of a shale gas reservoir in the range from 10−8 to 10−6 Darcy, horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing are needed for its development. This paper presents a fast and reliable proxy model to forecast shale gas productions and an optimum hydraulic fracturing design for its development. The proxy model uses a robust regression scheme and can replace a commercial reservoir simulator. The proxy model proposed can determine the influence of impact factors on the production at each production time. The calculation speed of the proposed proxy model is about 1.4 million times faster than that of a reservoir simulator compared. The most economical hydraulic fracture design using the proxy model has a length of 168 m at each stage, which is determined by examining a large number of hydraulic fracturing designs considering economic feasibility.

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An Analytical Method for Optimizing Fracture Spacing in Shale Oil Reservoirs

Mahmood

Guo

2019

Day 2 Fri, November 08, 2019

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Hydraulic fracturing is the most prominent technique for increasing well productivity in shale oil and gas reservoirs. Spacing between perforation clusters, with Plug-and-Perf (PnP) fracturing method also believed to be spacing of fractures, is one of the parameters that need to be optimized in fracturing design. This work presents an analytical method to optimize fracture spacing based on the assessment of production data from multi-fractured horizontal wells. Five hydraulically fractured horizontal wells completed in a high clay-content shale formation were considered as examples in this study. Based on the theory of pseudo-steady state (PSS) flow, oil well productivity was investigated with special focus on perforation cluster spacing. Wells exhibiting linear flow in rate transient analyses are believed to have a potential of productivity improvement with shorter fracture spacings. Oil productivity potential with closer fracture spacing was identified for wells in the same reservoir. Result of analyses shows that some wells experienced linear transient flow, indicating significant separation between hydraulic fractures. Use of an analytical well productivity model to simulate pseudo-steady production indicates that fracture spacing could have been reduced to improve well productivity. These wells can be considered as candidates for re-fracturing if possible. Future wells to be drilled in the area nearby should be completed with shorter spacing of perforation clusters. Some wells in the case fields do not show linear transient flow, indicating interferences between either hydraulic fractures and/or natural fractures. These wells should not be refractured. New wells near these wells should not be completed with fracture spacing less than the spacing values used in the existing wells.

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Optimization of Well and Hydraulic Fracture Spacing for Tight/Shale Gas Reservoirs

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

The Application of Integrated Assisted History Matching and Embedded Discrete Fracture Model Workflow for Well Spacing Optimization in Shale Gas Reservoirs with Complex Natural Fractures

The Application of Integrated Assisted History Matching and Embedded Discrete Fracture Model Workflow for Well Spacing Optimization in Shale Gas Reservoirs with Complex Natural Fractures

Hydraulic Fracture Design with a Proxy Model for Unconventional Shale Gas Reservoir with Considering Feasibility Study

An Analytical Method for Optimizing Fracture Spacing in Shale Oil Reservoirs

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