Transient transfer shape factor for fractured tight reservoirs: Effect of the dynamic threshold pressure gradient in unsteady flow

Abstract

In fractured tight reservoirs, the seepage capacity of the matrix is poor, and fluid migration mainly depends on matrix/fracture transfer. An accurate understanding of the matrix/fracture flow is the basis of well tests and numerical simulations for tight reservoirs. In this paper, the unsteady flow equation for tight reservoirs is deduced based on the boundary layer theory, which can reflect the effect of the dynamic threshold pressure gradient, and the theoretical flow equation is verified by seepage experiments. Based on the study of the flow equation, the approximate semi‐analytical solution of the matrix/fracture unsteady transfer shape factor and the transfer function for tight reservoirs are established considering the early stage of matrix/fracture transfer (pressure does not propagate to the matrix center) and the late stage of matrix/fracture transfer (pseudo‐steady state). The results show that the shape factor of the tight reservoir is mainly affected by three factors (minimum threshold pressure gradient, static boundary layer thickness, and sensitivity coefficient of the fluid boundary layer), and the theoretical curves show that the intermediate transfer enters the pseudo‐steady state when the dimensionless time reaches approximately 0.14. The higher the minimum threshold pressure gradient is, the larger the transfer shape factor. The larger the static boundary layer thickness is, the larger the transfer shape factor; additionally, the larger the sensitivity coefficient of the fluid boundary layer is, the faster the change rate of the shape factor. Finally, the transfer shape factor is applied to a well test interpretation. Examples prove that the fitting accuracy of the new curve type is improved by 34.2% compared with the curve type for the conventional well test interpretation method.

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