Utilizing crosswell, single well and pressure transient tests for characterizing fractured gas reservoirs

Majer, Ernest L.; Datta‐Gupta, Akhil; Peterson, J. E.; Vasco, D. W.; Myer, Larry R.; Daley, T. M.; Kaelin, Bruno; Queen, John; D'Onfro, P. S.; Rizer, William D.; Cox, D.O.; Sinton, John B.

doi:10.1190/1.1437401

Cited by 12 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…Research to date under this project 22,23,24 using VSP, crosswell, and single well imaging indicates that borehole methods address resolution issues, and therefore also aid in interpreting larger and more complex data sets. Results also suggest that theoretical models are robust and can be used in processing and interpretation to identify individual fractures.…”

Section: Advanced Characterization Of Fractured Gas Reservoirs Using mentioning

confidence: 99%

Technology for Increased Production from Low-Permeability Gas Reservoirs: An Overview of U.S. DOE's Gas Program - Successes and Future Plans

Ammer¹,

Covatch²,

Sames³

et al. 2000

Proceedings of SPE Rocky Mountain Regional/Low-Permeability Reservoirs Symposium and Exhibition

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TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Energy Technology Laboratory has been conducting research on low permeability gas reservoirs for over 30 years. Major field experiments like the multiwell experiment and the multi-site experiment at Rifle, Colorado, have provided tremendous insight into the characterization of low permeability gas sands, the associated natural fracture network, and the implications of hydraulic fracturing. Since the early 1990's, the DOE has focused its research efforts on developing technologies and methodologies to detect and characterize natural fractures in the subsurface and on demonstrating methods for enhancing production.Several successful technology advances are expected to have significant impact on the recovery of natural gas from low permeability formations. A horizontal well recently completed at 15,000 feet in the Frontier Formation in Wyoming, in conjunction with Union Pacific Resources (UPR), initially flowed 14 MMcfd and in the first 9 months recovered 2.75 Bcf of gas. UPR has two more wells underway and plans to drill additional wells based on the success of this project. Natural fracture detection techniques have been successfully demonstrated in existing fields in the Piceance and Wind River basins. An integrated 3-D seismic and geomechanical modeling approach was demonstrated in the Piceance basin and more recently in conjunction with the horizontal well drilled by UPR/DOE. The use of 3-D seismic attributes was demonstrated in the Wind River Basin.DOE initiated several new projects to begin work in October 1999 that will (1) demonstrate the use of natural fracture detection technologies as an exploration tool and (2) advance the state-of-the-art in natural fracture detection by developing new techniques to quantify fracture properties that control the flow and transport of gas. This paper will provide a detailed discussion for the projects that have recently been completed and for the new projects along with their implications for enhancing gas production from low permeability gas reservoirs.

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Section: Advanced Characterization Of Fractured Gas Reservoirs Using mentioning

confidence: 99%

Technology for Increased Production from Low-Permeability Gas Reservoirs: An Overview of U.S. DOE's Gas Program - Successes and Future Plans

Ammer¹,

Covatch²,

Sames³

et al. 2000

Proceedings of SPE Rocky Mountain Regional/Low-Permeability Reservoirs Symposium and Exhibition

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“…The experiments included a set of interference and tracer tests, both cross-well and single-well seismic surveys, and the drilling of a slant well to penetrate a suspected fracture. 29 The pressure interference test studied here involved groundwater withdrawal at a constant rate of 2.3 L/min from the westernmost well (GW-5). The pressure response was observed in the surrounding wells.…”

Section: Integration Of Transient Pressure Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

A Streamline Approach for Integrating Transient Pressure Data into High Resolution Reservoir Models

Kulkarni¹,

Datta‐Gupta²,

Vasco³

2000

Proceedings of SPE European Petroleum Conference

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TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractStreamline models have shown significant potential in integrating dynamic data into high-resolution reservoir models in a computationally efficient manner. However, previous efforts towards production data integration using streamline models have been limited to tracer data and multiphase production history such as water-cut at the wells. In this paper we generalize the streamline approach to transient pressure applications by introducing a 'diffusive' time of flight along streamlines. We show that the 'diffusive' time of flight allows us to define drainage areas or volumes associated with primary recovery and compressible flow under the most general conditions. We then utilize developments in seismic tomography and waveform imaging to formulate an efficient approach to integrating transient pressure data into highresolution reservoir models.Our proposed approach exploits an analogy between a propagating wave and a propagating 'pressure front'. In particular, we adopt a high frequency asymptotic solution to the transient pressure equation to compute travel times associated with a propagating 'pressure front'. The asymptotic approach has been widely used in modeling wave propagation phenomena. A key advantage of the asymptotic approach is that parameter sensitivities required for solving inverse problems related to production data integration can be obtained analytically using a single streamline simulation. Thus, the approach can be orders of magnitude faster than current techniques that can require multiple flow simulations.We have applied our proposed approach to both synthetic and field examples. The synthetic example utilizes transient pressure response from an interference test in a nine-spot pattern. The spatial distribution of permeability is estimated by matching arrival times of the 'pressure front' in each of the observation wells. The field example is from the Conoco Borehole Test Facility in Kay County, Oklahoma. A series of pressure interference tests were performed in a skewed fivespot pattern to identify the distribution and orientation of the natural fracture system at the Fort Riley formation. We have inverted the pressure drawdowns at the observation wells to create a conceptual model for the Fort Riley formation. The predominant fracture patterns emerging from the inversion are shown to be consistent with outcrop mapping and crosswell seismic imaging.

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“…We now apply our approach to a field example -two interference tests at the Conoco Borehole Test Facility, a groundwater test facility in Kay County, Oklahoma (Majer et al, 1996, D'Onfro et al, 1998. The interference tests were conducted in a skewed 5-spot pattern (consisting of the wells GW1 to GW-5 in Fig.…”

Section: Field Applicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To characterize the natural fracture system, a series of field experiments were carried out, including multi-well interference tests, both cross-well and single-well seismic surveys, and the drilling of a slant well to penetrate the suspected dominant fracture (D'Onfro. et al, 1998, Majer et al, 1996.…”

Section: Field Applicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As mentioned earlier, various field experiments were performed to characterize the fracture system at the Fort Riley formation. In particular, cross-well seismic experiments and additional drilling provide direct evidences of the presence of a high-conductive fracture to the north of GW-3 (D'Onfro et al, 1998, Majer et al, 1996. For seismic experiments, air was pushed into the predicted fracture pathway by simultaneously injecting air into well GW-5 and pumping water from well GW-2.…”

Section: Inversion Of Test Pump 58mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

An Integrated Approach to Characterizing Bypassed Oil in Heterogeneous and Fractured Reservoirs Using Partitioning Tracers

Datta‐Gupta¹

2006

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This report presents an efficient trajectory-based approach to integrate transient pressure data into high-resolution reservoir and aquifer models. The method involves alternating travel time and peak amplitude matching of pressure response using inverse modeling and is particularly well-suited for high resolution subsurface characterization using hydraulic tomography or pressure interference tests. Compared to travel time inversion only, our proposed approach results in a significantly improved match of the pressure response at the wells and also better estimates of subsurface properties. This is accomplished with very little increase in computational cost. Utilizing the concept of a 'diffusive' time of flight derived from an asymptotic solution of the diffusivity equation, we develop analytical approaches to estimate the sensitivities for travel time and peak amplitude of pressure response to subsurface properties. The sensitivities are then used in an iterative least-squared minimization to match the pressure data. We illustrate our approach using synthetic and field examples. In the field application at a fractured limestone formation, the predominant fracture patterns emerging from the inversion are shown to be consistent with independent geophysical experiments and borehole data.

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Utilizing crosswell, single well and pressure transient tests for characterizing fractured gas reservoirs

Cited by 12 publications

References 0 publications

Technology for Increased Production from Low-Permeability Gas Reservoirs: An Overview of U.S. DOE's Gas Program - Successes and Future Plans

Technology for Increased Production from Low-Permeability Gas Reservoirs: An Overview of U.S. DOE's Gas Program - Successes and Future Plans

A Streamline Approach for Integrating Transient Pressure Data into High Resolution Reservoir Models

An Integrated Approach to Characterizing Bypassed Oil in Heterogeneous and Fractured Reservoirs Using Partitioning Tracers

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