Pressure-Transient Behavior of Continuously and Discretely Fractured Reservoirs
- Authors
- Fikri Kuchuk (Schlumberger) | Denis Biryukov (Schlumberger)
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.2118/158096-PA
- Document ID
- SPE-158096-PA
- Publisher
- Society of Petroleum Engineers
- Source
- SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 01
- Publication Date
- February 2014
- Document Type
- Journal Paper
- Pages
- 82 - 97
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1094-6470
- Copyright
- 2014.Society of Petroleum Engineers
- Disciplines
- 5.6.4 Drillstem/Well Testing, 5.8.7 Carbonate Reservoir, 5.8.6 Naturally Fractured Reservoir
- Keywords
- transient well-test interpretation , dual-porosity model , naturally fractured reservoirs
- Downloads
- 6 in the last 30 days
- 1,319 since 2007
- Show more detail
- View rights & permissions
SPE Member Price: | USD 10.00 |
SPE Non-Member Price: | USD 30.00 |
Summary
Fractures are common features of many well-known reservoirs. Naturally fractured reservoirs contain fractures in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary formations. Faults in many naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs often have high-permeability zones, and are connected to many fractures with varying conductivities. Furthermore, in many naturally fractured reservoirs, faults and fractures can be discrete (i.e., not a connected-network fracture system). New semianalytical solutions are used to understand the pressure behavior of naturally fractured reservoirs containing a network of discrete and/or connected (continuous) finite- and infinite-conductivity fractures. We present an extensive literature review of the pressure-transient behavior of fractured reservoirs. First, we show that the Warren and Root (1963) dual-porosity model is a fictitious homogeneous porous medium because it does not contain any fractures. Second, by use of the new solutions, we show that for most naturally fractured reservoirs, the Warren and Root (1963) dual-porosity model is inappropriate and fundamentally incomplete for the interpretation of pressure-transient well tests because it does not capture the behavior of these reservoirs. We examined many field well tests published in the literature. With few exceptions, none of them shows the behavior of the Warren and Root (1963) dual-porosity model. These examples exhibit very diverse pressure behaviors of discretely and continuously fractured reservoirs. Unlike the single derivative shape of the Warren and Root (1963) model, the derivatives of these examples exhibit many different flow regimes depending on fracture distribution and on their intensity and conductivity. We show these flow regimes with our new model for discretely and continuously fractured reservoirs. Most well tests published in the literature do not exhibit the Warren and Root (1963) dual-porosity reservoir-model behavior. If we interpret them by use of this dual-porosity model, then the estimated permeability, skin factor, interporosity flow coefficient (λ), and storativity ratio (ω) will not represent the actual reservoir parameters.
File Size | 887 KB | Number of Pages | 16 |
References
Abdassah, D. and Ershaghi, I. 1986. Triple-Porosity Systems for Representing Naturally Fractured Reservoirs. SPE Form Eval 1 (2): 113–127. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/13409-PA.
Adler, P. and Thovert, J.-F. 2010. Fractures and Fracture Networks (Theory and Applications of Transport in Porous Media). New York City, New York: Springer.
Aguilera, R. 1995. Naturally Fractured Reservoirs, first edition. Tulsa, Oklahoma: PennWell Books.
Al-Thawad, F., Bin-Akresh, S. and Al-Obaid, R. 2001. Characterization of Fractures/Faults Network from Well Tests; Synergistic Approach. Paper SPE 71578 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 30 September–3 October. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/71578-MS.
Aydin, A. 2000. Fractures, Faults, and Hydrocarbon Migration and Flow. Mar. Petrol. Geol. 17 (7): 797–814. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0264-8172(00)00020-9.
Ayestaran, L., Nurmi, R. Shehab, G. et al. 1989. Well Test Design and Final Interpretation Improved by Integrated Well Testing and Geological Efforts. Paper SPE 17945 presented at the Middle East Oil Show, Bahrain, 11–14 March. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/17945-MS.
Baker, R. 2000. Reservoir Characterization for Naturally Fractured Reservoirs. Paper SPE 63286 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, Texas, 1–4 October. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/63286-MS.
Baker, R., Bora, R., Schechter, D., et al. 2001. Development of a Fracture Model for Spraberry Field, Texas USA. Paper SPE 71635 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 30 September–3 October. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/71635-MS.
Barenblatt, G. I., Zeltov, Y. P. and Kochina, I. 1960. Basic Concepts in the Theory of Seepage of Homogeneous Liquids in Fissured Rocks. J. Appl. Math. Mech. 24 (5):1286–1303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0021-8928(60)90107-6.
Bear, J. 1993. Flow and Contaminant Transport in Fractured Rock. In Modeling Flow and Contaminant Transport in Fractured Rocks, eds. J. Bear, C.F. Tsang, G. de Marsily, 1–37. San Diego, California: Academic Press.
Belani, A. and Jalali, Y. 1988. Estimation of Matrix Block Size Distribution in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs. Paper SPE 18171 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston, Texas, 2–5 October. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/18171-MS.
Beliveau, D. 1989. Pressure Transients Characterize Fractured Midale Unit. J. Pet. Tech. 41 (12): 1354–1362. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/15635-PA.
Beliveau, D., Payne, D. A. and Mundry, M. 1993. Waterflood and CO2 Flood of the Fractured Midale Field. J. Pet. Tech. 45 (9): 881–817. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/22946-PA.
Beliveau, D. A. 1987. Midale CO2 Flood Pilot. J. Cdn. Pet. Tech. 26 (6): 66–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/87-06-05.
Berkowitz, B. 2002. Characterizing Flow and Transport in Fractured Geological Media: A review. Adv. Water Resour. 25 (8–12): 861–884. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0309-1708(02)00042-8.
Biryukov, D. and Kuchuk, F. 2012. Transient Pressure Behavior of Reservoirs with Discrete Conductive Faults and Fractures Transport Porous Med. 95 (1): 239–268. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11242–012-0041-x.
Bogatkov, D. and Babadagli, T. 2009. Characterization of Fracture Network System of the Midale Field. J. Cdn. Pet. Tech. 48 (7): 30–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/09-07-30.
Bogdanov, I., Mourzenko, V., Thovert, J.-F., et al. 2003. Pressure Drawdown Well Tests in Fractured Porous Media. Water Resour. Res. 39 (1): 1021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2000WR000080.
Booth, R., Morton, K., Onur, M., et al. 2010. Grid-Based Inversion of Pressure Transient Test Data. Oral presentation given at the European Conference on the Mathematics of Oil Recovery XII, Oxford, UK, 6–9 September.
Booth, R., Morton, K., Onur, M., et al. 2012. Grid-Based Inversion of Pressure Transient Test Data with Stochastic Gradient Techniques. Int. J. Uncertain. Qual. 2 (4): 395–405. http://dx.doi.org/10.1615/Int.J.UncertaintyQuantification.2012003480.
Boulton, N. and Streltsova, T. 1977. Unsteady Flow to a Pumped Well in a Fissured Water-Bearing Formation. J. Hydrol. 35 (3–4): 257–270. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(77)90005-1.
Bourdet, D. and Gringarten, A. 1980. Determination of Fissure Volume and Block Size in Fractured Reservoirs by Type-Curve Analysis. Paper SPE 9293 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, Texas, 21–24 September. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/9293-MS.
Bourdet, D., Whittle, T., Douglas, A., et al. 1983. A New Set of Type Curves Simplifies Well Test Analysis. World Oil 6 (May): 95–106.
Braester, C. 1984. Influence of Block Size on the Transition Curve for a Drawdown Test in a Naturally Fractured Reservoir. SPE J. 24 (5): 498–504. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/10543-PA.
Bunge, R. 2001. Midale Reservoir Fracture Characterization using Integrated Well and Seismic Data, Weyburn Field, Saskatchewan. MS thesis, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado (XX 2001).
Casabianca, D., Jolly, R. J. H., and Pollard, R. 2007. The Machar Oil Field: Waterflooding a Fractured Chalk Reservoir. Geol. Soc. London, Special Publications 270 (1): 171–191. http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/GSL.SP.2007.270.01.12.
Casciano, C., Ruvo, L., Volpi, B., et al. 2004. Well Test Simulation through Discrete Fracture Network Modelling in a Fractured Carbonate Reservoir. Petrol. Geosci. 10 (4): 331–342. http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/1354-079303-590.
Cinco-Ley, H. 1984. Interporosity skin, personal communication with Alain Gringarten (October 28. 1983), in interpretation of tests in fissured and multilayered reservoirs with double-porosity behavior: Theory and practice. J Pet Technol, 36 (4): 550.
Cinco-Ley, H. 1996. Well-Test Analysis for Naturally Fractured Reservoirs. J. Pet. Tech. 48 (1): 51–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/31162-MS.
Cinco-Ley, H., Samaniego-V., F. and Dominguez, N. 1976. Unsteady-State Flow Behavior for a Well Near a Natural Fracture. Paper SPE 6019 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 3–6 October. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/6019-MS.
Cinco-Ley, H., Samaniego-V., F. and Kuchuk, F. 1985. The Pressure Transient Behavior for Naturally Fractured Reservoirs With Multiple Block Size. Paper SPE 14168 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Las Vegas, Nevada, 22–25 September. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/14168-MS.
Committee on Fracture Characterization and Fluid Flow. 1996. Rock Fractures and Fluid Flow: Contemporary Understanding and Applications. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.
Corre, B. 1990. Characterization of Fracture Networks From Well Tests Using a New Analytical Solution. Paper SPE 20533 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 23–26 September. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/20533-MS.
Crawford, G., Hagedorn, A. and Pierce, A. 1976. Analysis of Pressure Buildup Tests in a Naturally Fractured Reservoir. J. Pet. Tech. 28 (11): 1295–1300. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/4558-PA.
Da Prat, G. 1990. Well Test Analysis for Fractured Reservoir Evaluation. New York City, New York: Elsevier Science Ltd.
de Swaan O., A. 1976. Analytic Solutions for Determining Naturally Fractured Reservoir Properties by Well Testing. SPE J. 16 (3): 117–122. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/5346-PA.
Djatmiko, W. and Hansamuit, V. 2010. Well Test Analysis of Multiple Matrix-To-Fracture Fluid Transfer in Fractured-Vuggy Reservoir. Paper SPE 130557 presented at the International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in China, Beijing, China, 8–10 June. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/130557-MS.
Flamenco-Lopez, F. and Camacho-Velazquez, R. 2001. Fractal Transient Pressure Behavior of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs. Paper SPE 71591 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 30 September–3 October. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/71591-MS.
Gringarten, A. 1984. Interpretation of Tests in Fissured and Multilayered Reservoirs With Double-Porosity Behavior: Theory and Practice. J. Pet. Tech. 36 (4): 549–564. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/10044-PA.
Guo, B. and Schechter, D. 1998. Use of Single-Well Test Data for Estimating Permeability Anisotropy of the Naturally. Paper SPE 39807 presented at the SPE Permian Basin Oil and Gas Recovery Conference, Midland, Texas, 23–26 March. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/39807-MS.
Horner, D. 1951. Pressure Build-up in Wells. Paper WPC-4135 presented at the 3rd World Petroleum Congress, The Hague, the Netherlands, 28 May–6 June.
Houze, O. P., Horne, R. N. and Ramey, H. J. 1988. Pressure-Transient Response of an Infinite-Conductivity Vertical Fracture in a Reservoir with Double-Porosity Behavior. SPE Form Eval 3 (3): 510–518. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/12778-PA.
Igbokoyi, A. 2009. Well Analysis in Naturally Fractured Reservoir Using Elliptical Flow, first edition. Saarbrücken, Germany: VDM Verlag.
Igbokoyi, A. and Tiab, D. 2008. New Method of Well-Test Analysis in Naturally Fractured Reservoir Based on Elliptical Flow. Paper SPE 116732 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, Colorado, 21–24 September. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/116732-MS.
Johns, R. and Jalali, Y. 1991. Comparison of Pressure-Transient Response in Intensely and Sparsely Fractured Reservoirs. SPE Form Eval 6 (4): 513–518. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/18800-PA.
Kamal, M., Abbaszadeh, M., Cinco-Ley, H., et al. 2009. Transient Well Testing, first edition. Richardson, Texas: Monograph Series, SPE.
Kazemi, H. 1969. Pressure Transient Analysis of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs with Uniform Fracture Distribution. SPE J. 9 (4): 451–462. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/2156-A.
Kikani, J. and Walkup, G. W. 1991. Analysis of Pressure-Transient Tests for Composite Naturally Fractured Reservoirs. SPE Form Eval 6 (2): 176–182. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/19786-PA.
Kuchuk, F. and Habashy, T. 1997. Pressure Behavior of Laterally Composite Reservoirs. SPE Form Eval 12 (1): 47–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/24678-PA.
Liu, C. Q. 1981. Exact Solution for the Compressible Flow Equations through a Medium with Triple-Porosity. Appl. Math. Mech. 2 (4): 457–462. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01875921.
Lonergan, L., Jolly, R. J. H., Rawnsley, K., et al. 2007. Naturally Fractured Reservoirs, Special Publication No. 270, first edition. London, UK: Geological Society of London.
Mavor, M. and Cinco-Ley, H. 1979. Transient Pressure Behavior of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs. Paper SPE 7977 presented at the SPE California Regional Meeting, Ventura, California, 18–20 April. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/7977-MS.
Moench, A. 1984. Double-Porosity Models for a Fissured Groundwater Reservoir With Fracture Skin. Water Resour. Res. 20 (7): 831–846. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/WR020i007p00831.
Morton, K., Booth, R., Onur, M., et al. 2011. Grid-Based Inversion Methods for Spatial Feature Identification and Parameter Estimation from Pressure Transient Tests. Paper SPE 142996 presented at the SPE EUROPEC/EAGE Annual Conference and Exhibition, Vienna, Austria, , 23–26 May. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/142996-MS.
Morton, K., de Brito Nogueira, P., Booth, R., et al. 2012. Integrated Interpretation for Pressure Transient Tests in Discretely Fractured Reservoirs. Paper SPE 154531 presented at the SPE EUROPEC/EAGE Annual Conference and Exhibition, Copenhagen, Denmark, 4–7 June. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/154531-MS.
Muskat, M. 1937. The Flow of Homogeneous Fluids Through Porous Media. Ann Arbor, Michigan: J. W. Edwards.
Narr, W., Schechter, D. S., and Thompson, L. B. 2006. Naturally Fractured Reservoir Characterization, first edition. Dallas, Texas: SPE.
Nelson, R. A. 1985. Geologic Analysis of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs, first edition. Houston, Texas: Gulf Publishing.
Rogers, S., Enachescu, C., Trice, R., et al. 2007. Integrating Discrete Fracture Network Models and Pressure Transient Data for Testing Conceptual Fracture Models of the Valhall Chalk Reservoir, Norwegian North Sea. Geol. Soc. London Special Pub. 270 (1): 193–204. http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/GSL.SP.2007.270.01.13.
Samaniego-V, F. and Cinco-Ley, H. 2009. Transient Well Testing. In Naturally Fractured Reservoirs, ed. M. Kamal, Chap. 10, 221–280. Richardson, Texas: Monograph Series, SPE.
Souche, L. and Rotsch, M. 2007. An End-to End-Approach to Naturally Fractured Reservoir Modeling: Workflow and Implementation. Oral presentation given at the SEG/EAGE Research Workshop 2007, Perugia, Italy, 3–6 September.
Streltsova, T. 1983. Well Pressure Behavior of a Naturally Fractured Reservoir. SPE J. 23 (5): 769–780. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/10782-PA.
Streltsova, T. D. 1976. Hydrodynamics of Groundwater Flow in a Fractured Formation. Water Resour. Res. 12 (3): 405–414. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/WR012i003p00405.
Tankersley, T., Narr, W., King, G., et al. 2010. Reservoir Modeling to Characterize Dual Porosity, Tengiz Field, Republic Of Kazakhstan. Paper SPE 139836 presented at the SPE Caspian Carbonates Technology Conference, Atyrau, Kazakhstan, 8–10 November. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/139836-RU.
van Golf-Racht, T. D. 1982. Fundamentals of Fractured Reservoir Engineering. New York City, New York: Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co.
Warren, J. E. and Root, P. J. 1963. The Behavior of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs. SPE J. 3 (3): 245–255. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/426-PA.
Wei, L., Hadwin, J., Chaput, E., et al. 1998. Discriminating Fracture Patterns in Fractured Reservoirs by Pressure Transient Tests. Paper SPE 49233 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 27–30 September. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/49233-MS.
Zaman, A., Yousaf, M., and Ahmed, S. 1989. Downhole Seismic Array Applications for Reservoir Delineation in Pakistan. Paper SPE 17998 presented at the Middle East Oil Show, Bahrain, 11–14 March. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/17998-MS.