A Practical Methodology for Production-Data Analysis of Single-Phase Unconventional Wells With Complex Fracture Geometry

Abstract

Summary Forecasting coalbed-methane well performance in the Qinshui Basin is a key task for predicting future gas production. There is evidence suggesting that complex fracture geometry and multiple hydraulic-fracture networks might develop. Unfortunately, very limited work has been published on the production analysis of multiple-fractured vertical wells (MFVWs) in coalbed-methane reservoirs. To better understand the production performance of the MFVWs, a new, fast, and reliable methodology is presented in this paper. This semianalytical methodology is derived from an analytical reservoir solution and a numerical fracture solution. Dual-porosity, gas-diffusion, gas-adsorption, and stress-sensitivity effects are considered. Verification of the methodology is accomplished through comparison with synthetic-reservoir-simulation cases and with field-performance data. Good agreement is shown between results from the proposed methodology and those from a reservoir-simulation model. Results from this study indicate increasing transient-gas-production rate and cumulative gas recovery with increasing natural-fracture permeability, gas-storage coefficient, Langmuir volume, fracture conductivity, and fracture length. The transient gas-production rate and cumulative gas recovery were found to decrease with increasing stress-sensitivity coefficient. The parameters found to have the strongest and weakest effects on the gas-production rate were the natural-fracture permeability and the fracture conductivity, respectively. Results from this study on MFVWs in coalbed-methane reservoirs indicate fracture length is more important than fracture conductivity in terms of its effect on gas productivity.