Pressure-Transient Behaviors of Wells in Fractured Reservoirs With Natural- and Hydraulic-Fracture Networks

Abstract

Summary Fracture networks are extremely important for the management of groundwater, carbon sequestration, and petroleum resources in fractured reservoirs. Numerous efforts have been made to investigate transient behaviors with fracture networks. Unfortunately, because of the complexity and the arbitrary nature of fracture networks, it is still a challenge to study transient behaviors in a computationally efficient manner. In this work, we present a mesh-free approach to investigate transient behaviors in fractured media with complex fracture networks. Contributions of properties and geometries of fracture networks to the transient behaviors were systematically analyzed. The major findings are noted: There are approximately eight transient behaviors in fractured porous media with complex fracture networks. Each behavior has its own special features, which can be used to estimate the fluid front and quantify fracture properties. Geometries of fracture networks have important impacts on the occurrence and the duration of some transient behaviors, which provide a tool to identify the fracture geometries. The fluid production in the fractured porous media is improved with high-conductivity (denser, larger) and high-complexity fracture networks.