Calibration of Complex Discrete Fracture Network Using Microseismic Events and Fracture Propagation Modelling with Seamless Reservoir Production Simulation

Abstract

Abstract During the unconventional reservoir development, a proper modelling of the underground fracture networks and their effects on production is crucial for reservoir development potential and realistic economic analysis. Conventionally, the complex fracture system formed by hydraulic and natural fractures is extremely difficult to capture, let alone to numerically simulate it. Most importantly, the current best solution can only rely on the knowledge of the natural fractures from the geology and geophysics team and hydraulic fractures from the engineering team. Nevertheless, this solution fails to realize the dynamic stress regime variations when fracturing jobs are done within the horizontal wellbore. In this study, a variety of data source and modelling tools is harnessed to delineate a more realistic and representative discrete fracture network (DFN). The first step is to obtain the original natural fractures already depicted from geological and geophysical information and the statistical information regarding the spatial configurations of this DFN. Next, a new set of natural fractures is generated by an in-house natural fracture generator while preserving the spatial characteristics of the original natural fractures at the same time. Then, a combined DFN of the original natural fracture and newly generated natural fractures is accomplished. This combined DFN is then intensity-calibrated by the given microseismic cloud events, especially focusing on the near-wellbore region. Then, a displacement discontinuity method- (DDM-) based in-house hydraulic fracture propagation model is used to generate hydraulic fractures with complex boundaries, honoring the fracturing job logistics from the engineering team. After this step, an ultimate and highly representative DFN can be achieved. By applying this very novel workflow, DFN characterizations of both a single-well scenario and well-pad (3 wells) scenarios have been highly successful. Statistics such as the cluster-wise hydraulic fracture half-length, height, aperture, and numbers of activated/nonactivated natural fractures can be easily presented. Through the powerful numerical method called the embedded discrete fracture model (EDFM), production simulation and stimulated reservoir volume evaluation can be seamlessly studied. Extents of 3D drainage volumes can also be plotted with ease. Overall, a holistic picture regarding the unconventional reservoir’s underground DFN can be reliably depicted, using the proposed workflow.