A New Explicit Sequentially Coupled Technique for Chemo-Thermo-Poromechanical Modelling and Simulation in Shale Formations

Abstract

A new explicit sequentially coupled technique for chemo-thermo-poromechanical problems in shale formations is developed. Simultaneously solving the flow and geomechanics equations in a single step is computationally expensive with consequent limitations on the computations involving well or reservoir-scale geometries. The newly developed solution sequence involves solving the temperature field within the porous system. This is followed by the computation of the chemical activity constrained by the previously computed temperature field. The pore pressure is then computed by coupling the pore thermal and chemical effects but without consideration of the volumetric strains. The geomechanical effect of the volumetric strain, stress tensors, and associated displacement vectors on the pore fluid is subsequently computed explicitly in a single-step post-processing operation. By increasing the borehole pressure to 20 MPa, it is observed that the rock displacement and velocities concurrently increase by 50%. However, increasing the wellbore temperature and chemical activities shows only a slight effect on the rock and pore fluid. In the chemo-thermo-poroelasticity steady-state simulation, the maximum displacements recorded in the Hmin and Hmax are 0.00633 m and 0.0035 m, respectively, for 2D and 0.21 for the 3D simulation. In the transient simulation, the displacement values are observed to increase gradually over time with a corresponding decrease in the maximum pore-fluid velocity. A comparison of this work and the partial two-way coupling scheme in a commercial simulator for the 2D test cases was carried out. The maximum differences between the computed temperatures, displacement values, and fluid velocities are 0.33%, 0.7%, and 0%, respectively. The analysed results, therefore, indicate that this technique is comparatively accurate and more computationally efficient than running a full or partial two-way coupling scheme.