Simulating Water Tracer Test in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs Using Discrete Fracture and Dual Porosity Models

Simulating Water Tracer Test in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs Using Discrete Fracture and Dual Porosity Models PDF Author: Farshad Lalehrokh
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Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
A naturally fractured reservoir (NFR) is a reservoir with a connected network of fractures created by natural processes such as diastrophism and volume shrinkage (Ordonez et al. 2001). There are two models to simulate this kind of reservoirs: the discrete fracture model and the dual porosity model. In the dual porosity model, the matrix blocks occupy the same physical space as the fracture network and are identical rectangular parallelepipeds with no direct communication between isotropic and homogeneous matrix blocks. However, each fracture and matrix property is defined separately in the discrete fracture model. Another feature of this thesis is tracer testing. In this process, a chemical or radioactive element is injected to the reservoirs, and then it can be traced using the devices, which are designed to detect the tracers. Tracer tests have several advantages such as determining residual oil saturation, identifying barriers or high permeability zones in reservoirs, and providing the information on flow patterns. Limited number of research studies has been done on performing tracer tests in naturally fractured reservoirs. Also because there is not enough information about the advantages and disadvantages of the discrete fracture and the dual porosity models, researchers and engineers lack the expertise to confidently select either the discrete fracture or the dual porosity models to simulate the different types of NFRs. In this thesis, we compared the oil and water productions, and tracer concentration curves in various reservoir conditions, using both the discrete fracture and the dual porosity models. We used the ECLIPSE, which is a commercial software package in the area of petroleum industry, to model a naturally fractured reservoir. We performed a simple waterflooding with two conservative tracers on the reservoirs. The results presented in each section include the graphs of the oil production rate, water production rate, and tracer concentration. In addition, we presented the oil saturation profiles of a cross-section, which includes the production and injection wells. The results illustrated that both the discrete fracture and the dual porosity models are in good agreement, except for a few special cases. Generally, the oil production using the dual porosity model is more than in the discrete fracture model. The major disadvantage of the dual porosity model is that the fluid distribution in the matrix blocks is changing homogenously during the waterflooding period. In other words, ECLIPSE shows a constant value of the oil and water saturations in each time step for the matrix blocks. However, the dual porosity model is 3 to 4 times faster than the discrete fracture model. In the discrete fracture model, the users have complete control in defining the reservoirs. For example, the fracture aperture, fracture spacing, and fracture porosities can be set by the user. The disadvantage of this model is that millions of grid blocks are needed to model a large reservoir with small fracture spacing.

Simulating Water Tracer Test in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs Using Discrete Fracture and Dual Porosity Models

Simulating Water Tracer Test in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs Using Discrete Fracture and Dual Porosity Models PDF Author: Farshad Lalehrokh
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
A naturally fractured reservoir (NFR) is a reservoir with a connected network of fractures created by natural processes such as diastrophism and volume shrinkage (Ordonez et al. 2001). There are two models to simulate this kind of reservoirs: the discrete fracture model and the dual porosity model. In the dual porosity model, the matrix blocks occupy the same physical space as the fracture network and are identical rectangular parallelepipeds with no direct communication between isotropic and homogeneous matrix blocks. However, each fracture and matrix property is defined separately in the discrete fracture model. Another feature of this thesis is tracer testing. In this process, a chemical or radioactive element is injected to the reservoirs, and then it can be traced using the devices, which are designed to detect the tracers. Tracer tests have several advantages such as determining residual oil saturation, identifying barriers or high permeability zones in reservoirs, and providing the information on flow patterns. Limited number of research studies has been done on performing tracer tests in naturally fractured reservoirs. Also because there is not enough information about the advantages and disadvantages of the discrete fracture and the dual porosity models, researchers and engineers lack the expertise to confidently select either the discrete fracture or the dual porosity models to simulate the different types of NFRs. In this thesis, we compared the oil and water productions, and tracer concentration curves in various reservoir conditions, using both the discrete fracture and the dual porosity models. We used the ECLIPSE, which is a commercial software package in the area of petroleum industry, to model a naturally fractured reservoir. We performed a simple waterflooding with two conservative tracers on the reservoirs. The results presented in each section include the graphs of the oil production rate, water production rate, and tracer concentration. In addition, we presented the oil saturation profiles of a cross-section, which includes the production and injection wells. The results illustrated that both the discrete fracture and the dual porosity models are in good agreement, except for a few special cases. Generally, the oil production using the dual porosity model is more than in the discrete fracture model. The major disadvantage of the dual porosity model is that the fluid distribution in the matrix blocks is changing homogenously during the waterflooding period. In other words, ECLIPSE shows a constant value of the oil and water saturations in each time step for the matrix blocks. However, the dual porosity model is 3 to 4 times faster than the discrete fracture model. In the discrete fracture model, the users have complete control in defining the reservoirs. For example, the fracture aperture, fracture spacing, and fracture porosities can be set by the user. The disadvantage of this model is that millions of grid blocks are needed to model a large reservoir with small fracture spacing.

Interpretation, Analysis and Design of Inter-well Tracer Tests in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

Interpretation, Analysis and Design of Inter-well Tracer Tests in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs PDF Author: Aymen Abduljalil Alramadhan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 311

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Book Description
In order to understand the complex fracture network that controls water movement in Sherrod Area of Spraberry Field in West Texas and to better manage the on-going waterflood performance, a field scale inter-well tracer test was implemented. This test presents the largest inter-well tracer test in naturally fractured reservoirs reported in the industry and includes the injection of 13 different tracers and sampling of 110 producers in an area covering 6533 acres. Sherrod tracer test generated a total of 598 tracer responses from 51 out of the 110 sampled producers. Tracer responses showed a wide range of velocities from 14 ft/day to ultra-high velocities exceeding 10,000 ft/day with same-day tracer breakthrough. Re-injection of produced water has caused the tracers to be re-injected and added an additional challenge to diagnose and distinguish tracer responses affected by water recycling. Historical performance of the field showed simultaneous water breakthrough of a large number of wells covering entire Sherrod area. This research investigate analytical, numerical, and inversion modeling approaches in order to categorize, history match, and connect tracer responses with water-cut responses with the objective to construct multiple fracture realizations based entirely on water-cut and tracers' profiles. In addition, the research highlight best practices in the design of inter-well tracer tests in naturally fractured reservoirs through lessons learned from Sherrod Area. The large number of tracer responses from Sherrod case presents a case of naturally fractured reservoir characterization entirely based on dynamic data. Results indicates that tracer responses could be categorized based on statistical analysis of tracer recoveries of all pairs of injectors and producers with each category showing distinguishing behavior in tracers' movement and breakthrough time. In addition, it showed that tracer and water-cut responses in the field are dominantly controlled by the fracture system revealing minimum information about the matrix system. Numerical simulation studies showed limitation in dual porosity formulation/solvers to model tracer velocities exceeding 2200 ft/day. Inversion modeling using Gradzone Analysis showed that east and north-west of Sherrod have significantly lower pore volume compared to south-west. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible from http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/151192

Fractured Vuggy Carbonate Reservoir Simulation

Fractured Vuggy Carbonate Reservoir Simulation PDF Author: Jun Yao
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3662550326
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 253

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Book Description
This book solves the open problems in fluid flow modeling through the fractured vuggy carbonate reservoirs. Fractured vuggy carbonate reservoirs usually have complex pore structures, which contain not only matrix and fractures but also the vugs and cavities. Since the vugs and cavities are irregular in shape and vary in diameter from millimeters to meters, modeling fluid flow through fractured vuggy porous media is still a challenge. The existing modeling theory and methods are not suitable for such reservoir. It starts from the concept of discrete fracture and fracture-vug networks model, and then develops the corresponding mathematical models and numerical methods, including discrete fracture model, discrete fracture-vug model, hybrid model and multiscale models. Based on these discrete porous media models, some equivalent medium models and methods are also discussed. All the modeling and methods shared in this book offer the key recent solutions into this area.

Embedded Discrete Fracture Modeling and Application in Reservoir Simulation

Embedded Discrete Fracture Modeling and Application in Reservoir Simulation PDF Author: Kamy Sepehrnoori
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0128196882
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 306

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Book Description
The development of naturally fractured reservoirs, especially shale gas and tight oil reservoirs, exploded in recent years due to advanced drilling and fracturing techniques. However, complex fracture geometries such as irregular fracture networks and non-planar fractures are often generated, especially in the presence of natural fractures. Accurate modelling of production from reservoirs with such geometries is challenging. Therefore, Embedded Discrete Fracture Modeling and Application in Reservoir Simulation demonstrates how production from reservoirs with complex fracture geometries can be modelled efficiently and effectively. This volume presents a conventional numerical model to handle simple and complex fractures using local grid refinement (LGR) and unstructured gridding. Moreover, it introduces an Embedded Discrete Fracture Model (EDFM) to efficiently deal with complex fractures by dividing the fractures into segments using matrix cell boundaries and creating non-neighboring connections (NNCs). A basic EDFM approach using Cartesian grids and advanced EDFM approach using Corner point and unstructured grids will be covered. Embedded Discrete Fracture Modeling and Application in Reservoir Simulation is an essential reference for anyone interested in performing reservoir simulation of conventional and unconventional fractured reservoirs. - Highlights the current state-of-the-art in reservoir simulation of unconventional reservoirs - Offers understanding of the impacts of key reservoir properties and complex fractures on well performance - Provides case studies to show how to use the EDFM method for different needs

Simulation of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs Using Empirical Transfer Function

Simulation of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs Using Empirical Transfer Function PDF Author: Prasanna Kumar Tellapaneni
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
This research utilizes the imbibition experiments and X-ray tomography results for modeling fluid flow in naturally fractured reservoirs. Conventional dual porosity simulation requires large number of runs to quantify transfer function parameters for history matching purposes. In this study empirical transfer functions (ETF) are derived from imbibition experiments and this allows reduction in the uncertainness in modeling of transfer of fluids from the matrix to the fracture. The application of the ETF approach is applied in two phases. In the first phase, imbibition experiments are numerically solved using the diffusivity equation with different boundary conditions. Usually only the oil recovery in imbibition experiments is matched. But with the advent of X-ray CT, the spatial variation of the saturation can also be computed. The matching of this variation can lead to accurate reservoir characterization. In the second phase, the imbibition derived empirical transfer functions are used in developing a dual porosity reservoir simulator. The results from this study are compared with published results. The study reveals the impact of uncertainty in the transfer function parameters on the flow performance and reduces the computations to obtain transfer function required for dual porosity simulation.

The Imbibition Process of Waterflooding in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

The Imbibition Process of Waterflooding in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs PDF Author: Christian A Huapaya López
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
This thesis presents procedures to properly simulate naturally fractured reservoirs using dual-porosity models. The main objectives of this work are to: (1) determine if the spontaneous imbibition can be simulated using a two phase CMG simulator and validate it with laboratory experiments in the literature; (2) study the effect of countercurrent imbibition in field scale applications; and (3) develop procedures for using the dual-porosity to simulate fluid displacement in a naturally fractured reservoir. Reservoir simulation techniques, analytical solutions and numerical simulation for a two phase single and dual-porosity are used to achieve our objectives. Analysis of a single matrix block with an injector and a producer well connected by a single fracture is analyzed and compared with both two phase single and dual-porosity models. Procedures for obtaining reliable results when modeling a naturally fractured reservoir with a two phase dual-porosity model are presented and analyzed.

Flow and Contaminant Transport in Fractured Rock

Flow and Contaminant Transport in Fractured Rock PDF Author: Jacob Bear
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0080916473
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 575

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Book Description
In the past two or three decades, fractured rock domains have received increasing attention not only in reservoir engineering and hydrology, but also in connection with geological isolation of radioactive waste. Locations in both the saturated and unsaturated zones have been under consideration because such repositories are sources of heat and potential sources of groundwater contamination. Thus, in addition to the transport of mass of fluid phases in single and multiphase flow, the issues of heat transport and mass transport of components have to be addressed.

Development of an Efficient Embedded Discrete Fracture Model for 3D Compositional Reservoir Simulation in Fractured Reservoirs

Development of an Efficient Embedded Discrete Fracture Model for 3D Compositional Reservoir Simulation in Fractured Reservoirs PDF Author: Ali Moinfar
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Naturally fractured reservoirs (NFRs) hold a significant amount of the world's hydrocarbon reserves. Compared to conventional reservoirs, NFRs exhibit a higher degree of heterogeneity and complexity created by fractures. The importance of fractures in production of oil and gas is not limited to naturally fractured reservoirs. The economic exploitation of unconventional reservoirs, which is increasingly a major source of short- and long-term energy in the United States, hinges in part on effective stimulation of low-permeability rock through multi-stage hydraulic fracturing of horizontal wells. Accurate modeling and simulation of fractured media is still challenging owing to permeability anisotropies and contrasts. Non-physical abstractions inherent in conventional dual porosity and dual permeability models make these methods inadequate for solving different fluid-flow problems in fractured reservoirs. Also, recent approaches for discrete fracture modeling may require large computational times and hence the oil industry has not widely used such approaches, even though they give more accurate representations of fractured reservoirs than dual continuum models. We developed an embedded discrete fracture model (EDFM) for an in-house fully-implicit compositional reservoir simulator. EDFM borrows the dual-medium concept from conventional dual continuum models and also incorporates the effect of each fracture explicitly. In contrast to dual continuum models, fractures have arbitrary orientations and can be oblique or vertical, honoring the complexity and heterogeneity of a typical fractured reservoir. EDFM employs a structured grid to remediate challenges associated with unstructured gridding required for other discrete fracture models. Also, the EDFM approach can be easily incorporated in existing finite difference reservoir simulators. The accuracy of the EDFM approach was confirmed by comparing the results with analytical solutions and fine-grid, explicit-fracture simulations. Comparison of our results using the EDFM approach with fine-grid simulations showed that accurate results can be achieved using moderate grid refinements. This was further verified in a mesh sensitivity study that the EDFM approach with moderate grid refinement can obtain a converged solution. Hence, EDFM offers a computationally-efficient approach for simulating fluid flow in NFRs. Furthermore, several case studies presented in this study demonstrate the applicability, robustness, and efficiency of the EDFM approach for modeling fluid flow in fractured porous media. Another advantage of EDFM is its extensibility for various applications by incorporating different physics in the model. In order to examine the effect of pressure-dependent fracture properties on production, we incorporated the dynamic behavior of fractures into EDFM by employing empirical fracture deformation models. Our simulations showed that fracture deformation, caused by effective stress changes, substantially affects pressure depletion and hydrocarbon recovery. Based on the examples presented in this study, implementation of fracture geomechanical effects in EDFM did not degrade the computational performance of EDFM. Many unconventional reservoirs comprise well-developed natural fracture networks with multiple orientations and complex hydraulic fracture patterns suggested by microseismic data. We developed a coupled dual continuum and discrete fracture model to efficiently simulate production from these reservoirs. Large-scale hydraulic fractures were modeled explicitly using the EDFM approach and numerous small-scale natural fractures were modeled using a dual continuum approach. The transport parameters for dual continuum modeling of numerous natural fractures were derived by upscaling the EDFM equations. Comparison of the results using the coupled model with that of using the EDFM approach to represent all natural and hydraulic fractures explicitly showed that reasonably accurate results can be obtained at much lower computational cost by using the coupled approach with moderate grid refinements.

An Integrated Approach to Characterizing Bypassed Oil in Heterogeneous and Fractured Reservoirs Using Partitioning Tracers

An Integrated Approach to Characterizing Bypassed Oil in Heterogeneous and Fractured Reservoirs Using Partitioning Tracers PDF Author: Akhil Datta-Gupta
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
We explore the use of efficient streamline-based simulation approaches for modeling and analysis partitioning interwell tracer tests in heterogeneous and fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs. We compare the streamline-based history matching techniques developed during the first two years of the project with the industry standard assisted history matching. We enhance the widely used assisted history matching in two important aspects that can significantly improve its efficiency and effectiveness. First, we utilize streamline-derived analytic sensitivities to relate the changes in reservoir properties to the production response. These sensitivities can be computed analytically and contain much more information than that used in the assisted history matching. Second, we utilize the sensitivities in an optimization procedure to determine the spatial distribution and magnitude of the changes in reservoir parameters needed to improve the history-match. By intervening at each iteration during the optimization process, we can retain control over the history matching process as in assisted history matching. This allows us to accept, reject, or modify changes during the automatic history matching process. We demonstrate the power of our method using two field examples with model sizes ranging from 10{sup 5} to 10{sup 6} grid blocks and with over one hundred wells. We have also extended the streamline-based production data integration technique to naturally fractured reservoirs using the dual porosity approach. The principal features of our method are the extension of streamline-derived analytic sensitivities to account for matrix-fracture interactions and the use of our previously proposed generalized travel time inversion for history matching. Our proposed workflow has been demonstrated by using both a dual porosity streamline simulator and a commercial finite difference simulator. Our approach is computationally efficient and well suited for large scale field applications in naturally fractured reservoirs with changing field conditions. This considerably broadens the applicability of the streamline-based analysis of tracer data and field production history for characterization of heterogeneous and fractured reservoirs.

Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

Naturally Fractured Reservoirs PDF Author: Roberto Aguilera
Publisher: PennWell Books
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 730

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Book Description
This book deals exclusively with naturally fractured reservoirs and includes many subjects usually treated in separate volumes. A highly practical edition, Naturally Fractured Reservoirs is written for students, reservoir geologists, log analysts and petroleum engineers.