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dc.contributor.advisorOzkan, E.
dc.contributor.authorGreenwood, Judson T.
dc.date.accessioned2007-01-03T06:42:09Z
dc.date.accessioned2022-02-03T12:52:38Z
dc.date.available2007-01-03T06:42:09Z
dc.date.available2022-02-03T12:52:38Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.identifierT 7727
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11124/17084
dc.description2015 Spring.
dc.descriptionIncludes illustrations (some color), color maps.
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (pages 66-67).
dc.description.abstractThis research presents a heuristic approach to develop an analytical model to study the effects of a stimulated zone in a fractured unconventional reservoir and the inherent boundaries that are observed. To simulate a stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) around the fractured horizontal well surrounded by a virgin outer reservoir, three separate solutions are generated and superimposed: Solution 1 - a multiply fractured, horizontal-well in an infinite-acting, homogeneous reservoir with the properties of the outer zone; Solution 2 - a multiply fractured, horizontal-well in a bounded, homogeneous (un-fractured) reservoir with the properties of the outer reservoir; and Solution 3 - a multiply fractured, horizontal-well in a bounded, naturally fractured reservoir with the properties of the stimulated zone. The solution for the composite reservoir consisting of a stimulated (naturally fractured) reservoir surrounded by an infinite acting, un-fractured (virgin) reservoir is obtained by subtracting Solution 2 from Solution 1 and then adding Solution 3. The same approach is also applied to develop a solution for the case where there is an additional transition zone between the SRV and the outer (virgin) reservoir. This method creates an approximate solution for the composite-reservoir system. Although the model is derived analytically, computations require numerical methods and the model is therefore referred to as semi-analytical. The model is verified against literature models and an industry numerical simulator to find its limitations. This verification shows that the accuracy of the model is dependent on the size of the stimulated zone. For a large stimulated zone, because the flux profiles along the boundaries of the fractured (Solution 3) and un-fractured (Solution 2) reservoirs are not equal, the model over-predicts the drawdown pressure. However in real-world examples of multiply fractured horizontal wells, the stimulated zone is much smaller and the model closely matches the drawdown pressures calculated in the numerical simulator. Therefore, the heuristic approach used in this work leads to an ad-hoc solution for the common configurations of fractured horizontal wells in shale reservoirs. Several synthetic examples are considered to show that the solution developed in this work can be used to identify the flow regimes after the effect of the stimulated reservoir boundary (that is, the fracture tip effects) are felt. This is an advantage over the commonly used trilinear model when the diffusivities of the stimulated and virgin reservoirs are comparable. Although not explored in this research, the ultimate utility of the proposed approach is in modeling multiple fractured-horizontal-wells to study the interference among SRVs. The fracture enhancement and extent influence the productivity of the well more than any other parameter and should be of utmost importance to characterize. And last, this model can be used with other tools to identify optimal full field development.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library
dc.relation.ispartof2015 - Mines Theses & Dissertations
dc.rightsCopyright of the original work is retained by the author.
dc.subjectshale
dc.subjectboundaries
dc.subjectanalytical modeling
dc.subjectreservoir engineering
dc.subjectfractured
dc.subjectunconventional
dc.subject.lcshShale gas
dc.subject.lcshHorizontal gas well drilling
dc.subject.lcshPorosity
dc.subject.lcshMathematical models
dc.subject.lcshNatural gas
dc.titleAnalytical investigation of boundaries in naturally fractured unconventional reservoirs, An
dc.typeText
dc.contributor.committeememberMiskimins, Jennifer L.
dc.contributor.committeememberTutuncu, Azra
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.disciplinePetroleum Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorColorado School of Mines


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