Diagnosing Hydraulic Fracture Geometry, Complexity, and Fracture Wellbore Connectivity Using Chemical Tracer Flowback †
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Model Description
2.1. Fluid Flow and Geomechanics Model
2.2. Fracture Closure Model
2.3. Mathematical Formulation for Tracer Transport
2.4. Tracer Transport Model in the Reservoir Domain
2.5. Tracer Transport Model in the Fracture Domain
2.6. Coupling of Matrix and Fracture Domain Tracer Equations
2.7. Solution Algorithm
2.8. Multiple Tracer Option
3. Tracer Flowback Simulations with Fracture Propagation
3.1. Impact of Fracture Length on Tracer Response Curves
3.2. Impact of Fracture Closure on Tracer Flowback
3.3. Effect of Fracture Complexity
4. Fracture Wellbore Connectivity Using Chemical Tracer Flowback
4.1. Complicated Tracer Response Curves Typically Observed in a Field Tracer Test
4.2. Simulation Model Description
4.3. Multiple Peaks in the Tracer Response Curve Due to the Fracture Closure in a Complex Fracture Network
4.4. Impact of Fracture Closure on the Tracer Recovery from Complex Fractures
4.5. Tracer Recovery vs. Hydrocarbon Production
4.6. Inverse Modeling with Neural Network
- Tracer recovery
- Number of peaks
- First peak concentration
- First peak time
5. Conclusions
- Multiple peaks in the tracer response curves can be explained by the closure of IU fractures during flowback.
- Tracer recovery (%) and the number of peaks can help determine the fraction of the created fracture area that is open and connected to the wellbore.
- Early time peaks correlate with fracture closure occurring near the wellbore. Late time peaks are observed due to tracer flowback from fractures that are connected to the wellbore through IU fractures.
- The area under the early time peak is directly correlated with the fraction of created fracture area that is in good hydraulic communication with the wellbore.
- The area under later peaks is related to the area of the fracture that is only connected to the wellbore through induced unpropped (IU) fractures. The timing of these peaks is related to the conductivity of the IU fractures.
- Low tracer recovery typically observed in the field can be explained by the closure of induced unpropped fractures and low initial water saturation in the reservoir.
- Production from a stage is directly proportional to the tracer recovery from that stage. This can help in comparing the production performance of a fracture stage with respect to overall flow from a multi-fractured well.
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Property | Value |
---|---|
Porosity | 0.1 |
Reservoir Permeability | Varied from 10 nD to 5 µD |
Initial Reservoir Pressure | 40 MPa |
Young’s Modulus | 20 GPa |
Maximum Horizontal Stress (SHmax) | 52 MPa |
Minimum Horizontal Stress (Shmin) | 50 MPa |
Fracturing Fluid Injection Rate | 10−4 m3/sec |
Total Injection Time | 30 Minutes |
Injected Tracer Concentration | 0.01 by volume |
Flowback Pressure | 20 MPa |
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Kumar, A.; Sharma, M.M. Diagnosing Hydraulic Fracture Geometry, Complexity, and Fracture Wellbore Connectivity Using Chemical Tracer Flowback. Energies 2020, 13, 5644. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13215644
Kumar A, Sharma MM. Diagnosing Hydraulic Fracture Geometry, Complexity, and Fracture Wellbore Connectivity Using Chemical Tracer Flowback. Energies. 2020; 13(21):5644. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13215644
Chicago/Turabian StyleKumar, Ashish, and Mukul M. Sharma. 2020. "Diagnosing Hydraulic Fracture Geometry, Complexity, and Fracture Wellbore Connectivity Using Chemical Tracer Flowback" Energies 13, no. 21: 5644. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13215644