Applied Concepts In Fractured Reservoirs

A much-needed, precise and practical treatment of a key topic in the energy industry and beyond, Applied Concepts in Fractured Reservoirs is an invaluable reference for those in both industry and academia Authored by renowned experts in the field, this book covers the understanding, evaluation, and effects of fractures in reservoirs. It offers a comprehensive yet practical discussion and description of natural fractures, their origins, characteristics, and effects on hydrocarbon reservoirs. It starts by introducing the reader to basic definitions and classifications of fractures and fractured reservoirs. It then provides an outline for fractured-reservoir characterization and analysis, and goes on to introduce the way fractures impact operational activities. Well organized and clearly illustrated throughout, Applied Concepts in Fractured Reservoirs starts with a section on understanding natural fractures. It looks at the different types, their dimensions, and the mechanics of fracturing rock in extension and shear. The next section provides information on measuring and analyzing fractures in reservoirs. It covers: logging core for fractures; taking, measuring, and analyzing fracture data; new core vs. archived core; CT scans; comparing fracture data from outcrops, core, and logs; and more. The last part examines the effects of natural fractures on reservoirs, including: the permeability behavior of individual fractures and fracture systems; fracture volumetrics; effects of fractures on drilling and coring; and the interaction between natural and hydraulic fractures. Teaches readers to understand and evaluate fractures Compiles and synthesizes various concepts and descriptions scattered in literature and synthesizes them with unpublished oil-field observations and data, along with the authors’ own experience Bridges some of the gaps between reservoir engineers and geologists Provides an invaluable reference for geologists and engineers who need to understand naturally fractured reservoirs in order to efficiently extract hydrocarbons Illustrated in full color throughout Companion volume to the Atlas of Natural and Induced Fractures in Core

Naturally fractured reservoirs constitute a substantial percentage of remaining hydrocarbon resources; they create exploration targets in otherwise impermeable rocks, including under-explored crystalline basement; and they can be used as geological stores for anthropogenic carbon dioxide. Their complex behaviour during production has traditionally proved difficult to predict, causing a large degree of uncertainty in reservoir development. The applied study of naturally fractured reservoirs seeks to constrain this uncertainty by developing new understanding, and is necessarily a broad, integrated, interdisciplinary topic. This book addresses some of the challenges and advances in knowledge, approaches, concepts, and methods used to characterize the interplay of rock matrix and fracture networks, relevant to fluid flow and hydrocarbon recovery. Topics include: describing, characterizing and identifying controls on fracture networks from outcrops, cores, geophysical data, digital and numerical models; geomechanical influences on reservoir behaviour; numerical modelling and simulation of fluid flow; and case studies of the exploration and development of carbonate, siliciclastic and metamorphic naturally fractured reservoirs.

Naturally fractured reservoirs present unique and specialized challenges to hydrocarbon extraction. This book seeks to confront many of these challenges by providing an introduction to the engineering and geological character of naturally fractured reservoirs. The focus is on understanding fractures in a reservoir - how to determine whether fractures are important to hydrocarbon producibility, and if so, how to analyze the fracture system for the purpose of improved reservoir management.

The main purpose of this book is to provide the reader with a basic understanding of the behaviour of fractured reservoirs, using evaluation techniques based on processing pressure and flow-rate data resulting from production testing. It covers the fundamental reservoir engineering principles involved in the analysis of fluid flow through fractured reservoirs, the application of existing models to field cases, and the evaluation and description of reservoirs, based on processed data from pressure and production tests. The author also discusses production decline analysis, the understanding of which is a key factor influencing completion or abandonment of a well or even a field. The theoretical concepts are presented as clearly and simply as possible in order to aid comprehension. The book is thus suitable for training and educational purposes, and will help the reader who is unfamiliar with the subject acquire the necessary skills for successful interpretation and analysis of field data. One of the most important features of the book is that it fills the gap between field operations and research, in regard to proper management of reservoirs. The book also contains a computer program (FORTRAN language) which can be incorporated in existing software designed for reservoir evaluation; type curves generation, test design and interpretation, can be achieved by using this program. Petroleum engineers, reservoir engineers, petroleum geologists, research engineers and students in these fields, will be interested in this book as a reference source. It can also be used as a text book for training production and reservoir engineering professionals. It should be available in university and oil company libraries.

Multiphase Fluid Flow in Porous and Fractured Reservoirs discusses the process of modeling fluid flow in petroleum and natural gas reservoirs, a practice that has become increasingly complex thanks to multiple fractures in horizontal drilling and the discovery of more unconventional reservoirs and resources. The book updates the reservoir engineer of today with the latest developments in reservoir simulation by combining a powerhouse of theory, analytical, and numerical methods to create stronger verification and validation modeling methods, ultimately improving recovery in stagnant and complex reservoirs. Going beyond the standard topics in past literature, coverage includes well treatment, Non-Newtonian fluids and rheological models, multiphase fluid coupled with geomechanics in reservoirs, and modeling applications for unconventional petroleum resources. The book equips today’s reservoir engineer and modeler with the most relevant tools and knowledge to establish and solidify stronger oil and gas recovery. Delivers updates on recent developments in reservoir simulation such as modeling approaches for multiphase flow simulation of fractured media and unconventional reservoirs Explains analytical solutions and approaches as well as applications to modeling verification for today’s reservoir problems, such as evaluating saturation and pressure profiles and recovery factors or displacement efficiency Utilize practical codes and programs featured from online companion website

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.

Simulate reservoirs effectively to extract the maximum oil, gas and profit, with this book and free simlation software on companion web site.

During the last three decades, seismic anisotropy has evolved from a purely academic research topic into applications in the mainstream of applied geophysics. Today, nobody doubts that the earth is anisotropic and most (if not all) hydrocarbon reservoirs are anisotropic. Since shale accounts for 70% of sedimentary basins and fractures exist in all reservoirs, seismic anisotropy may be even more extensive than we think. Taking anisotropy into account in seismic processing has improved the quality of seismic images, even though it makes seismic processing more challenging since additional parameters are needed. At the same time, fracture characterization using the concept of seismic anisotropy has added value in reservoir characterization, reservoir management, and has increased recovery and optimized well locations. This book and the associated course provide an introduction to the fundamental concepts of seismic fracture characterization by introducing seismic anisotropy, equivalent-medium representation theories of fractured rock and methodologies for extracting fracture parameters from seismic data. We focus on practical applications using extensive field data examples. Includes cast studies demonstrating the applicability, workflow and limitations of this technology Contains physical laboratory 3D experiments where fracture distributions are known, a Middle East fractured carbonate reservoir and a fractured tight gas reservoir. Builds discrete fracture network models incorporating all data. These models should not only be geologically consistent but also geophysically and geomechanically consistent, so that the models can be used to forecast the behaviour and performance of fractured reservoirs.