Abstract
Many questions relative to fracture flow characteristics remain under investigated. How big does a fracture need to be? How can fines migration potential be alleviated with a fracture? What is the fracture production contribution versus the radial contribution? How much production is directed through out-of-phase perforations? How close can the fracture be to an aquifer?
A three dimensional radial reservoir model was developed to answer these questions. The model integrates the reservoir, wellbore, formation damage, fracture, and the completion hardware.
Historically, researchers have modeled the fracture as one dimensional. By modeling the fracture in 2 and 3 dimensions one can visualize the flow patterns around a fractured well. By analyzing these flow patterns, one can better understand the impacts the fracture is having. Results are presented (both vector and contour plots) that highlight the flows within and around the fracture. Conclusions are presented that quantify fracture effectiveness vs. length and comparisons are made to previous work.
