Abstract
Though there are many proven ways of predicting productivity in hydraulically fractured wells in medium-permeability oil reservoirs, there is still no simple, practical production forecasting methodology for hydraulically propped fracturing stimulations for the gas and gas-condensate wells in the Western Siberian Arctic sector.
The candidate selection process, including production prediction, is at an infant development stage and is additionally hampered by the lack of, or ambiguity in, the reservoir and production data.
This is particularly true for the Yamburgskoe gas condensate field, where the wells are completed in a series of medium- and low-permeability reservoirs. Some wells cannot maintain stable production rates and have either been shut-in or are on intermittent production. Factors may include low reservoir quality, reservoir pressure, and specific production conditions. A reliable methodology for selection of candidate wells for stimulation treatments was clearly needed.
This paper describes the comprehensive methodology derived from integrated analysis of the fracturing treatments performed between 2003 and 2005 in the Yamburgskoe gas- condensate field.
The analysis revealed a series of correlations and elaborated an engineering approach that reduced the assumptions in the estimation of hydraulic fracturing efficiency, particularly for the wells that were completed but were unable to maintain stable production. Although the certainty of the final, stabilized production rate remains a challenge for the production and stimulation engineer, recent production results showed that hydraulic propped fracturing can bring many wells to economical production.
