Abstract
Production from the extremely low permeability reservoirs found in shale gas plays results in very large pressure gradients at and around the sand face. Finite-element modeling technology, in which a large number of closely-spaced nodes are placed near hydraulic fractures, is the best approach for replicating the reservoir and completion complexity required to model horizontal shale gas wells. The primary objective of this work is to demonstrate how the performance of three Haynesville Shale gas wells were modeled using this technology. Each of these three wells exhibits the large early production decline typically observed in the Haynesville. Case histories for these wells show how the finite-element software can be used to simulate the mechanisms thought to contribute to the observed production decline. The workflow used to model performance demonstrates how petrophysical, stimulation, and flow modeling are utilized to understand the key reservoir and completion mechanisms that affect production behavior of shale gas wells.
