Spontaneous imbibition behavior in porous media with various hydraulic fracture propagations: A pore-scale perspective

IF 9 1区地球科学 Q1 ENERGY & FUELS

Advances in Geo-Energy Research Pub Date : 2023-09-20 DOI:10.46690/ager.2023.09.06

Yan Zhou, Wei Guan, Changming Zhao, Xiaojing Zou, Zhennan He, Hongyang Zhao

{"title":"Spontaneous imbibition behavior in porous media with various hydraulic fracture propagations: A pore-scale perspective","authors":"Yan Zhou, Wei Guan, Changming Zhao, Xiaojing Zou, Zhennan He, Hongyang Zhao","doi":"10.46690/ager.2023.09.06","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Hydraulic fracturing technology can improve the geologic structure of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, yielding a complex fracture network resulting from the synergistic action of hydraulic and natural fractures. However, the impact of spontaneous imbibition associated with hydraulic fracture propagation on the reservoir matrix remains poorly understood. In this study, combining the Cahn-Hilliard phase field method with the Navier-Stokes equations, pore-scale modeling was employed to capture the evolution of the oil-water interface during dynamic spontaneous imbibition for hydraulic fracture propagation in a two-end open mode. This pore-scale modeling approach can effectively circumvent the challenges of conducting spontaneous imbibition experiments on specimens partitioned by hydraulic fractures. A direct correlation was established between the pressure difference curve and the morphology of discharged oil phase in the primary hydraulic fracture, providing valuable insights into the distribution of oil phase in spontaneous imbibition. Furthermore, it was shown that secondary hydraulic fracture propagation expands the longitudinal swept area and enhances the utilization of natural fractures in the transverse swept area during spontaneous imbibition. When secondary hydraulic fracture propagation results in the interconnection of upper and lower primary hydraulic fractures, competitive imbibition occurs in the matrix, leading to reduced oil recovery compared to the unconnected models. Our results shed light upon the spontaneous imbibition mechanism in porous media with hydraulic fracture propagation, contributing to the refinement and application of hydraulic fracturing techniques. Document Type: Original article Cited as: Zhou, Y., Guan, W., Zhao, C., Zou, X., He, Z., Zhao, H. Spontaneous imbibition behavior in porous media with various hydraulic fracture propagations: A pore-scale perspective. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2023, 9(3): 185-197. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2023.09.06","PeriodicalId":36335,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Geo-Energy Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":9.0000,"publicationDate":"2023-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Advances in Geo-Energy Research","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2023.09.06","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENERGY & FUELS","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 1

Abstract

Hydraulic fracturing technology can improve the geologic structure of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, yielding a complex fracture network resulting from the synergistic action of hydraulic and natural fractures. However, the impact of spontaneous imbibition associated with hydraulic fracture propagation on the reservoir matrix remains poorly understood. In this study, combining the Cahn-Hilliard phase field method with the Navier-Stokes equations, pore-scale modeling was employed to capture the evolution of the oil-water interface during dynamic spontaneous imbibition for hydraulic fracture propagation in a two-end open mode. This pore-scale modeling approach can effectively circumvent the challenges of conducting spontaneous imbibition experiments on specimens partitioned by hydraulic fractures. A direct correlation was established between the pressure difference curve and the morphology of discharged oil phase in the primary hydraulic fracture, providing valuable insights into the distribution of oil phase in spontaneous imbibition. Furthermore, it was shown that secondary hydraulic fracture propagation expands the longitudinal swept area and enhances the utilization of natural fractures in the transverse swept area during spontaneous imbibition. When secondary hydraulic fracture propagation results in the interconnection of upper and lower primary hydraulic fractures, competitive imbibition occurs in the matrix, leading to reduced oil recovery compared to the unconnected models. Our results shed light upon the spontaneous imbibition mechanism in porous media with hydraulic fracture propagation, contributing to the refinement and application of hydraulic fracturing techniques. Document Type: Original article Cited as: Zhou, Y., Guan, W., Zhao, C., Zou, X., He, Z., Zhao, H. Spontaneous imbibition behavior in porous media with various hydraulic fracture propagations: A pore-scale perspective. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2023, 9(3): 185-197. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2023.09.06

查看原文本刊更多论文

具有不同水力裂缝扩展的多孔介质中的自发渗吸行为:孔隙尺度视角

水力压裂技术可以改善非常规油气藏的地质构造，形成水力裂缝与天然裂缝协同作用的复杂裂缝网络。然而，与水力裂缝扩展相关的自发渗吸对储层基质的影响仍然知之甚少。本研究将Cahn-Hilliard相场法与Navier-Stokes方程相结合，采用孔隙尺度模型，捕捉水力裂缝动态自吸扩展过程中油水界面的演化过程。这种孔隙尺度模拟方法可以有效地规避水力裂缝分割试样进行自吸实验的挑战。在初次水力裂缝中，压差曲线与排出的油相形态之间建立了直接的相关性，为研究自吸过程中油相的分布提供了有价值的见解。此外，在自吸过程中，次生水力裂缝扩展扩大了纵向扫掠面积，提高了横向扫掠区域天然裂缝的利用率。当二次水力裂缝扩展导致上下一级水力裂缝相互连接时，基质中会发生竞争性渗吸，导致采收率低于未连接模型。研究结果揭示了水力裂缝扩展过程中多孔介质的自吸机理，有助于水力压裂技术的改进和应用。文献类型:引用自:周勇，关伟，赵超，邹新，何忠，赵宏，孔隙尺度下不同水力裂缝扩展条件下多孔介质的自吸行为。地球能源研究进展，2023,9(3):185-197。https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2023.09.06

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Advances in Geo-Energy Research natural geo-energy (oil, gas, coal geothermal, and gas hydrate)-Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology

CiteScore

12.30

自引率

8.50%

发文量

审稿时长

2~3 weeks

期刊介绍： Advances in Geo-Energy Research is an interdisciplinary and international periodical committed to fostering interaction and multidisciplinary collaboration among scientific communities worldwide, spanning both industry and academia. Our journal serves as a platform for researchers actively engaged in the diverse fields of geo-energy systems, providing an academic medium for the exchange of knowledge and ideas. Join us in advancing the frontiers of geo-energy research through collaboration and shared expertise.