Naturally Fractured Reservoirs Characterization & Analysis

This five-day course covers reservoir engineering, well testing, and simulation aspects of naturally fractured reservoirs. Specifics include: fracture description, connectivity and network; fracture properties; physical principles underlying reservoir engineering and modeling naturally fractured reservoirs; local and global effects of viscous, capillary, gravity and molecular diffusion flow; dual-porosity/dual-permeability models; multi-scale fracture model; dual-mesh model; streamline model; transient testing with non-Darcy flow effects; tracer injection and breakthrough analysis; geomechanics and fractures; compositional model; coal-bed gas model; oil and gas from fractured shale; improved and enhanced oil recovery in naturally fracture reservoirs.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the delegates will be able to:

• Define what is a fracture reservoir
• Appreciate the economic importance of fractured reservoirs
• Identify and quantify the characterization of fractured reservoirs
• Understand reservoir modeling of fractured reservoirs
• Discover the typical behavior of fractured reservoirs
• Improve the management of fractured reservoirs
• Detect and predict subsurface natural fracture occurrence and intensity from cores and well logs
• Determine fractured rock properties affecting reservoir performance
• Design and analyze pressure transient tests in naturally-fractured reservoirs
• Evaluate reservoir performance in naturally-fractured reservoirs
• Develop and apply numerical simulation models to fluid-flow in naturally-fractured reservoirs
• Apply coupled geomechanics/fluid-flow behavior to reservoir management strategies in naturally fractured reservoirs
• Evaluate the impact of natural fractures on hydraulic fracture stimulation

Who Should Attend?

This course is intended for all engineers and geoscientists interested in a multi-disciplinary approach to evaluating and predicting the overall effect of natural fractures on subsurface fluid-flow and subsequent reservoir performance.

Course Outline

Day 1
Origiins and Characteristics of Fractured Resevoir

• Fracture classification and fracture fill types
• Modes of formation of natural fractures
• Introduction to the stress tensor & Tectonic stresses
• Stresses and rock failure
• Failure envelopes
• Natural fracture system controls
• Regional Fractures
• Joint spacing vs layer thickness
• Tectonic Folds
• Fold related fractures
• Fault related fracturing
• Fault damage zones
• Miscellaneous natural fracture origins

Day 2
Sampling and Analysis of Natural Fractures

• Wellbore sampling
• Fracture detection (fracture density)
• Fracture Aperture
• Fracture distribution
• Fracture orientation
• Fracture sets, types & fill
• Fracture Permeability

Day 3
Geomechanics of Fractured Reservoir

• Maximum horizontal stress (Shmax) orientation
• Vertical stress (Sv)
• Minimum horizontal stress (Shmin) magnitudes
• Maximum horizontal stress (Shmax) magnitudes
• Rock properties
• Failure criteria
• Failure envelopes
• Influence of in-situ stress on fracture permeability

Day 4
Reservoir Modeling of Fractured Reservoirs

• Geocellular reservoir models
• Calculating fracture permeability in a property grid
• Analytical effective fracture permeability tensor
• Fracture matrix interaction
• Percolation theory
• Fracture system connectivity
• Representative elementary volume
• Discrete Fracture Network models

Reservoir Engineering and Dynamic Simulation

• Basic Principles
• Rock Properties
• Well Productivity
• Well testing
• Recovery mechanisms
• Modeling of fractured reservoirs

Day 5

• Influence of mechanical stratigraphy and structure on fracture development
• Detection and prediction of subsurface natural-fracture occurrence and intensity from cores and well logs
• Fractured rock properties affecting reservoir performance
• Classification of naturally-fractured reservoirs with reservoir examples and potential production problems
• Naturally-fractured reservoirs: fluid-flow, well performance and well testing, reservoir performance, numerical simulation
• Geomechanics/fluid-flow
• Behavior and stimulation of naturally-fractured reservoirs
• Effects of natural fractures on reservoir permeability, anisotropy, drainage area, and waterflood sweep efficiency

Course Methodology

A variety of methodologies will be used during the course that includes:

• (30%) Based on Case Studies
• (30%) Techniques
• (30%) Role Play
• (10%) Concepts
• Pre-test and Post-test
• Variety of Learning Methods
• Lectures
• Case Studies and Self Questionaires
• Group Work
• Discussion
• Presentation

Course Fees

This rate includes participant’s manual, Hand-Outs, buffet lunch, coffee/tea on arrival, morning & afternoon of each day.

Course Timings

Daily Course Timings
08:00 - 08:20       Morning Coffee / Tea
08:20 - 10:00       First Session
10:00 - 10:20       Coffee / Tea / Snacks
10:20 - 12:20       Second Session
12:20 - 13:30       Lunch Break & Prayer Break
13:30 - 15:00       Last Session