Print Email Facebook Twitter Numerical modeling of well performance in shale gas reservoirs: The impact of fracture spacing on production of adsorbed gas Title Numerical modeling of well performance in shale gas reservoirs: The impact of fracture spacing on production of adsorbed gas Author Kalantarli, A.E. Contributor Zitha, P.L.J. (mentor) Pater, C.J. (mentor) Faculty Civil Engineering and Geosciences Department Applied Earth Sciences Programme Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences Date 2011-09-26 Abstract Shale gas became an important source of natural gas in the United States and is expected to contribute significantly to worldwide energy supply. This has been the main motivation for the research and development on shale gas. Shale gas is found in extremely low permeable organic rich formations that are either a source rock or a reservoir. Such formations are porous and contain gas, but have almost no matrix permeability. Shale gas reservoirs from different places have significant differences in structural environment, mineralogical composition, in depth of deposition and in the thickness of the productive layer. Besides, each of the shale gas properties vary substantially within the same producing area. The variability of shale gas properties greatly influences the well performance that should be taken into account for optimizing gas production. The focus of this thesis is to investigate the main factors influencing well performance in shale gas reservoirs: the complexity and conductivity of the fracture network, the proppant distribution within the complex fracture network, the impact of closure stress on un-propped and partially propped fracture conductivity, and finally the factor which is intrinsic to shale gas reservoirs -adsorbed gas. Based on a literature survey, the most important factors prioritized and numerical simulation models constructed for further investigation of prioritized factors. The main challenge in development of shale reservoirs is that in order to reach economically viable production it is indispensible to implement stimulation treatment, such as artificial hydraulic fractures to connect the natural fractures within the shale rock and to create pathway for gas to flow into the wellbore. Shale gas reservoirs are typically comprised of two distinct porous media: the shale matrix containing the majority of gas storage in the formation but with a very low permeability, and the fracture network with a higher permeability but low storage capacity. The gas in the fractures is produced immediately, the adsorbed gas is released as the formation pressure is drawn down by the well. The aim of this thesis work is to conduct theoretical research of the influence of above mentioned factors on well productivity, to prioritize the most crucial factors, and then numerically model them for two different real cases from shale gas reservoirs of North America, in order to investigate the effect of specific parameters on well performance, with the further prospective to model European shale gas reservoirs, as found in the Vienna basin, Northern Germany, Poland, Southern Sweden , the UK, Brabant, Netherlands. Subject Shale gas To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:34070bbc-33da-43b5-894d-c554410d2c5c Part of collection Student theses Document type master thesis Rights (c) 2011 Kalantarli, A.E. Files PDF Report_MScThesis_A.Kalant ... cember.pdf 3.5 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:34070bbc-33da-43b5-894d-c554410d2c5c/datastream/OBJ/view