SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering
Volume 13, Number 3, June 2010, pp. 523-537

Summary

We have analyzed the production performance of a constant-pressure well in a naturally fractured reservoir made up of orthogonal matrix blocks. The fractured reservoir is modeled as a double porosity reservoir, in which interporosity flow is represented by an exact analytical transient influx function. Three distinct production modes can be recognized: Modes I, II, and III. In Mode I, the reservoir boundary is seen after flow in the matrix blocks has stabilized. In Mode II, this occurs while flow in the matrix blocks is still in the infinite-acting stage. In Mode III, the reservoir boundary is already seen before the influx from the matrix blocks has effectively set off. The effect of the natural fractures becomes increasingly evident with increasing mode number: from almost absent in Mode I, to significant in Mode II, and to dominant in Mode III. Mode I shows the best production performance, Mode III the worst. Each production mode can be subdivided into a number of distinct flow regimes. The production profiles in each of these regimes and the regime boundaries can be approximated by simple analytical formulas. These formulas may be used for production forecasting and for analyzing historical production decline.

© 2010. Society of Petroleum Engineers

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History

• Original manuscript received: 8 August 2008
• Revised manuscript received: 17 June 2009
• Manuscript approved: 22 September 2009
• Published online: 10 June 2010
• Version of record: 22 June 2010