Stress-Seepage Bidirectional Coupling Analysis Of A Horizontal Well With Multi-Stage Fractured Fractures

To explore the gas production performance of a horizontal well with multi-stage fractured fractures in a shale gas reservoir, a mathematical model considering stress-seepage bidirectional coupling and the stress sensitivity of permeability was developed. A two dimensions finite element model of the shale gas reservoir and a horizontal well with multi-stage fractured fractures was established in this study. The results show the complexity of fractured fractures profoundly affects reservoir production, and a higher complexity indicates a higher productivity. This result also implies that it is unreasonable to consider only primary fractures in the fractured horizontal well analysis. The higher initial reservoir permeability does not necessarily result in higher gas production under coupling conditions. However, in the early stage of production, the higher initial reservoir permeability leads to a considerable gas production rate. The permeability of fractures and the bottom hole pressure have less influence on the reservoir productivity. [Received: July 30, 2018; Accepted: August 7, 2020]