Selecting optimal hydraulic fracturing design using a geomechanical earth model and a compositional sector flow simulation model of a gas condensate field

UDK: 622.276.66.001.57

DOI: 10.24887/0028-2448-2025-6-44-49

Key words: multistage hydraulic fracturing (MSHF), well design, geomechanical earth model, compositional modeling, local grid refining (LGR) tool

Authors: L.N. Voronkova (Tyumen Petroleum Research Center LLC, RF, Tyumen; Industrial University of Tyumen, RF, Tyumen; University of Tyumen, RF, Tyumen); A.V. Dubrovin (Tyumen Petroleum Research Center LLC, RF, Tyumen); V.S. Kuleshov (RN-TECHNOLOGIES LLC, RF, Moscow); M.S. Antonov (RN-TECHNOLOGIES LLC, RF, Moscow; Ufa State Petroleum Technological University, RF, Ufa)

Currently, the achievement of efficient multistage hydraulic fracturing (MSHF) in horizontal wells is a crucial task. The production of liquid hydrocarbons at gas condensate fields depends on a number of parameters, such as the volume of injected proppant, the number of hydraulic fracturing stages, and hydraulic fracture orientation relative to the azimuth of the regional stress. Due to possible interference processes during MSHF in horizontal wells with an increase in the number of hydraulic fracturing stages, there is no incremental hydrocarbon production. Therefore, to determine the optimal hydraulic fracturing design and the efficient hydraulic fracture spacing, the cumulative gas and condensate production indicators obtained by multiple-option runs of composite sector models using the local grid refining (LGR) tool should be analyzed. The following parameters are used as variable indicators: horizontal well length, hydraulic fracture spacing, fracture propagation azimuth, and volume of the injected proppant. Effective fracture parameters such as fracture permeability, fracture height, average fracture width, and fracture half-length are determined through the hydraulic fracture design based on the estimated volume of injected proppant. For a more accurate description of the hydraulic fracture propagation, the 1D and 3D/4D geomechanical models of the field were previously built and calibrated to the actual fracturing data and measurements of the fracture height.

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