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Investigating the applicability and effects of hydraulic fracturing technology on well productivity in one of the Iranian gas condensate reservoirs

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Abstract

Hydraulic fracturing is an important method utilized to enhance oil and gas recovery from reservoirs, especially for low-permeability formations. It has been broadly used in gas reservoirs, especially tight formations. Gas condensate reservoirs (GCR) experience a noticeable loss of productivity after achieving dew point pressure and condensate drop out formation around the wellbore, and could be suitable candidates for hydraulic fracturing operations. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of hydraulic fracturing on well productivity of GCR. A single well reservoir model corresponding to the GCR in the South of Iran and another model with similar conditions for hydraulic fracturing were created and validated. Reservoir model simulation was performed using a commercial compositional simulator. Sensitivity analysis was performed on fracture geometry parameters including the fracture length and width, flow parameters such as positive coupling and inertia effect, and reservoir properties namely permeability and fluid condensate gas ratio (CGR). The results demonstrated that hydraulic fracturing in GCR, especially in this case study, noticeably increases the productivity and production plateau time as well as decreases condensate formation, which increasing the fracture length and width intensifies this effect. Moreover, the optimized fracture length was obtained. It was found that the negative inertia effect in low hydraulic fracture widths and positive coupling in high fracture widths are dominant. Hydraulic fracturing is most effective in low-permeability and high-CGR conditions. These results pave the hydraulic fracturing road not only from industrial viewpoint, but also as a guideline for field-scale projects.

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Abbreviations

BHP:

Bottom hole pressure

P d :

Dew point pressure

Perm:

Permeability

P i :

Initial reservoir pressure

PI:

Well gas deliverability

PI@P r :

Gas deliverability of well at reservoir pressure, P r

PI@P i :

Well gas deliverability at initial reservoir pressure, P i

P r :

Reservoir pressure

P r/P d :

Ratio of reservoir pressure to dew point pressure

P wf :

Flowing wellbore pressure

Q g :

Gas rate of well

Rela_PI:

Relative gas deliverability of well

S wi :

Initial water saturation

CGR:

Condensate gas ratio

µ :

Viscosity

ρ :

Density

N c :

Capillary number

σ :

IFT

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Petroleum Engineering, Ahwaz Faculty of Petroleum Engineering, Petroleum University of Technology, Abadan, Iran

    Alireza Bagherzadeh & Khalil Shahbazi

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Abadan Faculty of Petroleum Engineering, Petroleum University of Technology, Abadan, Iran

    Moslem Fattahi

  3. Enhanced Oil Recovery Research Center, Tehran, Iran

    Shahab Gerami

Authors
  1. Alireza Bagherzadeh
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  2. Khalil Shahbazi
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  3. Moslem Fattahi
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  4. Shahab Gerami
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Correspondence to Moslem Fattahi.

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Bagherzadeh, A., Shahbazi, K., Fattahi, M. et al. Investigating the applicability and effects of hydraulic fracturing technology on well productivity in one of the Iranian gas condensate reservoirs. Carbonates Evaporites 33, 637–650 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-017-0374-1

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