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Characteristics and Controlling Factors of Fluid Interlayer Crossflow through Fractures in Coal Measure Gas Reservoirs: Implication for Enhancing Production

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Abstract

Against the backdrop of implementing integrated hydraulic fracturing on coal measure gas (CMG) reservoirs, fluids can flow through interlayer fractures during drainage stage, resulting in fluid interlayer crossflow (IC). However, its impact on CMG development and the controlling factors remain unclear. This paper employs numerical simulations to investigate these issues. The results indicate that fluid IC through fractures leads to more evenly distributed pressure drops among layers with varying permeabilities. Fluid consistently migrates from a low-permeability layer to a high-permeability layer, resulting in higher production rate from the latter. Additionally, as fluid IC diverts between high- and medium-permeability layers in the early stage of drainage, the production rate of medium-permeability layers tends to increase. In general, fluid IC promotes CMG well production but its impact varies throughout the drainage process. Fluid IC is influenced by both geological and technical factors. Specifically, changes in initial reservoir pressure have a negligible impact on the promotion effect of fluid IC on total production. However, the promotion effect is enhanced as the permeability of high-permeability reservoirs increases, as the distance between fluid IC channel and wellbore increases, and as the permeability, elasticity, and drainage intensity of low-permeability reservoirs decrease. Based on these findings, the implications of fluid IC for CMG efficient development are demonstrated, and suggestions for optimizing the development technology are proposed.Please check and confirm the corresponding author affiliation is correctly identified.The corresponding author affiliation is correct.

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Notes

  1. * 1 mD (or millidarcy) = 9.869233 × 10−16 m2.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Henan (222300420173), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42202209, 41972175, 42230804), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2022M711055), the Excellent Youth Foundation of Henan Scientific Committee (232300421025), and the State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for Gas Geology and Gas Control (Henan Polytechnic University) (WS2021B13). We are also grateful for the constructive comments by reviewers and editor on an earlier draft of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454003, China

    Qian Wang, Yi Jin, Xianbo Su, Fubo Gao, Weizhong Zhao & Shiyao Yu

  2. State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for Gas Geology and Gas Control, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454003, China

    Qian Wang

  3. Collaborative Innovation Center of Coalbed Methane and Shale Gas for Central Plains Economic Region, Jiaozuo, 454003, Henan Province, China

    Yi Jin & Xianbo Su

  4. Unconventional Gas Research Institute, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454003, China

    Xianbo Su

  5. School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Xianbo Su

  6. WA School of Mines, Curtin University, Kalgoorlie, 6430, Australia

    Shiyao Yu

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Correspondence to Yi Jin.

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Wang, Q., Jin, Y., Su, X. et al. Characteristics and Controlling Factors of Fluid Interlayer Crossflow through Fractures in Coal Measure Gas Reservoirs: Implication for Enhancing Production. Nat Resour Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-024-10332-6

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