Abstract
This paper presents an innovative apparatus of laboratory core flooding experiment that utilizing a large vat-shaped core container (Φ330 × 300 mm) and a big size artificial core (200 × 200 × 100 mm) with two horizontal artificial fractures inside. Ten detection sensors were deployed inside the core and connected to electronic pressure gauges, which can capture pressure dynamic data. A computer program module was developed to receive and visualize the pressure data, generating pressure contours, streamlines, and three dimension (3D) pressure distributions inside the core. Completely different from conventional core flooding experiments that utilizing small core samples or full diameter cores and being restricted to simulating one dimension (1D) or two dimension (2D) flow, this experiment apparatus is able to conduct a real 3D flow simulation that a well produces by multiple horizontal fractures. The superposition effect, generated when simulating production by dual fractures, is revealed by the occurrence of pressure contours becoming flat and the existence of a stagnant zone between the two fractures. And it is found that the superposition effect has a dominant influence on pressure drops at two separate points inside the core, which weakens the pressure difference caused by the minor distance difference between these two points and the producing fractures. Besides, it is also noticed that the superposition effect does not extend the pressure drop zone, but only deepens it. Meanwhile, gravity influence is observed that the lower fracture generates a sharper shape of pressure contours than the upper fracture does, and some streamlines above the midpoint between the two fractures are bending to the lower fracture. Moreover, the limitations of the pressure sensors utilized here were discussed, and apparatus improvement and sensor deployment strategy were proposed for further researches. This experiment can be viewed as an experience and a valuable reference for the following researches. Combined with other core flooding experiments, it is reasonable to believe that applying this innovative experiment apparatus not only artificial fracturing and fracture closure can be simulated but also current core flooding experiments of other fluids will also be able to investigate 3D flow characteristics and obtain richer experiment data, including displacement by carbon dioxide, nitrogen, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) fluids like foam, and alkali-surfactant-polymer (ASP) system.
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Meng, Y., Li, X., Jiang, M. et al. Experimental research on three dimensional flow characteristics of multiple horizontal fractures utilizing an innovative experiment apparatus. Arab J Geosci 11, 243 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-3589-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-3589-0