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An analytical model for multi-component shale gas transport through micro-scale fractures in shale gas reservoirs

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Abstract

Micro-scale fractures exist in shale reservoirs and are always well developed. In shale gas formations, there always exist other gases which are transported together with methane through the micro-scale fractures. In this study, a novel multi-component shale gas transport model in micro-scale fractures is proposed. The new model takes the effect of fracture opening, multi-component gas, and pressure-viscosity relationship into consideration. New equations for Knudsen number and mass flow rates of slippage flow, Knudsen diffusion, and coupled flow are presented. Results showed that (a) the model can reasonably depict the gradual change of the contribution of each transmission mechanism of micro-fracture gas to transmission at different development stages; (b) the higher the ratio of fracture width to opening, the greater the gas transmission capacity, which is more obvious in the case of micro-fractures with high pressure and large opening; and (c) the CO2 fraction has a significant influence on the mass flow rate of slippage flow, continuum flow, Knudsen diffusion, and coupled flow, but it has a weak influence on the contribution fractions of these flow patterns. This model can be implemented in simulations for history-matching production data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, China

    Jian Yang

  2. PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, Beijing, 100083, China

    Jian Yang & Min Jia

  3. Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Geo-Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

    Caspar Daniel Adenutsi

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  2. Min Jia
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Correspondence to Jian Yang.

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Responsible Editor: Santanu Banerjee

Appendix Equivalent radius

Appendix Equivalent radius

The equivalent radius is shown below:

$$\pi {r}_{\mathrm{Equivalent}}^{2}=wh$$
(22)

Transforming Eq. (A-1), we can get:

$${r}_{\mathrm{Equivalent}}=\sqrt{\frac{wh}{\pi }}$$
(23)

It is worth noting that the new set parameter includes both micro-fracture opening and width.

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Yang, J., Jia, M. & Adenutsi, C.D. An analytical model for multi-component shale gas transport through micro-scale fractures in shale gas reservoirs. Arab J Geosci 16, 171 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-023-11267-7

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