Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering

Committee Chair

Yueming Cheng.

Abstract

This research work presents a new method for estimating fracture properties for a horizontal well with multiple hydraulic fractures in shale gas reservoirs. This method utilizes the production data obtained during the linear flow period to provide reliable estimates of both fracture half-length and formation permeability.;The new method provides an excellent alternative to the conventional pressure transient analysis methods. It requires neither the existence of the elliptical flow nor the pseudoradial flow periods and thus reduces the impractical long times required for well testing in horizontal wells drilled in shale gas reservoirs. The conventional pressure transient analysis methods require an independent estimate of formation permeability from the pseudo-radial flow period in other to estimate fracture half-length and fracture conductivity from linear and bilinear flow periods respectively.;A readily available noisy production data can be easily analyzed for fracture property estimates using the new method by coupling with a stable deconvolution technology which converts variable production-rate and pressure measurements into an equivalent constant-rate pressure drawdown test. The required inputs to utilize the proposed methodology are production data and basic reservoir properties such as formation thickness, formation temperature, porosity, fluid compressibility and viscosity.;Because of the relative simplicity of this method, it does not require special expertise to use. This study presents synthetic cases to illustrate the proposed method and demonstrate its' validity and applicability.

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