Numerical simulation of channel fracturing technology in developing shale gas reservoirs

HiWay flow channel fracturing, as a paradigm shift in the conventional hydraulic fracturing, was introduced by Schlumberger in 2010. The improvement of the new technology compared to conventional fracturing methods is presented by the scattered multi-layer proppants which concentrate loose proppants into fibered pillars in order to provide broader flow pathways in fractures. Although numerous experimental and theoretical research have been conducted in the last decade, limitations still exist. In this study, we investigate the performance of the technique in improving the shale gas productivity via integrating channel fracture models into the open-source framework, MATLAB Reservoir Simulation Toolbox (MRST). A new mathematical model is derived to determine the permeability and conductivity of channel fracturing by the shape changes of pillars in fractures. Verification and validation cases are conducted via comparing with a reference model and oilfield data, respectively. More computational cases are studied to demonstrate factors affecting the performance of channel fracturing, including natural fractures and the concentration of proppants. The simulation result reveals that the channeling fracturing benefits more from the natural fractures compared to the conventional fracturing technique, although the gas production is actually enhanced for both of the techniques. The proppant concentration is also an important parameter. A lower concentration scheme presents a high initial production rate because of the broader channels in fractures. While, a higher concentration scheme will enhance the support of the fracture aperture and benefit the long-term shale gas production. In the field case study, the simulation results are compared with shale gas production data from the well Heim 2H in Hawkville field. The simulated result matches the field data successfully in the stabilized period when the gas production is not affected by the screen out and flowback.