Hydraulic Fracture Modeling via Geomechanical Grid Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hydraulic fracture simulators are limited in effectively accounting for variations in geomechanical and petrophysical properties of the earth, which hinders accurate production forecasting and reservoir modeling.
Innovation Solution
A computer-based method that builds a geomechanical model of the reservoir, simulates hydraulic fractures, and updates permeability properties to generate a 3D representation of hydraulic fractures, allowing for improved interaction modeling and production forecasting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional hydraulic fracture simulators are used, then the simulation process is simple and fast, but the accuracy of accounting for geomechanical and petrophysical property variations is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The simulation model is divided into discrete grid blocks representing different geological zones, each with unique geomechanical and petrophysical properties. This segmentation allows accurate representation of property variations while maintaining computational manageability through localized processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The model incorporates spatially varying geomechanical and petrophysical properties at each grid block, allowing local heterogeneities to be captured. This enables accurate representation of property variations without requiring a uniformly high-resolution model throughout the entire domain.
2Manufacturing precision
If detailed geomechanical and petrophysical properties are incorporated, then the accuracy of fracture geometry prediction improves, but the computational complexity and data requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Geomechanical and petrophysical properties are pre-characterized and stored in the model database before fracture simulation. This preliminary preparation allows the simulation to efficiently access and utilize detailed property information without increasing real-time computational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate geomechanical model that bridges the reservoir description and fracture simulation components. This intermediary model processes and organizes complex geomechanical and petrophysical data into formats suitable for fracture propagation calculations, reducing the direct complexity burden on the fracture simulator.
3Measurement precision
If hydraulic fracture simulations account for property variations, then production forecast accuracy improves, but the simulation time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The model applies geomechanical and petrophysical property variations selectively to grid blocks where they most significantly impact fracture propagation and production. This partial application approach captures the essential effects on production forecast accuracy while avoiding the computational burden of uniformly high-resolution modeling throughout the entire reservoir.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for modeling hydraulic fractures of a well. The method includes receiving a reservoir model that describes petrophysical properties of a subsurface of the earth near a reservoir. The method then receives one or more mechanical properties of the reservoir and generating a geomechanical model of the reservoir based on the reservoir model and the mechanical properties. After generating the geomechanical model of the reservoir, the method generates a three dimensional (3D) representation of the hydraulic fractures based on the geomechanical model and the reservoir model.