Modular Wellbore Fracture Flow Model for Pressure Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for modeling fluid flow in hydraulic fracturing face challenges in accurately calculating fracturing pressure due to complexities such as wellbore casing roughness and perforation friction drop, necessitating improved techniques for predicting fluid pressure in fractures.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of separate components like wellbore, perforation, and fracture components, modeled using computers to simulate fluid flow, allowing for dynamic changes in these components based on stages of the drilling and completions procedure, to accurately determine fluid flow aspects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate components (wellbore, perforation, fracture) are used to model fluid flow, then measurement precision of fluid pressure is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid flow modeling system is divided into separate independent components: a wellbore component for modeling wellbore sections, a perforation component for modeling perforation sections, and a fracture component for modeling fracture sections. Each component can be selected and applied independently to different sections of the subsurface, allowing for precise modeling of fluid flow characteristics in each specific zone while maintaining modular system architecture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If dynamic changes to model components are made during different stages, then adaptability to process changes is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The modeling system is designed to dynamically transition between different stages of drilling and completions procedures. The computer can select and switch between different wellbore components, perforation components, and fracture components based on the current operational stage, allowing the model to adapt to changing conditions while maintaining a structured approach to managing complexity through stage-based component selection.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for modeling fluid flow in a wellbore is provided. Hydraulic fracturing is an effective technique to improve well productivity by forming high permeable pathways for hydrocarbons to flow from the rock formation to the wellbore. Fluid flow for hydraulic fracturing is modeled using separated flow components, including a wellbore component (modeling the wellbore(s)), a perforation component (modeling the perforations(s)), a fracture component (modeling the fracture(s)) and a rock component (modeling the rock). Each respective component may be selected independently from a plurality of available components. Further, the respective components may be coupled to one another only at their interfaces, such as at a wellbore-perforation interface, a perforation-fracture interface, and a fracture-rock interface, for continuity of fluid kinematics and properties (such as pressure and density). In this way, the modeling of the subsurface may be tailored to the respective components in order to effectively predict the fracturing treatment.