Preventing frac hits and well interferences with fast marching simulation using embedded discrete fracture models constrained by poroelastic geomechanical modelling of enhanced permeability

摘要

Investors are not happy. A recent article by a major newspaper (Olson et al., 2019) again highlighted the issue of 'underper- forming' unconventional wells' production targets. It notes that financial executives from the oil industry state that predicting well performance is an art rather than a science. Others involved in the management of billions of shale assets offer their opinion by noticing that 'Geology doesn't line up with Excel spreadsheets too well, unfortunately.' These sentiments reflect the perceived state of unconventionals' technology which is reduced to 'an art and relying on Excel spreadsheets'. Such comments have dramatic consequences on all stakeholders in the unconventional business. A serious consequence came about shortly after the newspaper article was published: a law firm started an investigation targeting executives of an oil company accused of misleading their investors by providing them with false well performance forecasts. Lawyers and financiers quarreling about such highly technical matters put the burden on scientists and engineers to bring practical solutions to this complex problem. During this decade, great efforts have been made to better understand the performance of unconventional wells, but the challenges are overwhelming, and they evolve as our understanding of hydraulic fracturing progresses. Chief among these challenges, we find the issue of frac hits and well interferences.