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Fracture Characterization through Rate Correlation Analysis (SPE 154429)
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 74th EAGE Conference and Exhibition incorporating EUROPEC 2012, Jun 2012, cp-293-00441
- ISBN: 978-90-73834-27-9
Abstract
Further developments have been made in analysing the readily available fluid production histories from existing wells to develop statistical correlations in rate fluctuations. Results of the application of this novel technology to naturally fractured and other fields in the North Sea will be presented. The results reveal surprising characteristics: many of the correlated well pairs are very long-range; they also appear to be stress-related and fault-related. The postulated mechanism is that faults and fractures are reactivated due to the stress perturbations brought about during field development. In one field, comparison with independent data, particularly microseismic recordings, provides very encouraging calibration. A reservoir mechanism that explain both these results and earlier correlations between preferred flowpaths and stress state in secondary and tertiary flooding schemes will be discussed. Identification of major reservoir pathways is of substantial advantage to efficiency in reservoir management, leading to benefit for practical issues of well placements and configurations, injectivities, productivities, sweep efficiencies, short-term and longer-term forecasting. The techniques can be used in a time-lapse fashion in order to monitor changes in reservoir behaviour and provide real-time updating of reservoir models. The proposed mechanism has far-reaching implications for all reservoir engineering.