Role of Geomechanics on Natural Fractures in Different Reservoirs: A Middle Eastern Perspective

The behavior of fractures during production makes fractured reservoirs unique in terms of flow behavior and reservoir’s response to in-situ stresses. While the behavior of other reservoirs is controlled by textural properties of matrix, the behavior of fractured reservoirs is driven by anisotropy depending upon the spatial distribution of fracture and their reaction to stress. While those natural fractures which are intersected by the well are detectable on image logs, fractures in the vicinity of wellbore also need to be incorporated while studying the hydraulic conductivity at field scale. Detection of such fractures is possible with application of certain deep shear sonic technology. Well-scale geomechanical models offer reasonable accuracy to determine the sensitivity of detected fractures in respect to stress to become critically stressed and therefore possibly hydraulically conductive. However, the translation of such well-scale analyses to field-scale requires improvement in methodology. Appropriate up-scaling of well-based fracture interpretation to field-scale is already in practice in the form of DFN modeling based on the integration of field-scale data and well-based data. However, the effective integration of these models can offer solutions to identify possible stress sensitive fracture dominated sweetspots for improved well planning reservoir development. This presentation covers case studies.