An improved technique for estimating permeability, fracture length, and fracture conductivity from pressure-buildup tests in low-permeability gas wells

Journal Article · Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983 · J. Pet. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2118/9885-PA· OSTI ID:5800197

Holditch, S A; Gist, S R; Lee, W J

Long hydraulic fractures are usually required to optimize recovery from low-permeability gas reservoirs. Since these fractures can be quite expensive to create and since there is still a great deal of ''art'' associated with fracture design and creation, it is frequently helpful to use pressure-transient tests to determine created fracture properties. In this way, optimal fracture treatments can be developed for a given area. The specific task of the engineer is to estimate propped fracture length and effective fracture conductivity for treatments in a given geological formation. If the reasons for success or failure of previous fracture treatments can be determined, the engineer can then do a better job in the future when designing fracture treatments for the same area. There are currently four basic techniques used to analyze postfracture pressure-transient tests: (1) semilog (pseudoradial flow) analysis, (2) square-root-of-time (linear flow) analysis, (3) type-curve analysis, and (4) reservoir simulator history matching. No existing technique is without problems or possible ambiguity in some applications; thus, there is a need for still other techniques that may succeed in some situations for which existing techniques are inadequate. The purpose of this paper is to introduce such a new technique for analyzing postfracture pressure-buildup tests. This technique can be particularly helpful when analyzing data from wells in which a finite-conductivity fracture has been created.

• Research Organization: Texas A and M Univ.
• OSTI ID: 5800197
• Journal Information: J. Pet. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 35:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
58 GEOSCIENCES
NATURAL GAS WELLS
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
WELL PRESSURE
RESERVOIR ROCK
PERMEABILITY
TESTING
CRACK PROPAGATION
FORECASTING
FRACTURE MECHANICS
HYDRAULIC FRACTURES
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
WELL STIMULATION
COMMINUTION
FAILURES
FRACTURES
FRACTURING
MECHANICS
RESERVOIR PRESSURE
STIMULATION
WELLS
030900* - Natural Gas- Artificial Stimulation
Plowshare- (-1989)
580300 - Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics- (-1989)