An Investigation of Non-Darcy Flow Effects on Hydraulic Fractured Oil and Gas Well Performance

Abstract The primary objective of hydraulic fracturing is to create a propped fracture with sufficient conductivity and length to optimize well performance. In permeable reservoirs, the design objective is to achieve a Dimensionless Fracture Capacity, CfD, of at least 2. In lower permeability applications, additional conductivity is required (CfD > 10) to allow effective fracture fluid cleanup and optimized well performance. In some tight formation gas applications, conventional cross-linked gel fracture stimulations are not creating the desired fracture dimensions. The potential reasons for the shorter than desired effective fracture lengths are numerous with the most likely being reservoir heterogeneity, excessive fracture height growth, and poor fracture fluid cleanup. In recent years, there has been much discussion regarding the causes for, or reasons that the dimensions of the hydraulic fracture are shorter than desired. These include: relative permeability effects, fracture fluid cleanup, multi-phase flow, and non-Darcy flow. The former causes and reasons have been investigated in some detail; however, little data has been published regarding the effects of non-Darcy flow on fracture conductivity and effective fracture length. Some in the industry have suggested that tight gas well performance is hindered significantly by non-Darcy flow effects. This view, though potentially correct, is supported by little actual data in the literature. Further, to mitigate this effect, tip screen-out fracturing techniques and larger fracture stimulation designs often utilizing much more expensive ceramic proppants have been recommended and executed even in very low permeability applications. These methods may not be effective in tight gas applications but they surely are more expensive, potentially eroding the economic benefits of fracturing these low deliverability applications. In addition, little actual well performance data has been presented to justify the importance of non-Darcy flow in fractures with much of the justification coming from the use of semi-analytical calculations and spreadsheets. This paper will document an investigation of non-Darcy flow to hydraulically fractured oil and gas well performance. The investigation will utilize both a three dimensional single-phase numeric finite difference simulator and actual well performance to investigate the importance of non-Darcy flow to hydraulically fractured oil and gas wells. This paper will demonstrate the following: The importance or lack of importance of non-Darcy flow on hydraulically fractured oil and gas well performance,Compare and contrast actual well performance of off-setting wells where sand and ceramics were utilized in East Texas, Trinidad, and North Sea applications,Develop treatment guidelines and fracture design objectives to limit/mitigate the effects of non-Darcy flow across a broad spectrum of fracturing applications.