Novel calculation method to predict gas–water two-phase production for the fractured tight-gas horizontal well

Abstract The prediction of production capacity in tight gas wells is greatly influenced by the characteristics of gas–water two-phase flow and the fracture network permeability parameters. However, traditional analytical models simplify the nonlinear problems of two-phase flow equations to a large extent, resulting in significant errors in dynamic analysis results. To address this issue, this study considers the characteristics of gas–water two-phase flow in the reservoir and fracture network, utilizes a trilinear flow model to characterize the effects of hydraulic fracturing, and takes into account the stress sensitivity of the reservoir and fractures. A predictive model for gas–water two-phase production in tight fractured horizontal wells is established. By combining the mass balance equation with the Newton–Raphson iteration method, the nonlinear parameters of the flow model are updated step by step using the average reservoir pressure. The accuracy of the model is validated through comparisons with results from commercial numerical simulation software and field case applications. The research results demonstrate that the established semi-analytical solution method efficiently handles the nonlinear two-phase flow problems, allowing for the rapid and accurate prediction of production capacity in tight gas wells. Water production significantly affects gas well productivity, and appropriate fracture network parameters are crucial for improving gas well productivity. The findings of this work could provide more clear understanding of the gas production performance from the fractured tight-gas horizontal well.