Production performance analysis of a continental shale oil reservoir in Bohai Bay basin

Due to the extremely low permeability of shale formations, the combination of horizontal well and volume fracturing has been proposed as an effective technique to improve the production of Dagang continental shale oil reservoirs. Based on the flow material balance method (FMB) and straight-line analysis (SLA) method, the stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) and drainage volume are determined to identify the flow regimes of the seepage mechanism of shale oil reservoirs. To resolve the challenges of multi-scaled flow regimes and bottom hole pressure (BHP) variation before and after pumping in shale oil wells, a multi-linear analytical flow model was established to predict the future production and the final expected ultimate recoverable oil (EUR_o) after fitting the historical production dynamics. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the flow regime of a shale oil well in production can be divided into two stages consisting of linear flow within SRV and composite flow from the un-stimulated area to SRV. The effects of fracturing operation parameters, such as fracturing fluid volume and sand/liquid ratio, on shale oil productivity, are analyzed, and insightful suggestions are drawn for the future development of this pay zone.