A Generalized Method for Dynamic Fracture Characterization Using Two-Phase Rate Transient Analysis of Flowback and Production Data

This study presents a comprehensive method for characterizing reservoir properties and hydraulic fracture (HF) closure dynamics using the rate transient analysis of flowback and production data. The proposed method includes straightline analysis (SLA), type-curve analysis (TCA), and model history matching (MHM), which are developed for scenarios of two-phase flow in fracture, stimulated reservoir volume (SRV), and nonstimulated reservoir volume (NSRV) domains. HF closure dynamics are characterized by two key parameters, which are pressure-dependent permeability and porosity controlled by fracture permeability modulus and compressibility. The above techniques are combined into a generalized workflow to estimate iteratively the five parameters (including four optional parameters and one fixed parameter) by reconciling data in different domains of time (single-phase water flow, two-phase flow, and hydrocarbon-dominated flow), analysis methods (SLA, TCA, and MHM), and phases (water and hydrocarbon phase). We used flowback and production data from a shale gas well in the US and a shale oil well in China to verify the practicability of the method. The analysis results of the field cases confirm the good performance of the newly developed comprehensive method and verify the accuracy in estimating the static fracture properties [initial fracture pore volume (PV) and permeability] and the HF dynamic parameters using the proposed generalized workflow. The accurate prediction of the decreasing fracture permeability and porosity, fracture permeability modulus, and compressibility demonstrates the applicability of the comprehensive method in quantifying HF dynamics. The field application results suggest a reduction of the fracture PV by 15% and 20%, and a reduction of the fracture permeability by 80% and 90% for shale gas and shale oil wells, respectively.