Simulation of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs. State of the Art

Abstract

Naturally fractured reservoirs contain a significant amount of the world oil reserves. The production of this type of reservoirs constitutes a challenge for reservoir engineers. Use of reservoir simulators can help reservoir engineers in the understanding of the main physical mechanisms and in the choice of the best recovery process and its optimization. Significant progress has been made since the first publications on the dual-porosity concept in the sixties. This paper and the preceding one (Part 1) present the current techniques of modeling used in industrial simulators. The optimal way to predict matrix-fracture transfers at the simulator cell scale has no definite answer and various methods are implemented in industrial simulators. This paper focuses on the modeling of physical mechanisms driving flows and interactions/ exchanges within and between fracture and matrix media for a better understanding of proposed flow formula and simulation methods. Typical features of fractured reservoir numerical simulations are also described with an overview of the implementation of geomechanics effects, an application of uncertainty assessment methodology to a fractured gas reservoir and finally a presentation of a history matching methodology for fractured reservoirs.© 2010, Institut français du pétrole.