Abstract The Dynamic modeling of induced hydraulic fractures in finite-difference reservoir simulation has historically been a complex, time-consuming and error-prone process that is unsuited to practical application and difficult to reconcile with corresponding analytical solutions.
The methodology and workflows presented in this paper address the above problems and provide a process whereby the pressure-rate response of hydraulically fractured wells may be practically and reasonably accurately modeled in coarse-grid reservoir simulation models without recourse to the high computing-overhead methods commonly employed.
The correlations and methodologies presented here have been developed by describing fracture behaviour as a function of fracture half length, grid block size and dimensionless fracture conductivity, and ‘history-matching’ simulated well performance against accepted analytical and simulated responses for a wide range of reservoir and fracture properties. The methodology is applicable to multiple well scenarios (e.g. vertical, partial block fracture penetrations, block aspect ratios not equal to unity, horizontal wells as well as multi-stage hydraulic fractures in single grid blocks), does not require fracture completion information prior to grid construction, and can be implemented in the recurrent section of a simulation project.