Well Testing of Fracture Corridors in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs for an Improved Recovery Strategy

Yingying Guo and Andrew Wojtanowicz ()
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Yingying Guo: Department of Finance, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
Andrew Wojtanowicz: Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-19

Abstract: Naturally fractured reservoirs (NFRs) account for a significant portion of the world’s oil and gas reserves. Among them, corridor-type NFRs, characterized by discrete fracture corridors, exhibit complex flow behavior that challenges conventional development strategies and reduces recovery efficiency. A review of previous studies indicates that failing to identify these corridors often leads to suboptimal recovery, whereas correctly detecting and utilizing them can significantly enhance production. This study introduces a well-testing technique designed to identify fracture corridors and to evaluate well placement for improved recovery prediction. A simplified modeling framework is developed, combining a local model for matrix/fracture wells with a global continuous-media model representing the corridor network. Diagnostic pressure and derivative plots are used to estimate corridor properties—such as spacing and conductivity—and to determine a well’s location relative to fracture corridors. The theoretical analysis is supported by numerical simulations in CMG, which confirm the key diagnostic features and flow regime sequences predicted by the model. The results show that diagnostic patterns can be used to infer fracture corridor characteristics and to approximate well positions. The proposed method enables early-stage structural interpretation and supports practical decision-making for well placement and reservoir management in corridor-type NFRs.

Keywords: naturally fractured reservoirs (NFRs); fracture corridors; well testing; productivity optimization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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