A Study of Nonlinear Elasticity Effects on Permeability of Stress Sensitive Shale Rocks Using an Improved Coupled Flow and Geomechanics Model: A Case Study of the Longmaxi Shale in China

Chenji Wei, Liangang Wang, Baozhu Li, Lihui Xiong, Shuangshuang Liu, Jie Zheng, Suming Hu and Hongqing Song
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Chenji Wei: Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, PetroChina, Beijing 100083, China
Liangang Wang: PetroChina Exploration & Production Company, Beijing 100032, China
Baozhu Li: Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, PetroChina, Beijing 100083, China
Lihui Xiong: Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, PetroChina, Beijing 100083, China
Shuangshuang Liu: Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, PetroChina, Beijing 100083, China
Jie Zheng: Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, PetroChina, Beijing 100083, China
Suming Hu: Natural Gas Division, Tarim Oilfield Company, CNPC, Xinjiang 841000, China
Hongqing Song: School of Civil and Resource Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: Gas transport in shale gas reservoirs is largely affected by rock properties such as permeability. These properties are often sensitive to the in-situ stress state changes. Accurate modeling of shale gas transport in shale reservoir rocks considering the stress sensitive effects on rock petrophysical properties is important for successful shale gas extraction. Nonlinear elasticity in stress sensitive reservoir rocks depicts the nonlinear stress-strain relationship, yet it is not thoroughly studied in previous reservoir modeling works. In this study, an improved coupled flow and geomechanics model that considers nonlinear elasticity is proposed. The model is based on finite element methods, and the nonlinear elasticity in the model is validated with experimental data on shale samples selected from the Longmaxi Formation in Sichuan Basin China. Numerical results indicate that, in stress sensitive shale rocks, nonlinear elasticity affects shale permeability, shale porosity, and distributions of effective stress and pore pressure. Elastic modulus change is dependent on not only in-situ stress state but also stress history path. Without considering nonlinear elasticity, the modeling of shale rock permeability in Longmaxi Formation can overestimate permeability values by 1.6 to 53 times.

Keywords: shale gas reservoir; stress sensitive permeability hysteresis; coupled flow and geomechanics modeling; finite element methods; nonlinear elasticity; elastic modulus alteration (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: 2018
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