The Effect of Temperature on Flowback Data Analysis in Shale Gas Reservoirs: A Simulation-Based Study

Sen Yang, Fengpeng Lai, Zhiping Li, Yingkun Fu, Kongjie Wang, Liang Zhang and Yutao Liang
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Sen Yang: School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Fengpeng Lai: School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Zhiping Li: School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Yingkun Fu: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2W2, Canada
Kongjie Wang: School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Liang Zhang: School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Yutao Liang: School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 19, 1-23

Abstract: During hydraulic fracturing, there is a temperature difference between the injected water and formation rock for shale gas wells. The objective of this study is to investigate how this temperature difference changes with time, and how it affects multiphase-flow modeling during the shut-in and flowback periods. We conducted numerical simulations to investigate the behaviors of fracture temperature in shale gas wells. The results show a significant increase in fracture temperature during the shut-in and flowback periods. Sensitivity analysis suggests that this temperature increase is strongly related to the thermal conductivity of formation rock, matrix permeability, and initial reservoir temperature. Simulation scenarios were further compared to investigate the effect of temperature on flowback data analysis. Without considering the thermal effect, flowback data analysis may yield an earlier fracture cleanup and overestimated fracture volume. In addition, this study suggests that the thermal effect may also have implications for optimizing flowback operations.

Keywords: flowback data analysis; hydraulic fracturing; fracture temperature; heat transfer; shale gas (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: 2019
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