Impact of Local Effects on the Evolution of Unconventional Rock Permeability

Xinxing Ma, Xianwen Li, Shouwen Zhang, Yanming Zhang, Xiangie Hao and Jishan Liu
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Xinxing Ma: Oil & Gas Technology Research Institute of Changqing Oilfield Company, Xi’an 710018, China
Xianwen Li: Oil & Gas Technology Research Institute of Changqing Oilfield Company, Xi’an 710018, China
Shouwen Zhang: Guangzhou Urban Planning & Design Survey Research Institute, Guangzhou 510060, China
Yanming Zhang: Oil & Gas Technology Research Institute of Changqing Oilfield Company, Xi’an 710018, China
Xiangie Hao: Beijing Key Laboratory for Precise Mining of Intergrown Energy and Resources, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China
Jishan Liu: Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Western Australia, WA 6009, Australia

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-17

Abstract: When gas is extracted from unconventional rock, local equilibrium conditions between matrixes and fractures are destroyed and significant local effects are introduced. Although the interactions between the matrix and fracture have a strong influence on the permeability evolution, they are not understood well. This may be the reason why permeability models in commercial codes do not include the matrix-fracture interactions. In this study, we introduced the local force to define the interactions between the matrix and the fracture and derived a set of partial differential equations to define the full coupling of rock deformation and gas flow both in the matrix and in the fracture systems. The full set of cross-coupling formulations were solved to generate permeability evolution profiles during unconventional gas extraction. The results of this study demonstrate that the contrast between the matrix and fracture properties controls the processes and their evolutions. The primary reason is the gas diffusion from fractures to matrixes. The diffusion changes the force balance, mass exchange and deformation.

Keywords: shale permeability; local effect; global effect; matrix-fracture interactions (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
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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