Investigation of Flowback Behavior for Multi-Fractured Horizontal Wells in Gulong Shale Oil Reservoir Based on Numerical Simulation

Shuxin Yu, Yucheng Wu, Xiaogang Cheng, Binhui Li, Langyu Niu, Rui Wang, Pin Jia () and Linsong Cheng
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Shuxin Yu: Well Testing and Perforation Service Company of PetroChina Daqing Oilfield Co., Ltd., Daqing 163412, China
Yucheng Wu: College of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
Xiaogang Cheng: Well Testing and Perforation Service Company of PetroChina Daqing Oilfield Co., Ltd., Daqing 163412, China
Binhui Li: Exploration and Development Research Institute of Daqing Oilfield Co., Ltd., Daqing 163712, China
Langyu Niu: College of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
Rui Wang: Exploration and Development Research Institute of Daqing Oilfield Co., Ltd., Daqing 163712, China
Pin Jia: College of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
Linsong Cheng: College of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 10, 1-28

Abstract: After hydraulic fracturing, hydraulic fractures and opened beddings are intertwined, which results in a complex fracture network in shale oil reservoirs. In addition, the migration of multi-phase fluids during fracturing and shut-in processes leads to complex flowback performance and brings difficulty to flowback strategies optimization. In this paper, taking the Daqing Gulong shale reservoir as an example, a numerical model, which considers oil–water–gas three-phase flow and the orthogonal fracture network, has been established for flowback period. The characteristics and influencing factors of flowback performance have been deeply studied, and the flowback modes of shale oil are reasonably optimized. Geological factors such as PTPG (pseudo-threshold pressure gradient), matrix permeability, and engineering factors such as opened bedding stress sensitivity, opened bedding permeability, and fracturing fluid distribution have obvious effects on the flowback performance, resulting in significant variations in production peaks, high production periods, and decline rates. Furthermore, three flowback modes distinguished by the BHP (bottom hole pressure) correspond to the three types of choke mode that have been optimized. This study reveals the main factors affecting the flowback performance. Meanwhile, the optimization method can be applied to optimize flowback strategies in Gulong and other similar shale reservoirs to obtain higher shale oil production.

Keywords: shale reservoir; numerical simulation; flowback performance; flowback modes (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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