Investigation on Energy Enhancement of Shale Oil Imbibition Under Different Fracture Fluid Injection Methods—A Case Investigation of Jimsar Lucaogou Formation

Jian Zhu, Fei Wang (), Junchao Wang, Zhanjie Li and Shicheng Zhang
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Jian Zhu: Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
Fei Wang: Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
Junchao Wang: Oil Production Technology Research Institute, PetroChina Xinjiang Oilfield Company, Karamay 834000, China
Zhanjie Li: Oil Production Technology Research Institute, PetroChina Xinjiang Oilfield Company, Karamay 834000, China
Shicheng Zhang: Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 6, 1-14

Abstract: This paper describes an innovatively designed experimental method for fracturing fluid energy storage to explore the energy storage mechanism during the well shut-in process of fractured shale reservoirs. By improving the existing core clamp and adding fracturing fluid cavities and large volume intermediate containers to simulate artificial fractures and remote shale reservoirs, the pressure changes in the core during the well shut-in process were monitored under the conditions of a real oil–water ratio and real pressure distribution to explore the energy storage law of the shut-in fluid in fractured shale reservoirs. Compared to the 0.62 MPa energy storage obtained from traditional energy storage experiments (without artificial fractures or remote shale reservoirs), the experimental scheme proposed in this paper achieved a 2.45 MPa energy storage, consistent with the field’s monitoring results. The energy storage effects of four fracturing fluids were compared, namely pure CO 2 , CO 2 pre-fracturing fluid, slickwater pre-fracturing fluid, and pure slickwater fracturing fluid. Due to the characteristics of a high expansion coefficient and low interfacial tension of pure CO 2 , the energy storage effect was the best, and the pressure equilibrium time was the shortest. Considering factors such as comprehensive economy and energy storage efficiency, the optimal range for CO 2 pre-injection is between 20% and 30%. Based on the optimization criterion of energy storage pressure balance, it is recommended that the optimal CO 2 shut-in time be 5 h and the slickwater be 12.8 h. Considering the economic, sand carrying, and energy storage effects, and other factors, CO 2 pre-storage has the best imbibition effect, and the optimal CO 2 pre-storage range is 20~30%. The research results provide theoretical support for energy storage fracturing construction in other shale oil reservoirs of the same type.

Keywords: shale oil imbibition; Lucaogou Formation; energy enhancement; fracture fluid; injection methods; CO 2 fracturing (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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