Automated Workflow to Couple Hydraulic Fracture Modeling Results into Dynamic Simulation Process for Unconventional Reservoir

The objective of this study is to integrate two main workflows seamlessly; i.e. hydraulic fracture modeling and dynamic reservoir simulation process. A smooth coupling is developed and implemented for unconventional reservoir. The work is designed as an automated multidisciplinary and integrated workflow consisting of hydraulic fracturing, geologic, and reservoir modeling. The hydraulic fracturing configuration was built at a detailed resolution using a commercial software, which is used to calibrate a 3D subsurface refined geological model using Local Grid Refinement (LGR), and it honors long-term flowback history of unconventional well Pad. The study was conducted in four main phases Phase-1 is to execute hydraulic fracture modeling where Hydraulic Fracture (HF) job data was analyzed and matched using 3D Mechanical Earth Model (MEM) to predict the HF propagation possible scenarios. Phase-2 is to transform frac geometry into the dynamic model using LGR methodology. For this phase, it includes a comprehensive software development to automate this transformation process between two different applications. Phase-3 is designed to match the long-term flowback data, where the fracture geometry, such as fracture height, fracture half-length and fracture conductivity used as main history matching parameters. Finally, for Phase-4, the calibrated model is used to predict the well EUR perform sensitivity analysis. The implemented integrated workflow helps in optimizing key field development plan parameters, including well spacing, cluster spacing, well stacking, lateral length optimization, testing well interference and its impact on wells’ EUR.