The evaluative methods on shale gas

productivity using the DFIT

2014. 9. 18

Dr. Sangyup Jang

T.H. Kim, G.S. Lee
C.H. Shin
This is the Eternal Flame Waterfall, on Shale Creek, in Chestnut Ridge Park, near Buffalo, New
York. A pocket of natural methane gas in an alcove below the waterfall seeps out through a
fracture in the rocks.
 Contents
1. Introduction

2. DFIT(diagonal fracture injection test)

3. Pre-closure analysis

4. After-closure analysis

5. Summary and future works

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Introduction
Sand stone Tight Shale
Formations Formations Formation

Milli-darcies Micro-darcies Nano-darcies

1 x 10 -3 D 1 x 10 -6 D 1 x 10 -9 D

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The limit of conventional well test method for
shale formation.

• Low permeability, Long transient time

• Build-up, Draw-down, flow test is impossible

• Needs for rapid test method for shale/tight formation.

→ Mini fracture test(DFIT)

• Effective permeability using DFIT(diagonal fracture

injection test)

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 DFIT or Mini frac test

Ewens, 2012

Installation Shut-in
Perforation of pressure Injection and
gauge record

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Diagonal Fracture Injection Test (Mini frac test)

PRE CLOSURE ANALYSIS

Fracture Closure

•Formation Breakdown Pressure

Pressure

•Fracture Closure Pressure

•Instantaneous Shut in Pressure(ISIP)
•Fracture Gradient = ISIP / Formation Depth Nolte,
•Net Fracture Pressure (Δpnet) = ISIP - Closure Pressure 1982

•Fluid efficiency = Gc/(2+Gc) : Gc is the G-function time at fracture closure

•Formation Leak Off Characteristics

AFTER CLOSURE ANALYSIS

•Formation permeability (k)

•Reservoir pressure (pi)
•Net Horizontal Stress(closure – pore pressure)

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Research Trend

Nolte (1979)
• G-function and fracture pressure decline analysis

Castillo(1987), Mukherjee(1996), Baree(1998)

• Pressure dependent leak-off vs. G-function, dP/dG, GdP/dG plot

Gu et al(1993), Nolte(1997), Benelkadi and Tiab (2004)

• After closure time function, Impulse fracture test

Soliman et al. (2005) / Craig and Blasingame (2006)

• Short term test

Meyer (2007)
• Mass and momentum equation for 2D-fracture

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PRE-CLOSURE ANALYSIS

Fracture Closure Pressure

Nolte, 1982

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 General information

Horn River
(Kiwigana)

British Columbia Alberta

• Located in north eastern British Columbia

• Horn River Group(Muskwa Fm., Otter Park Fm.,

Evie Fm.)

• Approximately 2,500m below surface

• Average 170m thick, Average TOC : 4.3%

• Composed of siliceous, organic rich shale

(high quartz content)

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Injection data for Well A

Data Chart
0
90000

85000 -500

80000
-1000

75000

-1500

70000

-2000
65000
Calculated Sandface Pressure (kPa(a))

60000 -2500

Liquid Rate (m3/d)

55000
-3000

50000

-3500
45000

-4000
40000

35000 -4500

30000
-5000

25000

-5500
20000

15000 -6000

10000
0.48 0.50 0.52 0.54 0.56 0.58 0.60 0.62 0.64 0.66 0.68 0.70 0.72 0.74 0.76 0.78 0.80 0.82

Cum Time (h)

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Definition of G-function
• G function : dimensionless time function relating
shut-in time to total pumping time
4
G (t D )  ( g (t D )  g o )

4

g (t D )  (1  t D )1.5  t D
3
1.5
 (For low leak-off)

g (t D )  (1  t D ) sin 1 ((1  t D ) 0.5 )  t D (For high leak-off)

0.5

(t  t p )
t D 
tp

go  (For high leak-off)
2
4
go  (For low leak-off)
3
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G-function analysis of Well-A

SHmax

Pressure dependent leak-off

-> Existence of fracture!

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Oil base micro-imager

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G-function analysis of Well-B

Pressure dependent leak-off

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G-function analysis of Well-C

Normal leak-off

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 Summary

• It could be possible to find out the leak-off behavior and

fracture related reservoir properties for shale formation
by pre-closure analysis

• G-function analysis data and OBMI data were compared

to validate the existence of natural fracture near well
bore and reliable correlation is found with this methods.

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AFTER CLOSURE ANALYSIS

Fracture Closure Pressure

Nolte, 1982

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 Conventional gas well test

• Combing the continuity equation, the equation

of motion, and the EOS
1   p   ct p
Diffusivity eqn. r  
r r  r  k t
1   p p   ct p p
Real gas law  r  
r r  z r  k z t

Gas compressibility, pseudo state (ф, μ, z constant)

711QT   k  
m( Pwf )  m( Pi )  ln t a  ln    7.43173  s '
2 
kh    Ct rw  
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Nolte Soliman-Craig

 Linear flow  Linear flow

0.5
 Vinj   1 
pw t   pi  CL FL pw (t )  pi  31.05  
kCt Ct khx2f  t p  t 

 Radial flow  Radial flow

Vinj   1 
Qt  pw (t )  pi  (1694.4)  
pw t   pi  251,000 FR1 kh  t p  t 
khtc
Q Vinj 
mR1  251,000 t mR 2  (1694.4)
khtc kh
Vinj 
Q kh  (1694.4)
kh  251,000 t mR 2
mR1tc
pi  pw FR1  0 pi  pw (
1
 0)
t p  t
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Linear and Radial flow plot for well A

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Reservoir properties from 2 methods(well A)

Nolte method Soliman-Craig method

 Permeability : 11.6 d  Permeability : 9.98 d

 Initial pressure for radial flow  Initial pressure for radial flow
: 5,324 psi : 5,317 psi
 Leak-off coefficient  Fracture half-length : 16.6 ft
: 6.0519  10-4 ft/min1/2

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Permeability estimation

0.086 f 0.01 p z
k 1.96
 Gc Erp 
ct  0.038 
 
f: Viscosity of injected fluid (=1 cp, assumption)
pz: Net fracture extension pressure above closure pressure(9873 psi)
Gc: G-function closure time (=32.705h)
E: Young’s modulus(=3.35Mpsi)
rp: Storage ratio(=1)
ø : porosity(=0.04)
Ct : Total compressibility(=5.09X10-5 /psi)
Calculate K = 4.4351uD

Case G-function(Baree) Nolte Soliman

Well A(μD) 4.4351 11.6 9.98

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 Summary and further study
DFIT results in the Kiwigana shale formation were presented.

 The results have good consistency between other analytical methods

and will be used for hydraulic fracturing job effectively.

 The need for the prolonged shut-in time is realized to analyze the radial
flow regime in DFIT.

 Permeability estimation equation is useful for rough calculation.

 Many production characteristics of shale gas reservoir need to be

monitored to correlate reservoir properties.

 Influence on adsorbed gas and stress dependent rock properties

should be considered to evaluate more precisely.

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Thank you for your
attention!