Numerical simulation study of multi-scale fracture models considering capillary force heterogeneity

Abstract In reservoirs containing multi-scale fractures, the dual-porosity model alone is insufficient to effectively describe hydraulic fractures, while the embedded discrete fracture model (EDFM) fails to capture the complexity of natural fractures. This study integrates the dual-porosity model with the EDFM for modeling reservoirs with multi-scale fractures, considering the capillary force heterogeneity between the matrix and fractures. Modifications were made to the calculation method for the crossflow between matrix and fractures. The proposed model was validated through examples, which partially affirmed its effectiveness.