PRESSURE TRANSIENT ANALYSIS OF FRACTURED VERTICAL WELLS IN FAULTED RESERVOIRS USING A FRACTAL PERMEABILITY-BASED BOUNDARY ELEMENT MODEL

In the development of oil and gas fields, well test analysis is a crucial method for inverting hydraulic fracture parameters and reservoir properties. The efficiency and accuracy of parameter inversion depend heavily on the construction of precise well test models, as well as reliable seepage models for porous media. Faults, as common geological structures, have a significant impact on hydrocarbon migration and the pressure response of production wells. Moreover, the influence of natural fractures near faults on fluid flow in porous media must also be taken into account. This paper, grounded in fractal theory and Darcy’s law, develops a fractal permeability model for Newtonian fluid flow in fractured porous media. In addition, a boundary element method (BEM) is introduced, which incorporates infinitesimal-thickness skin interfaces and discrete elements to construct a model that accounts for faults. The model’s validity is confirmed using commercial well test software. Typical curves for fractured vertical wells in faulted reservoirs were obtained, and the flow stages were determined. The study further analyzes the effects of key fault parameters, inter-well interference, and the fractal characteristics of natural fractures on the pressure behavior of fractured vertical wells. This research provides novel approaches for reservoir property inversion, structural evaluation, and the assessment of fault scale and properties in faulted reservoirs.