Porous Media Upscaling of Hydraulic Properties: Full Permeability Tensor and Continuum Scale Simulations Adolfo Antonio Rodriguez; Adolfo Antonio Rodriguez U. of Texas Austin Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Hector Klie; Hector Klie U. of Texas Austin Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Shuyu Sun; Shuyu Sun U. of Texas Austin Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Xiuli Gai; Xiuli Gai U. of Texas Austin Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Mary Fanett Wheeler; Mary Fanett Wheeler U. of Texas Austin Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Horacio Florez Horacio Florez Universidad Simon Bolivar Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the SPE/DOE Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, April 2006. Paper Number: SPE-100057-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/100057-MS Published: April 22 2006 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Rodriguez, Adolfo Antonio, Klie, Hector, Sun, Shuyu, Gai, Xiuli, Wheeler, Mary Fanett, and Horacio Florez. "Porous Media Upscaling of Hydraulic Properties: Full Permeability Tensor and Continuum Scale Simulations." Paper presented at the SPE/DOE Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, April 2006. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/100057-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE Improved Oil Recovery Conference Search Advanced Search AbstractThe simulation of flow and transport phenomena in fractured media is a challenging problem. Despite existing advances in computer capabilities, the fact that fractures can occur over a wide range of scales within porous media compromises the development of detailed flow simulations. Current discrete approaches are limited to systems that contain a small number of fractures. Alternatively, continuum approaches require the input of effective parameters that must be obtained as accurately as possible, based on the actual fracture network or its statistical description.In this work, a novel method based on the utilization of the Delta-Y transformation is introduced for obtaining the effective permeability tensor of a 2D fracture network. This approach entails a detailed description of the fracture network, where each fracture is represented as a segment with a given length, orientation and permeability value. A fine rectangular grid is then superimposed on the network, and the fractures are discretized so that each one of them is represented as a connected sequence of bonds on the grid with a hydraulic conductivity proportional to the ratio of effective permeability over fracture discretization length. The next step consists of the selection of a coarser rectangular grid on which the continuum simulation is performed. In order to obtain the permeability tensor for each one of the resulting blocks, the Delta-Y method is used.Finally, the resulting continuum permeability tensor is used to simulate the steady-state flow problem, and the results are compared with the actual flow pattern yielded by the fracture network simulation. The results obtained with both methods follow a similar flux pattern across the reservoir system. This shows that the proposed approach allows for efficient perform upscaling of hydraulic properties by honoring both the underlying physics and details of fracture network connectivity.1. IntroductionThe implementation of successful oil and gas exploitation plans in naturally fractured reservoirs, relies on the ability to predict the physical processes that take place in the subsurface. A way to perform these predictions is through detailed and robust numerical models that can capture the geometrical complexity of individual fractures, the fracture/fracture and the fracture/porous media interaction, and the underlying physical and chemical processes.The complexity of fractured geologies has limited the predictive ability of current models. However, with the advent of new computer capabilities, as well as, new numerical techniques and physical models, the implementation of increasingly reliable simulations of flow and reactive transport in complex fractured geologies is becoming a possibility.A popular approach to modeling flow and transport in fracture systems is to consider the effect of each individual fracture on the simulation. The advantage of this approach is that the geometric features of the fractures can be incorporated in a very detailed fashion. The main disadvantage is the high computational cost involved and the fact that the fracture/porous medium interaction is difficult to incorporate.To deal with the geological complexities, flow and transport calculations in fractured porous media rely on simplifying assumptions in terms of fracture geometry and fracture/porous media interaction. For example, two dimensional models have been used under the assumption that individual fractures are vertical and big enough to cross the entire unit in the vertical direction. Full three-dimensional simulators have been developed [1–3], however, due to the complexity of simulations, combined with the lack of data required to perform them, two-dimensional models remain popular.Flow simulations in fractured porous media are generally carried out using continuum methods. According to those types of models, transport properties of the fracture network is modeled using continuum transport coefficient. When the porous medium is permeable, fractures and porous media are assumed to coexist in the same spatial coordinates while their interaction is incorporated by adding an exchange term to the equations. This kind of schemes are widely known as dual porosity models and have been shown to be valid for especial situations [4]. Keywords: reservoir simulation, Simulation, continuum scale simulation, flow in porous media, Upstream Oil & Gas, fractured porous media, full permeability tensor, hydraulic fracturing, hydraulic property, fracture network Subjects: Hydraulic Fracturing, Reservoir Fluid Dynamics, Reservoir Simulation, Flow in porous media This content is only available via PDF. 2006. Society of Petroleum Engineers You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.