Quantitative characterization of horizontal well production performance with multiple indicators: a case study on the Weiyuan shale gas field in the Sichuan Basin, China

doi:10.1007/s11707-021-0885-x

Front. Earth Sci.

2021, Vol. 15

Issue (2) : 395-405 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-021-0885-x

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Quantitative characterization of horizontal well production performance with multiple indicators: a case study on the Weiyuan shale gas field in the Sichuan Basin, China

Rongze YU(

), Wei GUO, Lin DING, Meizhu WANG, Feng CHENG, Xiaowei ZHANG, Shangwen ZHOU, Leifu ZHANG

PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, Beijing 100083, China

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Abstract

To quantitatively characterize the horizontal shale gas well productivity and identify the dominant productivity factors in the Weiyuan Shale Gas Field, Sichuan Basin, a practical productivity method involving multiple indicators was proposed to analyze the production performance of 150 horizontal wells. The normalized test production, flowback ratio, first-year initial production and estimated/expected ultimate recovery (EUR) were introduced to estimate the well productivity in different production stages. The correlation between these four indicators was determined to reveal their effects on production performance forecasts. In addition, the dominant productivity factors in the present stage were identified to provide guidance for production performance enhancement. Research indicates that favorable linear relations exist between the normalized test production, first-year initial production and EUR. The normalized test production is regarded as an important indicator to preliminarily characterize the well productivity in the initial stage. The first-year initial production is the most accurate productivity evaluation indicator after a year. The flowback ratio is a supplementary indicator that qualitatively represents the well productivity and fracturing performance. The well productivity is greatly dependent on the lateral target interval, drilling length of Longmaxi1₁¹ (LM1₁¹) and wellbore integrity. The first-year recovery degree of EUR is 24%–58% with a P50 value of 35%.

Keywords shale gas productivity evaluation normalized test production first-year initial production EUR Longmaxi shale Weiyuan shale gas field

Corresponding Author(s): Rongze YU

Online First Date: 11 August 2021 Issue Date: 26 October 2021

Cite this article:

Rongze YU,Wei GUO,Lin DING, et al. Quantitative characterization of horizontal well production performance with multiple indicators: a case study on the Weiyuan shale gas field in the Sichuan Basin, China[J]. Front. Earth Sci., 2021, 15(2): 395-405.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-021-0885-x
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y2021/V15/I2/395

Fig.1 (a) Location of the study area, (b) stratum thickness of the Longmaxi Formation and (c) stratigraphy of the Wufeng–Longmaxi Formations in the Weiyuan shale gas field.

Fig.2 Key shale gas reservoir properties in the Weiyuan shale gas field. (a) TOC; (b) porosity; (c) brittle mineral content; (d) total gas content.

Fig.3 Typical horizontal well depth and fracturing parameters. (a) average measured depth and lateral length; (b) average fracturing fluid and proppant volume intensities.

Fig.4 Typical production curves in the Weiyuan shale gas field. (a) typical gas production curves; (b) typical casing pressure curves.

Tab.1 Normalized test production specification of the shale gas wells in the Weiyuan shale gas field

Fig.5 Statistical cumulative production and shut-in times for the horizontal shale gas wells in the Weiyuan Shale Gas Field.

Fig.6 (a) Relationship of the normalized test production with EUR; (b) relationship of FBR180 with EUR; (c) relationship of the first-year initial production with EUR; (d) relationship of the normalized test production with the first-year initial production.

Fig.7 Horizontal shale gas well productivity evaluation diagram for the Weiyuan shale gas field.

Fig.8 Correlations between the horizontal gas well EUR and drilling indicators. (a) Lateral target interval; (b) drilling length of LM1₁¹.

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