Practice of high-intensity volume fracturing in the Shaximiao Formation tight sandstone gas reservoirs of the Qiulin Block, central Sichuan Basin

Abstract

Abstract In order to solve the difficulties in the volume fracturing stimulation of Middle Jurassic Shaximiao Formation tight sandstone reservoirs in the Qiulin Block of Central Sichuan Basin and explore the adaptability of high-intensity volume fracturing technology, we selected the outcrop samples of Shaximiao Formation tight sandstone in the Qiulin Block to carry out the physical simulation experiment of true triaxial hydraulic fracturing. On this basis, horizontal well cluster perforation was optimally designed by using the production prediction model of staged multi-cluster fracturing horizontal wells. Then, based on the liquid control and proppant increase mode, three rounds of pilot tests were carried out on the tight sandstone reservoirs in this area. And the following research results were obtained. First, natural fractures in the Shaximiao Formation tight sandstone reservoir of the Qiulin Block are undeveloped, and hydraulic fractures are morphologically dominated by symmetric double-wing fractures, so complex fracture networks can be hardly formed. In addition, the reservoir is of medium to strong water sensitivity, so conventional volume fracturing is not adaptive to the reservoir stimulation in this block. Second, the connotation of high-intensity volume fracturing technology is to carry out multi-cluster perforation in each section to form multiple independent double-wing fractures and to implement the proppant injection mode of liquid control and proppant increase to reduce the inflow fluid while ensuring the high-intensity proppant injection, so as to reduce the damage of inflow fluid to the formation. Third, there are 10 fracturing sections in Well Qiulin 207-5-H2, with 7–12 clusters in each section, and the displacement is in the range of 16–18\xa0m3/min. According to the fluid control and proppant increase mode, 12146\xa0m3 slick water and 4170\xa0t proppant are injected in total. The tested production rate and absolute open flow of natural gas after the fracturing are up to 83.88\xa0×\xa0104\xa0m3/d and 214.05\xa0×\xa0104\xa0m3/d, respectively. Fourth, with the decrease of cluster spacing, the cumulative gas production increases gradually, but when the cluster spacing is less than 15\xa0m, the increase amplitude of cumulative gas production decreases. Fifth, when the proppant injection intensity is lower than 6\xa0t/m, the tested gas production per kilometer of stimulated section in a horizontal well overall presents an increasing trend with the increase of proppant injection intensity. When the proppant injection intensity is higher than 6\xa0t/m, however, the tested gas production per kilometer of stimulated section does not increase significantly with the increase of proppant injection intensity. Sixth, as the included angle between the borehole trajectory and the direction of maximum horizontal principal stress increases, the tested gas production per kilometer of stimulated section overall presents an increasing trend. When the hydraulic fracture is nearly perpendicular to the borehole, the effective drainage area is the largest and the tested gas production per kilometer of stimulated section is also the highest. In conclusion, the fracturing mode of high production well has a borehole trajectory of large included angle, perforation cluster spacing of 10\xa0m or so, proppant injection intensity of 5\xa0t/m and large-displacement slick water\xa0+\xa0continuous injection of combined particle size proppant.