Hongkui Ge

ANALYSIS OF SPONTANEOUS IMBIBITION IN FRACTAL TREE-LIKE NETWORK SYSTEM

Spontaneous imbibition in porous media is common in nature, imbibition potential is very important for understanding the imbibition ability, or the ability to keep high imbibition rate for a long time. Structure parameters have influence on imbibition potential. This work investigates the process of spontaneous imbibition of liquid into a fractal tree-like network, taking fractal structure parameters into consideration. The analytical expression for dimensionless imbibition rate with this fractal tree-like network is derived. The influence of structure parameters on imbibition potential is discussed. It is found that optimal diameter ratio β is important for networks to have imbibition potential. Moreover, with liquid imbibed in more sub-branches, some structures of parameter combinations will show the characteristic of imbibition potential gradually. Finally, a parameter plane is made to visualize the percentage of good parameter in all possible combinations and to evaluate the imbibition potential of a specific network system more directly. It is also helpful to design and to optimize a fractal network with good imbibition potential.

ANALYSIS OF CAPILLARY RISE IN ASYMMETRIC BRANCH-LIKE CAPILLARY

Transport in porous media is common in nature, attracting many attentions for a long time. Tree-like network model is often used as a simplification for porous space, expressing the complexity of pore spaces instead of capillary bundle. To investigate spontaneous imbibition characteristics in this network, a dynamic asymmetric branch-like capillary model is used to represent basic network structure, using fractal method to represent tortuosity. This work investigates the influence of parameters on imbibition process in the branch-like capillary model. An analytical equation for the imbibition mass versus time is derived. Parameters from capillary structures to liquid properties are taken into account and analyzed based on the numerical solution of the equation. It is found that the imbibition process in asymmetric branch-like capillary model can be recognized by four sections and brunching tubes are positive for imbibition process. Concomitantly, meniscus arrest event is simulated and discussed. Moreover, the influence of parameters on imbibition process is discussed. These parameters can be classified as static and dynamic. Static parameters mainly change the capillary force, which are related to the ultimate imbibition mass or imbibition ability, while dynamic parameters mainly have influence on resistance of flowing fluid, which are related to the imbibition speed in the imbibition process.

SPONTANEOUS IMBIBITION PROCESS IN MICRO–NANO FRACTAL CAPILLARIES CONSIDERING SLIP FLOW

An imbibition process of water into a matrix is required to investigate the influences of large-volume fracturing fluids on gas production of unconventional formations. Slip flow has been recognized by recent studies as a major mechanism of fluid transport in nanotubes. For nanopores in shale, a slip boundary is nonnegligible in the imbibition process. In this study, we established an analytic equation of spontaneous imbibition considering slip effects in capillaries. A spontaneous imbibition model that couples the analytic equation considering the slip effect was constructed based on fractal theory. We then used a model for various conditions, such as slip boundary, pore structure, and fractal dimension of pore tortuosity, to capture the imbibition characteristics considering the slip effect. A dynamic contact angle was integrated into the modeling. Results of our study verify that the slip boundary influences water imbibition significantly. The imbibition speed is significantly improved when slip length...

Impact of Petrophysical Properties on Hydraulic Fracturing and Development in Tight Volcanic Gas Reservoirs

The volcanic reservoir is an important kind of unconventional reservoir. The aqueous phase trapping (APT) appears because of fracturing fluids filtration. However, APT can be autoremoved for some wells after certain shut-in time. But there is significant distinction for different reservoirs. Experiments were performed to study the petrophysical properties of a volcanic reservoir and the spontaneous imbibition is monitored by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and pulse-decay permeability. Results showed that natural cracks appear in the samples as well as high irreducible water saturation. There is a quick decrease of rock permeability once the rock contacts water. The pores filled during spontaneous imbibition are mainly the nanopores from NMR spectra. Full understanding of the mineralogical effect and sample heterogeneity benefits the selection of segments to fracturing. The fast flow-back scheme is applicable in this reservoir to minimize the damage. Because lots of water imbibed into the nanopores, the main flow channels become larger, which are beneficial to the permeability recovery after flow-back of hydraulic fracturing. This is helpful in understanding the APT autoremoval after certain shut-in time. Also, Keeping the appropriate production differential pressure is very important in achieving the long term efficient development of volcanic gas reservoirs.

Impact of Capillary Imbibition Into Shale on Lost Gas Volume

We have investigated the features of the shale imbibition process for different drilling fluid parameters, using as an example Chang-7 shale in the Yanchang region of Erdos Basin, as is needed to study the effect of the mechanism for imbibition of drilling fluid filtrate on gas yield and on the lost gas calculation. It has been established that capillary imbibition of drilling fluid filtrate occurs in three stages: the early stage, in which the imbibition rate is high; the middle stage, which is controlled by the shale matrix and has low imbibition rate; and the late stage (diffusion stage), which lasts the longest. Capillary imbibition increases the gas dissipation rate from the rock sample, which results in 10%-20% error in the lost gas calculation. In order to maintain the gas-bearing properties of the formation and to reduce lost gas, we need to optimize the properties of the drilling fluid to reduce the impact of capillary imbibition.

Spontaneous imbibition in fractal tortuous micro-nano pores considering dynamic contact angle and slip effect: phase portrait analysis and analytical solutions

Shales have abundant micro-nano pores. Meanwhile, a considerable amount of fracturing liquid is imbibed spontaneously in the hydraulic fracturing process. The spontaneous imbibition in tortuous micro-nano pores is special to shale, and dynamic contact angle and slippage are two important characteristics. In this work, we mainly investigate spontaneous imbibition considering dynamic contact angle and slip effect in fractal tortuous capillaries. We introduce phase portrait analysis to analyse the dynamic state and stability of imbibition. Moreover, analytical solutions to the imbibition equation are derived under special situations, and the solutions are verified by published data. Finally, we discuss the influences of slip length, dynamic contact angle and gravity on spontaneous imbibition. The analysis shows that phase portrait is an ideal tool for analysing spontaneous imbibition because it can evaluate the process without solving the complex governing ordinary differential equations. Moreover, dynamic contact angle and slip effect play an important role in fluid imbibition in fractal tortuous capillaries. Neglecting slip effect in micro-nano pores apparently underestimates imbibition capability, and ignoring variations in contact angle causes inaccuracy in predicting imbibition speed at the initial stage of the process. Finally, gravity is one of the factors that control the stabilisation of the imbibition process.

The main factors and rules of stress shadow of perpendicular cracks

Based on elasticity theory, we use numerical Galerkin finite element discretization method and implement Matlab finite element code to simulate “stress shadow” distributions of mutual orthogonal fractures. The principal stress and principal distributions have the symmetry characteristic on the intersection (coordinate origin). The relationships between stress shadow and flow pressure ratio, pore pressure, fluid pressure and horizontal stress contract are analyzed, respectively. By these techniques of variable displacement construction, changing the viscosity of the fracturing fluid, exploitation of oil and gas wells changing pump rate and fracturing fluid viscosity, reducing pore pressure and increasing the injection volume, taking the advantages of shadow effect, it is likely to produce a complex fracture network.

Ion Diffusion Behavior between Fracturing Water and Shale and Its Potential Influence on Production

Water imbibition, conductivity measurements, and ion identification were performed to investigate ion diffusion behavior between slick water and shale for large-scale hydraulic fracturing. The results indicated that there was strong ion exchange between water and shale. The ion concentration in water increases with fracture complexity and is dependent on the salinity of fracturing fluids. This implies that fracturing effects could be forecast from flow-back fluid ion concentrations after large-scale slick water fracturing. Higher levels of ion diffusion imply the presence of larger fracturing areas and higher level of fracture density for a similar reservoir. The mechanism of ion diffusion and the corresponding effects on IOR (increased oil recovery) based on a field example are discussed.

Wangfu Low-Permeability Volcanic Gas Reservoir Microstructure and Damage Mechanism

The microstructure of the Wangfu volcanic reservoir and the predicted permeability reduction of this reservoir are investigated. It is found that water block (strata permeability reduction due to the penetration of water into the pore space) and fracturing fluid residue are the main causes of reduced deposit gas permeability. A subsuite of this reservoir, Quan-1, is sensitive to water whereas the Huoshiling and Shahezi formations are sensitive to acids. Therefore, an acidic fracturing fluid should be used in the first instance, and fluid with a low concentration of guar gum and minimal acid content – in the second. However, fracturing fluids with anionic surfactants should be used to solve the water-block problem in all three deposits, thereby increasing process efficiency.

Optimization of coiled-tubing drainage gas recovery technology in tight gas field

In this study, research progress on critical liquid-carrying theory was introduced and its applicable conditions were presented and analyzed. The design technique of coiled-tubing drainage gas reco...