Modeling Non-Darcy Flow in Porous and Fractured Reservoirs

A numerical method as well as a theoretical study of non-Darcy flow of single-phase and multiphase fluids through porous and fractured reservoirs is described. The non-Darcy flow is handled in a three-dimensional, multiphase flow reservoir simulator, while the model formulation incorporates the Forchheimer equation for describing single-phase or multiphase non-Darcy flow and displacement. Numerical solutions are used to obtain some insight into the physics of non-Darcy flow and displacement in reservoirs. In addition, several type curves are provided for well-test analyses of non-Darcy flow to demonstrate a methodology for modeling this type of flow in porous and fractured rocks, including flow in petroleum, geothermal, and groundwater formations.