A NEW MODEL FOR PREDICTING INFLOW PERFORMANCE OF FRACTURED HORIZONTAL WELLS

Based on the analyses of horizontal well flow characteristics and flow in fractures, the paper presents a new model to describe the inflow performance of fractured and un‑fractured horizontal wells with single phase flow. More and more horizontal wells are drilled today and we encounter more fractured horizontal wells. While predicting the inflow performance of fractured horizontal wells, we found that there is a need for a new model which couples the flow from rock matrix and flow from fractures, and is applicable for horizontal wells with and without fractures. This model serves the purpose. The new model may be used in well planning, production design, production system analysis and well efficiency improvement. The presented model couples the flow from rock matrix and the flow from fractures, and can be easily used in horizontal wells with or without fractures. Results from the new model are compared with those from commonly used models in petroleum industry for fractured and un‑fractured horizontal IPRs such as Economides et al. , Joshi, Guo and Schechter, etc. Results from the new model are also compared with field data obtained from published literature. The comparison with previously models of fractured horizontal wells shows that the new model is better in matching field data. The new model couples both the flow from rock matrix and the flow from fractures and can be used for predicting the inflow performance of horizontal wells with and without fractures.