Fracture characterization and estimation of fracture porosity of naturally fractured reservoirs with no matrix porosity using stochastic fractal models

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2009-05-15

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Determining fracture characteristics at the laboratory scale is a major challenge. It is known that fracture characteristics are scale dependent; as such, the minimum sample size should be deduced in order to scale to reservoir dimensions. The main factor affecting mechanical and hydrological characteristics of natural fractures is aperture distribution, which is a function of scale and confining pressure, rather than roughness of one fracture surface. Scale and pressure dependencies of artificial and natural fractures were investigated in this study using an X-Ray CT Scanner. Fractal dimension, D, and amplitude parameter, A, of fracture aperture approaches a constant value with increased sampling area, similar to the behavior of fracture roughness. In addition, both parameters differ under different confining pressures for a reference sampling area. Mechanical properties of fracture-fracture deformation behavior and fracture normal stiffness were obtained from CT scan data as well. Matrix porosity is relatively easy to measure and estimate compared to fracture porosity. On the other hand, fracture porosity is highly heterogeneous and very difficult to measure and estimate. When matrix porosity of naturally fractured reservoirs (NFR) is negligible, it is very important to know fracture porosity to evaluate reservoir performance. Since fracture porosity is highly uncertain, fractal discrete fractal network (FDFN) generation codes were developed to estimate fracture porosity. To reflect scale dependent characteristics of fracture networks, fractal theories are adopted. FDFN modeling technique enables the systematic use of data obtained from image log and core analysis for estimating fracture porosity. As a result, each fracture has its own fracture aperture distribution, so that generated FDFN are similar to actual fracture systems. The results of this research will contribute to properly evaluating the fracture porosity of NFR where matrix porosity is negligible.

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