Optimum design of multi-stage hydraulically fractured multi-horizontal shale gas well using flow regime analysis

Abstract

Optimum horizontal well spacing and fracture spacing are obtained through characterizing the changes in flow regime caused by pressure interference in multiple transverse fractured horizontal wells. To obtain this aim, appropriate hydraulic fracture spacing was calculated by using flow regime characteristic called pseudo pseudosteady state where the pressure interference between neighbored two fractures. In addition, the fracture spacing calculated for the shale gas reservoir with permeability of 0.0001 md was applied to calculate the horizontal well spacing when two wells were drilled. Through the calculated optimum fracture spacing and well spacing, we determined the optimal number of horizontal wells in a shale gas reservoir and presented the estimated ultimate recovery.