Predicting Shale Reservoir Response to Stimulation in the Upper Devonian of West Virginia

Abstract

Abstract A comprehensive site study carried out in an Upper Devonian shale gas reservoir at a site in southern West Virginia provided data to test a geomechanical model for stimulation of the Huron formation. Using a model in which natural fractures provide the primary conduits for production and are the major target for stimulation, and in which stimulation triggers shear slip on those pre-existing fractures, we were able to predict the shape of the reservoir volume stimulated by injection of high-quality foam and to match injection flow rates and pressures using a dual porosity dual permeability finite-difference flow simulator with anisotropic, pressure-sensitive reservoir properties. The resulting calibrated model matched both the relative contribution of the individual stages measured by production logging and the early-life well production. This suggests that similar models may in the future provide earlier and better production predictions, guidance for completion and stimulation design, and recommendations to minimize production decline and maximize well value.