Fracture Modeling Petrel 2010

Fracture Modeling Theorethical Import/Display QC and use Fracture Initial Data

Intro Background Attribute Data Analysis

Modeling Fracture Building Fracture Upscaling Fracture model with Simulation

Parameters Model Multiple Fracture Drivers
Building a Fracture network model
Overview

Petrel Methodology (DFN + IFM)

Create a Fracture network model
Use Intensity upscaled logs
Use Zones and Regions
Create Stochastic and Deterministic Fracture sets
Visualize and QC the fracture model
Create/update Fracture attributes
Aperture
Permeability
Building a Fracture network model
Petrel methodology

Petrel combines two approaches to standard fracture modeling by the

use of a Hybrid model:
Discrete Fracture Network (DFN): The large/important fractures are
modeled explicitly as discrete patches
Implicit Fracture Model (IFM): The residual part of the distribution
(smaller fractures) is statistically represented as grid properties
Building a Fracture network model
Overview

Fracture sets
Create a Fracture model using single input
Or using several fracture sets.

Deterministic / Stochastic model

Uses a direct input or models the fractures
stochastically based on input statistcs

Stochastic Fracture modeling

Model fractures sets for the whole 3D
grid, per Region or within Zones.
A fracture model requires 3 basic inputs:
1. Fracture Distribution
2. Fracture Geometry
3. Fracture Orientation
Building a Fracture network model
What are Fracture sets?

Fracture set 1 Fault related

Fracture sets
Can typically be fractures analyzed from image
logs, separated by genetic events, orientation or
other factors.
Fracture set 2 Stratabound

Fracture Network Combined 3 Fracture Sets

Fracture set 3 Unconstrained vertical

Modified from Mattner (2003)

Building a Fracture network model
Deterministic Model
Deterministic Fracture model:
Can typically be single faults that act as fluid highways, or
possible barriers if sealed by intense smearing

Input data types:

Fault Patches from Ant tracking
Fault surfaces/polygons/points
Existing Fractures (import .FAB files)
Building a Fracture network model
Stochastic Model
Stochastic Fracture model:
Can typically be fractures where location, size and
orientation is not directly known, but can be inferred from Apply Property Filter
statistics.

Extent
Defines Fracture network or Set representing:
Zones
Regions
Entire 3D Grid
Building a Fracture network model
Fracture distribution
Fracture Intensity
Most important fracture Scale independence
parameter. Related to P11/Sf Dependant on orientation,
fracture spacing (Sf). Independant of fracture size

2D Areal view - P22 1D Vertical view P11

Sf
Sf Sf

Same Fracture spacing

Sfe Same Fracture intensity

Modified from Dershowitz & Herda (1992) Fracture centres x 2

P22 Fracture length/plane area
Random line
Measurement line (e.g.borehole)
Fracture length x 1/2
P11 Fracture centre/length
Sf Fracture spacing
Sfe Expected fracture spacing
Building a Fracture network model
Stochastic model 1. Fracture distribution
Density distribution types Define density distribution
Property Frac / Volume (P30)
Surface Frac Length / Volume (P31)
Constant value Frac Area / Volume (P32)
Equivalent
to Petrel

1?, 7?, 10? Frac Area / Volume (P32)

Scale independant; most used
in 3D fracture modeling
Building a Fracture network model
Fracture geometry

Stratabound
Restricted size scale with regular spacing.
Joints (constant normal distribution).

Non-stratabound
Wide size range (power law), spatially
clustered and vertically persistent.
Joints - modeled in a Zone
Faults - modeled in entire Grid

SCALE / SHAPE STD.DEV MEAN STD.DEV

Building a Fracture network model
Stochastic model 2. Fracture geometry
Shape Elongation ratio can be set larger for
stratabound fractures
Defines how the simplified fracture plane
should look like (number of sides)

Not Modeled

Fracture length
Use constant or property as parameter for 20 1000
distribution of fracture length in the model
Note: you should truncate to limit
the number of modeled fractures
Building a Fracture network model
Stochastic model 2. Fracture geometry
Max length of implicit fractures
Defines the threshold where any fractures below the value are modeled as Implicit
properties (IFM), and all values above are modeled as Discrete fractures (DFN).

Max length cutoff

Building a Fracture network model
Fracture orientation

Orientation of fracture dip angle/azimuth

Directions for normal to fracture planes are scattered
around a mean dip and azimuth based on a
given concentration.

Common parameters:
Mean dip from initial fracture analysis
Mean dip azimuth direction of fracture plane
dip (not strike!)
Concentration (Kappa factor) angular Focussed distribution
Standard deviation High Kappa factor
Medium focussing
Here: for near vertical fractures
Scattered/uncertain distribution
Low Kappa factor; here for
near horizontal fractures
Building a Fracture network model
Stochastic model 3. Fracture orientation
Regional Trends
Defined orientation of the modeled
fracture dip/orientation will be
relative to a 3D Grid / Surface.
No trend Regional trend
Method
Petrel uses 3 different models to
describe the distribution of angles:
Fisher, Kent and Bingham.
Concentration = 10 Concentration = 80
Building a Fracture network model
Result (DFN)

Fracture model output (discrete planes)

A separate Discrete fractures folder will be created showing
fractures as flat planes.
Building a Fracture network model
Result (IFM)

Fracture model output (continuous properties)

A separate Implicit fractures folder will be created showing
fractures as attribute properties.

Note: The Fracture sets

filter also works for the
Implicit fractures
QC Fracture Model
Statistics
QC Discrete fractures in Histogram/Stereonet tab
Inspect output distributions with input parameteres. Use interactive filters
(pink selection) in both tabs for all attributes. New attributes can be generated
and filtered on as well. Filtered property name is marked in red.

Filtered fracture property Stereonet filter options

Gray region will be

Interactive filtering the poles
filter to the fracture planes
selection
Update Fracture Attributes
Fracture attributes

Aperture
Aperture (a) is a highly uncertain parameter, but can be measured from image logs at the
well scale. Alternatively, as a first run, a constant value can be assigned, e.g. per
fracture set. Aperture may also be determined mechanically; related to fracture
size/length.
Aperture (a) Spacing (Sf) Aperture (FVA)

Hydraulic aperture (FVAH)

Update Fracture Attributes
Fracture attributes
Flow/Permeability
Flow can generally be related the Cubic Law if no other measures are available.
Permeability is assumed to increase exponentially with interconnection of fractures
/ sets. It can also be calibrated to production data / flow measurements / well tests.

Sheet model
Match Sugar Calculated Fracture Permeability (Kf)
sticks cube As a simple approach we assume a Sheet model
model model (parallel sets of fractures with equal spacing).
We relate individual Fracture Permeability
(Kf) to the Square of Aperture (Flow to Cube
of aperture)
Modified from Reiss (1980)

Isolated fractures Isolated fracture zones/corridors Interconnected fractures

Modified from Mattner (2003)

Update Fracture Attributes
Discrete fracture attributes Calculator
Units & Functions
Discrete fractures are created with fracture attributes; some are already set like
Dip and Azimuth; some can be calculated/updated like Aperture and Permeability.

Aperture (ft) = Length (ft) * Normal (Mean, Std.dev)(ft)

Derived from Surface area (ft2) of Fracture plane

Fracture length = sqrt (area*elongation ratio)
Perm (mD) = 1/12 * Aperture 2 (ft) * C
Be aware of Units when using the Calculator!

Derived from Length (ft); Conversion factor:

must be converted to m 1 mD = 10-15 m2
Update Fracture Attributes
Discrete fracture attributes Calculator
Calculator & Spreadsheet
Calculate or update existing attributes.
Calculations are updated in the Attribute spreadsheet.

Attributes used in Upscaling

Pre-calculated values (not updateable) Process-calculated values (updateable)

QC Fracture Attributes
Statistics

Histogram Statistics
QC the calculated attributes Aperture and Permeability. Check if the distribution,
mean and dimension are as expected.
EXERCISES
Module 7

P.216 - 250