3.

FRACTURE AND
MATRIX POROSITY
INTERACTION
1. Fracture permeability

2. Fracture porosity
3. Fluid saturations within the fractures
4. The recovery factor in fracture system
Fracture Properties Needed
Fracture porosity & permeability
are both a function of

Fracture Width (e)
&
Fracture Spacing (D)
= Vp X 100
Vb
f = e_ X 100
D + e
where r, = matrix porosity
f = fracture porosity
Vp = volume of pores (no fractures)
Vb = bulk volume
D = avg. spacing between
parallel fractures
e = avg. effective width of fractures
Fracture Porosity
Fracture Porosity Magnitude
Guidelines for Fracture Porosity
-Always Less Than 2%
-Excluding Small Zones < 1%
-General Less Than 0.5%
- Vuggy Fractures 0 -Large
Fracture porosity is usually low
but can be important in specific
reservoirs with large vertical and
areal extent.
Fracture Porosity is
Difficult to Calculate
and
Even More Difficult to
Interpret
While Fracture Porosity is
Small in Magnitude
It is very effective porosity
A possible large volume per well due to
large drainage area and reservoir
thickness
An assumed high recovery factor
Fracture System Volume as a Function
of Fracture Porosity & Drainage
Nelson (1985)
2 ft
Fracture
Porosity
& Scale
Nelson (1985)
Depth & Depletion Corrections
Are Much More Severe

in Fracture Porosity

Than in Matrix Porosity
Fracture & Matrix Porosity
Compressibility
Tr Ss from Daw & Others (1974)
Fracture & Matrix Permeability
Compressibility
Fracture Porosity Calculator
Nelson (1985)


Fracture porosity is very difficult to
calculate. Estimates can be made by:

1. Core analysis
2. kf/f relationship
3. Field determinations
4. Logs
5. Multiple well tests

Fracture Porosity
Determinations

Average Porosity From Whole-Core Analysis
(Arithmetic Average)


Silurian Tuscarora Quartzite, Amoco #1 Texas-Gulf


(Assumes < 0.5% = 0.0%)

All Core = 0.9%
Best Zone = 1.4%
Unfractured Rock = 0.6%
All Core f = 0.4%
Best Zone f = 0.9%
Highest f = 2.9%


Fracture Porosity from
Core Analysis
Fracture Porosity vs.
Fracture Permeability
Nelson (1985)
K. North Sea
Chalk
Valhall Field
Fracture
Porosity/
Permeability
Relationship
Nelson (1985)
Fracture Porosity from Outcrop
Fracture Intensities
Assumes Fracture Width for Ls at 10,000 ft from Lab Measurements
Nelson
(1985)
Sometimes Fracture
Porosity & Matrix
Porosity are Related

Q = KA dh
dl

where K = hydraulic conductivity
A = cross-sectional area
dh/dI = head gradient.
Hubbert (1940) showed that:

K = k(g/)

and

k = Nd
2


where k = intrinsic permeability
= fluid density
g = acceleration of gravity
= fluid viscosity
N = a dimensionless coefficient
d = average constitutive grain diameter


The resultant dimensions of k are (length).


Q = e
3
dh g
A 12D dl


where D = fracture spacing, the
average distance between parallel
regularly spaced fractures.

Permeability
Fracture
Permeability
Darcy (1856)
Lamb (1957)
(Parsons, 1966):


kfm = km + e
3
. Cos o
12D
and

kf = e
2
.
w
g
12
w



where kfr = permeability of the fracture plus
intact-rock system

kf = permeability of a fracture

km = permeability of the intact-rock

o = angle between the axis of the
pressure gradient and the fracture planes.

Fracture System Permeability
After Duguid (1973)
Continuity Eq. For Fluid In Pores
(1-f)m Cw (dPm/dt) + (1-f)f Cw (dPf/dt) + r/w + V - < Vm > = 0
Continuity Eq. For Fluid In Fractures
(1-m) m Cw(dPm/dt) + (1-m)f Cw(dPf/dt) + V - < Vfm > = 0
Where:
< Vfm > = Kf/w, (w (d<Vfm>/dt) + VPf)), <Vm> = - Km/Mw VPm
Written in Terms of
3 Components of
Dilation of the Medium
Fluid Velocity in Fractures
r = Cross-flow Term
Pressure in Matrix
Pressure in Fractures
Combined Permeability
After Parsons (1966)

Kfm = Km + e
1
3
Cos A
1
+ .. e
n

3
Cos A
n

12 D
1
12 D
n


e
3
. w g
Kf = -
12 w

For 1 - n Fracture Sets

Where K = Permeability
e = Fracture Width
D = Fracture Spacing
A = Angle Between Axis Of Pressure
Gradient and Fracture Planes
= Density
= Viscosity
g = Acc. Gravity

Subscripts:
m is Matrix
f is Fracture
fm is Matrix & Fracture Combined
w is Water (Fluid)

Fluid Flow in Fractures & Matrix
Parsons (1966) also shows that his Equation can
be expanded to incorporate multiple fracture sets:

kfm = km + a cos
2
o+ b cos
2
|+ . . . .

where

a = e
1
3
for Fracture Set 1
12 D
1

and

b = e
2
3
Fracture Set 2
12 D
2

Flow in Multiple Fracture Sets
Some Published Natural Fracture Widths

Noorishad and others (1971) 3.0 X 10-1 cm
Ohnishi and Goodman (1974) 1.3-2.5 X 10-1 cm
Sharp and others (1972) 1.0-5.0 X 10-2 cm
Snow (1968a) 5.0 X 10-1 cm
Snow (1968b) 0.5-1.5 X 10-2cm
van Golf-Racht (1982) 1.0-4.0 X 10-3 cm
Wilson and Witherspoon (1970) 2.5 x 10-2 cm (mean)



Experimental Fracture Widths at 10,000 ft
(Simulated Depth)
(Number of Samples Not Statistically Significant)


Medium to Coarse Grained Sandstone 10-2 cm
Fine to Medium Sandstone and
Crystalline Carbonates 10-1 cm
Siltstones 10-4 cm
Shales (Textural Term) 10-5 cm
Chalks (Compositional and Textural Term 10-1 to 10-6 cm

Fracture Widths
In Situ Stress & Fracture Closure
k
f
& k
m
with Stress
Hod Chalk,North Sea
Confining Pressure (psi)
k

(
m
d
)

Nelson (1985)
Calculated Fracture Width with Stress
Confining Pressure (psi)
e

(
c
m
)

Nelson (1985)
Fracture & Matrix Porosity
Compressibility
Fracture Permeability Calculator
Nelson (1985)
% Fracture Permeability Plot
Nelson (1985)
% Fracture Porosity Plot
Nelson (1985)
kv vs. kh max kh 90 vs. kh max
Permeability Anisotropy from
Whole-Core
Nelson (1985)
Permeability Anisotropy Map
Ryckman Creek WI # 6
Nelson (1985)
kh 90 / kh max Kv / kh max
Permeability Features from Core Log
Fractures
Bedding &
Fractures
Bedding &
Fractures
Strong
B&F
Fractures
Nelson
(1985)
Channeled Flow Along a Planar Fracture
Navajo Ss
Page Arizona
3 ft
Fracture
Surface
Secondary
Calcite
Interaction Between
Fractures & Matrix

Fracture reservoirs are inherently a
two porosity system (at least 2)
Communication or crossflow can be
good, or it can be inhibited by
mineralization within or deformation
along the fracture planes
It is necessary to document porosity
interaction to estimate reserves
Porosity
Map
Open Fracture
Nugget Ss, Wyoming
Nelson (1985)
Porosity
Map
Nugget Ss, Wyoming
Slickensided
Fracture
Nelson (1985)
Nugget Ss, Wyoming
Gouge-Filled
Fracture
Nelson (1985)
Porosity
Map
Nahanni Fm, NW Territories
Partially
Mineralized
Fracture
Nelson (1985)
Channeled Flow Along a Planar Fracture
Navajo Ss
Page Arizona
3 ft
Fracture
Surface
Secondary
Calcite