Modeling Fracture Relative Permeability - What is the Best Option?

In dual porosity systems it is important to model the multiphase flow at the fracture in order to establish the best way to obtain the greatest advantage in injection and production processes. In this study, a numerical simulation analysis is performed to study the effects of fracture relative permeability on the productive behavior of naturally fractured reservoirs. Simulations are made using analytical fracture relative permeability functions taken from the literature and pseudo-curves obtained from empirical variations of the fracture relative permeability function proposed by Romm (1966). The results of this study show that the representation of the fracture relative permeability as a linear function of saturation is not applicable for all naturally fractured reservoir scenarios and the need to consider the effects of saturation endpoints. Also, the analysis shows the need to treat this parameter as a history match property based on the specificity of the rock-fluid interaction and the need of laboratory testing to determine which model is more suitable for the conditions of the reservoir. Thus, it is shown the need to jointly analyze the petrophysical properties and the properties of fluid-rock interaction in both the matrix and fracture systems.