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Abstract

Summary

An entirely new technique is described for characterising fractures using purely historical flowrate data from mature reservoirs; the method uses a statistical physics and maximum entropy approach, relying on the use of flowrates as a proxies for local geomechanical strains in the reservoirs around wells, for which previous work has given justification. Because all possible pairs of wells, both producers and injectors, are incorporated into the analysis, the method is akin to a tomography of the reservoir. Applications to oil and gas reservoirs, both in depletion and secondary recovery, as well as to a geothermal field, are described. The results show encouraging relationships to the fields’ structural and geomechanical features, as well as to the results of geomechanical modelling. The method will also be useful for assessing the geomechanical status of depleted oil or gas reservoirs being considered for CC(U)S, as well as for monitoring their behaviour during CO2 injection.

© EAGE Publications BV
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2025-06-02
2026-03-12

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References

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/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.2025101466
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Fracture Characteristics Interpreted from Fluctuations in Well Flowrates
Conference Proceedings 2025, 1 (2025); https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.2025101466
/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.2025101466
/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.2025101466
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