Studies of Injection into Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

Abstract

A semi-analytical model for studies of cold water injection into naturally fractured reservoirs has been developed. The model can be used to design the flow rates and location of injection wells in such systems. The results obtained using the model show that initially the cold water will move very rapidly through the fracture system away from the well. Later on, conductive heat transfer from the rock matrix blocks will retard the advancement of the cold water front, and eventually uniform energy sweep conditions will prevail. Where uniform energy sweep conditions are reached the cold movement away from the injection well will be identical to that in a porous medium; consequently maximum energy recovery from the rock matrix will be attained. The time of uniform energy sweep and the radial distance form the injection well where it occurs are greatly dependant upon the fracture spacing, but independent of the fracture aperture.