While flow in fractured porous media is a phenomenon often encountered i n reservoir simulation, there exists no generally accepted simulation methodology. One can catalogue existing approaches as either discrete fracture or continuum. As the name implies the discrete fracture mode2 considers each fracture as a geometrically well-defined ,entity wherein the fluid behavior is described using some variant of classical fluid mechanics. The geometry of the porous blocks is also assumed known and the pore fluid behavior i s determined via the equations describing the physics of flow through porous media. conservation constraints along the fractureporous block interface. Discrete fracture models have been popular for some time. Early work was conducted by Berman (1953) and Crawford and Col 1 ins (1 954) ; recently Grisak and Pickens (1980) used this approach to examine mass transport. The continuum model, sometimes referred to as the double porosity model , does not attempt to describe the behavior in each porous block or fracture explicitly. Rather one abandons this detailed level of observation and a l t e rnatively examines the physical phenomenon from a more distant perspective. A t this higher level of observation, one considers only the average properties of the pores and fractures. These properties are in turnrepresented by functions which are assumed to satisfy certain smoothness conditions consistent with the fundamental postulates of continuum mechanics. This approach relies more heavily on constitutive theory to establish meaningful experiments to determine these property functions. The concept of the continuum model, as applied to fractured reservoirs, is generally attributed to Barenblatt and Zhel tov (1 960). Only recently however have the mathematical-physical underpinnings of this approach been carefully examined. Duguid and Lee (1977) were the first to recognize the necessity of adhering to continuum principles i n equation formulation A recent sumnary of work in this area can be found in Shapiro (1981).

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