Open Access

ARTICLE

Transient Multiphase Study on the Influence of Well Trajectory on Horizontal Shale Gas Production

Anqi Du^1,*, Ming Wen², Jian Yang¹

1 Engineering Technology Research Institute of PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gasfield Company, Chengdu, 610017, China
2 PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gas Field Company, Chengdu, 610051, China

* Corresponding Author: Anqi Du. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Fluid and Thermal Dynamics in the Development of Unconventional Resources II)

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2025, 21(4), 939-957. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2024.058553

Received 14 September 2024; Accepted 20 November 2024; Issue published 06 May 2025

Abstract

Horizontal wells play a crucial role in enhancing shale gas reservoir production. This study employs transient multiphase simulation to investigate the impact of well trajectory on production optimization throughout a well’s life cycle. The research uses OLGA^TM as a simulator to examine six well trajectories: toe-up, toe-down, smooth horizontal, undulated toe-up, undulated toe-down, and undulated horizontal. Initial findings indicate comparable production rates across different trajectories during the early production phase, with toe-up wells showing slightly better performances due to minimal slugging. However, as the reservoir pressure decreases, the well trajectory significantly influences production. Horizontal wells achieve the highest accumulated gas production rates due to minimal liquid holdup and back pressure. Toe-up wells experience early liquid accumulation and severe slugging, leading to increased back pressure and smaller production. The study highlights the positive effects of lateral undulations on toe-up and toe-down wells in terms of liquid unloading, however some emphasis is also put on their adverse influence on horizontal wells.

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Keywords

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material File

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