Hai Li¹, Ziqiang Xia^2,3,*, Majia Zheng⁴, Weiyang Xie^2,3, Jianlin Li¹, Ruiqi Gao^2,3, Gaoxiang Wang^2,3, Jiangrong Feng^2,3

Energy Engineering, Vol.122, No.12, pp. 5039-5054, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ee.2025.069036 - 27 November 2025

Abstract To explore and evaluate the longitudinal utilization degree of marine shale gas horizontal wells in southern Sichuan Basin (hereinafter referred to as “southern Sichuan”), focusing on the shale of Wufeng formation-Longyi1 sub-member in the deep Z block. By using the data from core experiments, well logging, and fracture height detection, a systematic analysis from the perspectives of reservoir distribution, longitudinal utilization height of hydraulic fractures, and longitudinal utilization degree of horizontal wells was conducted. The research results show that: (1) The overall reservoir conditions of the Wufeng formation-Longyi1 sub-member in the study area are relatively… More > Graphic Abstract

Junchen Liu¹, Feng Zhou¹, Xiaofeng Lu¹, Xiaojin Zhou², Xianjun He¹, Yurou Du³, Fuguo Xia¹, Junfu Zhang⁴, Weiyi Luo^4,*

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.21, No.10, pp. 2613-2628, 2025, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2025.069772 - 30 October 2025

Abstract In shale gas reservoir stimulation, proppants are essential for sustaining fracture conductivity. However, increasing closing stress causes proppants to embed into the rock matrix, leading to a progressive decline in fracture permeability and conductivity. Furthermore, rock creep contributes to long-term reductions in fracture performance. To elucidate the combined effects of proppant embedding and rock creep on sustained conductivity, this study conducted controlled experiments examining conductivity decay in propped fractures under varying closing stresses, explicitly accounting for both mechanisms. An embedded discrete fracture model was developed to simulate reservoir production under different conductivity decay scenarios, while… More >

Cuiping Yuan^1,2,*, Sicun Zhong^1,3,*, Yijia Wu^1,3, Man Chen⁴, Ying Wang^1,3, Yinping Cao⁵, Jia Chen^1,2

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.21, No.7, pp. 1689-1710, 2025, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2025.065151 - 31 July 2025

Abstract Field development practices in many shale gas regions (e.g., the Changning region) have revealed a persistent issue of suboptimal reserve utilization, particularly in areas where the effective drainage width of production wells is less than half the inter-well spacing (typically 400–500 m). To address this, infill drilling has become a widely adopted and effective strategy for enhancing reservoir contact and mobilizing previously untapped reserves. However, this approach has introduced significant inter-well interference, complicating production dynamics and performance evaluation. The two primary challenges hindering efficient deployment of infill wells are: (1) the quantitative assessment of hydraulic… More >

Weiyang Xie^1,2, Cheng Chang^1,2, Ziqin Lai^1,2,*, Sha Liu^1,2, Han Xiao^1,2

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.21, No.6, pp. 1417-1438, 2025, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2025.060956 - 30 June 2025

Abstract In the context of post-stimulation shale gas wells, the terms “shut-in” and “flowback” refer to two critical phases that occur after hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has been completed. These stages play a crucial role in determining both the well’s initial production performance and its long-term hydrocarbon recovery. By establishing a comprehensive big data analysis platform, the flowback dynamics of over 1000 shale gas wells were analyzed in this work, leading to the development of an index system for evaluating flowback production capacity. Additionally, a shut-in chart was created for wells with different types of post-stimulation fracture More >

Qi Deng¹, Qi Ruan², Bo Zeng¹, Qiang Liu³, Yi Song¹, Shen Cheng¹, Huiying Tang^2,*

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.21, No.5, pp. 1201-1219, 2025, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2025.060311 - 30 May 2025

Abstract Over more than a decade of development, medium to deep shale gas reservoirs have faced rapid production declines, making sustained output challenging. To harness remaining reserves effectively, advanced fracturing techniques such as infill drilling are essential. This study develops a complex fracture network model for dual horizontal wells and a four-dimensional in-situ stress evolution model, grounded in elastic porous media theory. These models simulate and analyze the evolution of formation pore pressure and in-situ stress during production. The investigation focuses on the influence of infill well fracturing timing on fracture propagation patterns, individual well productivity, and… More >

Anqi Du^1,*, Ming Wen², Jian Yang¹

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.21, No.4, pp. 939-957, 2025, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2024.058553 - 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 More >

Sheng Ju, Jie Liu^*

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.21, No.3, pp. 529-542, 2025, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2024.057535 - 01 April 2025

Abstract As shale gas technology has advanced, the horizontal well fracturing model has seen widespread use, leading to substantial improvements in industrial gas output from shale gas wells. Nevertheless, a swift decline in the productivity of individual wells remains a challenge that must be addressed throughout the development process. In this study, gas wells with two different wellbore trajectory structures are considered, and the OLGA software is exploited to perform transient calculations on various tubing depth models. The results can be articulated as follows. In terms of flow patterns: for the deep well A₁ (upward-buckled), slug flow… More > Graphic Abstract

Haijie Zhang¹, Haifeng Zhao², Ming Jiang^3,*, Junwei Pu¹, Yuanping Luo¹, Weiming Chen¹, Tongtong Luo^1,4, Zhiqiang Li⁵, Xinan Yu⁶

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.21, No.1, pp. 221-232, 2025, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2024.053496 - 24 January 2025

Abstract Pressure control in deep shale gas horizontal wells can reduce the stress sensitivity of hydraulic fractures and improve the estimated ultimate recovery (EUR). In this study, a hydraulic fracture stress sensitivity model is proposed to characterize the effect of pressure drop rate on fracture permeability. Furthermore, a production prediction model is introduced accounting for a non-uniform hydraulic fracture conductivity distribution. The results reveal that increasing the fracture conductivity leads to a rapid daily production increase in the early stages. However, above 0.50 D·cm, a further increase in the fracture conductivity has a limited effect on More >

Shangjun Gao^1,2, Yang Yang¹, Man Chen¹, Jian Zheng¹, Luqi Qin^2,*, Xiangyu Liu², Jianying Yang¹

Energy Engineering, Vol.121, No.11, pp. 3305-3329, 2024, DOI:10.32604/ee.2024.053622 - 21 October 2024

Abstract Horizontal well drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing are key technologies for the development of shale gas reservoirs. Instantaneous acquisition of hydraulic fracture parameters is crucial for evaluating fracturing effectiveness, optimizing processes, and predicting gas productivity. This paper establishes a transient flow model for shale gas wells based on the boundary element method, achieving the characterization of stimulated reservoir volume for a single stage. By integrating pressure monitoring data following the pumping shut-in period of hydraulic fracturing for well testing interpretation, a workflow for inverting fracture parameters of shale gas wells is established. This new method… More >

Sha Liu^*, Jianfa Wu, Xuefeng Yang, Weiyang Xie, Cheng Chang

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.20, No.10, pp. 2301-2321, 2024, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2024.052454 - 23 September 2024

Abstract The pivotal areas for the extensive and effective exploitation of shale gas in the Southern Sichuan Basin have recently transitioned from mid-deep layers to deep layers. Given challenges such as intricate data analysis, absence of effective assessment methodologies, real-time control strategies, and scarce knowledge of the factors influencing deep gas wells in the so-called flowback stage, a comprehensive study was undertaken on over 160 deep gas wells in Luzhou block utilizing linear flow models and advanced big data analytics techniques. The research results show that: (1) The flowback stage of a deep gas well presents… More > Graphic Abstract