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Multiporosity/multipermeability approach to the simulation of naturally fractured reservoirs
Author(s) -
Bai Mao,
Elsworth Derek,
Roegiers JeanClaude
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/92wr02746
Subject(s) - compressibility , permeability (electromagnetism) , porosity , biot number , geology , poromechanics , geotechnical engineering , mechanics , fluid dynamics , porous medium , geometry , mathematics , physics , genetics , membrane , biology
This paper presents an array of deformation‐dependent flow models of various porosities and permeabilities relevant to the characterization of naturally fractured reservoirs. A unified multiporosity multipermeability formulation is proposed as a generalization of the porosity‐ or permeability‐oriented models of specific degree. Some new relationships are identified in the parametric investigation for both single‐porosity and dual‐porosity models. A formula is derived to express Skempton's constant B by Biot's coefficient H and relative compressibility ϕ*. It is found that the recovery of the original expression for Skempton's constant B is largely dependent on the choice of ϕ*, representing relative compressibility. The dual‐porosity/dual‐permeability model is evaluated through an alternative finite element approximation. The deformation‐dependent fracture flow mechanism is introduced where the rock matrix possesses low permeability and fracture flow is dominant. A preliminary study of the reservoir simulation identifies the strong coupling between the fluid flow and solid deformation.