Abstract: Higher order simulation of hydrocarbon flows associated with complex fractures produced in the hydraulic fracturing process in a well system may be used to obtain high fidelity results while minimizing a cost of computation. The higher order simulation of hydrocarbon flows may provide efficient and stable simulation algorithms that avoid any artificial boundary treatment inconsistent with the governing equations, while maintaining a uniform order of accuracy. In particular, a re-normalization technique implements higher-order finite difference/finite volume discretization near the boundary of the complex fractures. The simulation of hydrocarbon flows may be used to determine a production activity for the well system.

Abstract: In some aspects, flow path connection conditions are generated for a flow path intersection in a one-dimensional fluid flow model. The one-dimensional fluid flow model represents a flow of well system fluid in a well system environment. The flow path connection conditions conserve fluid momentum among three or more flow path branches that meet at the flow path intersection. Fluid flow is simulated in the fracture network by operating the one-dimensional fluid flow model based on the connection condition.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a discretization technique may be used to solve for fluid and proppant flow through a fracture within a dynamic fracture network. The discretization technique may involve performing a spatial discretization of non-linear coupled equations by integrating the equations over staggered finite control volumes. For example, the spatial discretization may involve integrating a continuity equation representing fluid flowing through the fracture over a first control volume along the length of the fracture, integrating a momentum equation representing the fluid flowing through the fracture over a second control volume that is staggered with respect to the first control volume, and integrating a proppant equation representative of the proppant flowing with the fluid through the fracture over the first control volume. The discretized equations may be used to determine a linear system of equations to simulate proppant flow through the dynamic fracture network.

Abstract: Present embodiments are directed to a method that includes receiving inputs indicative of a property of a fracture present within a dynamic fracture network, assigning an orientation to each of the plurality of fractures, and receiving variables representative of the endpoints of the fracture between a first junction and a second junction of the plurality of junctions. The method also includes determining a linear system representing fluid flow within the fracture based on Navier-Stokes equations, as a function of the variables at the first junction and the second junction. The method further includes displaying a simulation representative of a fluid flow through the fracture based on the junction conditions via a display coupled to the processing component.

Abstract: A method for improved data-driven estimation of a stimulated reservoir volume may generate an optimized surface that encloses a set of data points including microseismic event data corresponding to a treatment of a subterranean formation. A Delaunay triangulation may be performed on the set of data points to generate a set of polytopes. A Voronoi polygon may be generated about each data point and used to obtain a local density measure that is locally and adaptively determined for each data point. Based on the local density measure, polytopes in the set of polytopes may be discriminated for inclusion in the optimized surface.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a methodology may be used to computationally simulate a system of equations relating to the junction points of a dynamic fracture network (DFN). The simulation may utilize one or more efficient algorithms to perform a realistic, physically conservative, and stable coupled simulation of the DFN's complex flows. These algorithms may use assumptions based on the transient Navier-Stokes equations to perform the proppant laden flow simulation. As described in detail below, the algorithms may utilize a numerical methodology that accurately simulates a junction system of equations arising from solving the fluid and proppant flows inside individual fractures based on Navier-Stokes equations along with a proppant transport equation.

Abstract: Present embodiments are directed to a method that includes receiving inputs indicative of a property of a fracture within a dynamic fracture network, assigning an orientation to each of the plurality of fractures, and assigning a plurality of fracture nodes and fracture cells encompassing each fracture node along the fracture. The method also includes receiving variables representative of apertures at a first fracture node and a second fracture node and determining fluid flow within the fracture cell based on Navier-Stokes equations with proppant transport, as a function of the conditions at the first fracture node and the second fracture node. The method further includes displaying a simulation representative of a flow of proppant through the fracture based on the junction conditions via a display coupled to the processing component.

Abstract: In some aspects, a flow model represents a flow path for well system fluid in a subterranean region. A first system of equations from a finite element (FE) discretization of a flow model is accessed by a computer system. A second system of equations that imposes a constraint on errors between an exact solution and an FE solution to the flow model is accessed by the computer system. The FE solution includes nodes representing locations along the flow path for well system fluid in the subterranean region. Locations of the nodes can be computed by operations of the computer system in an iterative manner by computing locations of new nodes based on locations of existing nodes and refining the locations of the new nodes and the locations of the existing nodes based on the first and second systems of equations.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of modeling a downhole drilling tool is disclosed. The method may include obtaining microseismic data corresponding to a treatment of a subterranean region, the microseismic data including a microseismic event time for each of a plurality of microseismic events, and a microseismic event location for each of the plurality of microseismic events. The method may additionally include calculating a plurality of fracture planes based upon the microseismic event times, and calculating a closed boundary enclosing a first subset of the plurality of fracture planes. The method may further include identifying a microseismic supported stimulated reservoir volume (?SRN) for the treatment based on the closed boundary.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of computational modeling for tracking ball sealers in a wellbore is disclosed. The method may include, for a time step, calculating a number of ball sealers to inject into a wellbore, injecting the ball sealers, determining a length of the wellbore occupied by a fluid, and computing a spacing between each ball sealer in the length of the wellbore occupied by the fluid. The method may include calculating a first position of a ball sealer, determining a velocity the ball sealer, and computing a second position of the ball sealer. The method may include recording a number of active ball sealers and open perforations in the wellbore, calculating a ball sealer skin per division, and determining a fluid flow rate. The method may include selecting parameters for a stimulation operation in the wellbore based on the fluid flow rate.

Abstract: In some aspects, a closed boundary is computed based on locations and location-uncertainty domains of microseismic events associated with a stimulation treatment of a subterranean region. The closed boundary encloses the locations and respective location-uncertainty domains of multiple microseismic event data points. An error bound of a stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) for the stimulation treatment is identified based on the closed boundary.

Abstract: In some aspects, a stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) parameter for a stimulation treatment applied to a subterranean region is identified. A parameter of a fracture-plane network generated by application of the stimulation treatment is identified. A correlation between the SRV parameter and the fracture-plane network parameter is identified. In some implementations, the SRV and the fracture-plane network are computed based on microseismic event data associated with the stimulation treatment.

Abstract: Systems, methods and software can be used for processing microseismic data from a subterranean region. In some aspects, groupings of data points are identified. The data points are based on microseismic data from a subterranean region. The identification of the groupings is constrained such that each grouping includes at least a minimum number of the data points, and such that the data points in each grouping have at most a maximum extent of variation. In some instances, a histogram of the data points is generated, and each of the identified groupings corresponds to a bin in the histogram.

Abstract: In some aspects, a grid-point-spacing ratio is computed for a one-dimensional fluid flow model. The one-dimensional fluid flow model represents a flow path for well system fluid in a subterranean region, and the grid-point-spacing ratio is computed based on a parameter of the flow path. Grid points for the one-dimensional flow model are generated based on the grid-point-spacing ratio.

Abstract: In some aspects, reservoir characterizations of subterranean regions can be enhanced by using realtime fracture matching techniques for capturing the time dependent evolution of fracture parameters based on the occurrence of the time microseismic events generated by stimulation treatments. These microseismic events may further be used to determine hydraulic fracture planes, identify areas of concentration of high density microseismic events, identify and analyze complex fracture networks, and use these and other techniques to enhance the reservoir characterization.

Abstract: In some aspects, first and second boundaries are computed based on locations of microseismic events associated with a stimulation treatment of a subterranean region. Based on the first and second boundaries, an uncertainty associated with a stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) for the stimulation treatment is identified. The first and second boundaries are defined in a common spatial domain and at least a portion of the second boundary resides outside the first boundary.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of modeling for one-dimensional temperature distribution calculations in a wellbore is disclosed. The method may include estimating a pressure gradient of a fluid in a wellbore. The method may further include calculating a pressure of the fluid in the wellbore based on the pressure gradient of the fluid. Additionally, the method may include computing a velocity of the fluid in the wellbore. The method may also include determining a temperature of the fluid in the wellbore based on the pressure of the fluid in the wellbore and the velocity of the fluid in the wellbore. The method further includes using the temperature of the fluid to model a fluid property. The method includes selecting parameters for a stimulation operation based on the fluid property.

Abstract: In some aspects, a closed boundary is computed based on locations of microseismic events associated with a stimulation treatment of a subterranean region. Based on the boundary, a stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) for the stimulation treatment is identified. The boundary encloses a first subset of the locations and a second, different subset of the locations reside outside the boundary.

Abstract: In some aspects, a first boundary is computed based on microseismic event locations associated with a first stage of a multi-stage injection treatment of a subterranean region. A second boundary is computed based on microseismic event locations associated with a second stage of the multi-stage injection treatment. Based on the first and second boundaries, an overlap between stimulated reservoir volumes (SRVs) associated with the first and second stages is determined.

Abstract: In some aspects, a boundary is computed based on locations of microseismic events associated with a stimulation treatment of a subterranean region. A major axis of a stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) for the stimulation treatment is identified based on the boundary. In some examples, the boundary is an ellipsoid, and the major axis of the ellipsoid is identified.