Use of a New Well Productivity Model and Post-Frac Rate-Transient Data Analysis to Evlauate Production Potential of Refracturing Horizontal Wells in Shale Oil Reservoirs

Abstract Production data and analytical models derived from coupling the linear flow in the reservoir and the linear flow in hydraulic fractures were used in this study to optimize fracture spacing for maximizing productivity of shale oil and gas wells through refracturing. This study concludes that productivity of multi-fractured horizontal wells is inversely proportional to the fracture spacing. The shortest possible fracture spacing should be used to maximize well productivity through refracturing. This supports the practice of massive volume fracturing where as many as perforation clusters with the shortest possible spacing are used for pumping massive proppant into the created hydraulic fractures. Production data analysis indicates that the multi-fractured horizontal oil and gas wells could have higher productivity if they were fractured with less perforation cluster spacing. Mathematical model analysis implies that reducing the cluster spacing from 70 ft to 15 ft through refracturing can doubled well productivity, with the Minimum Required Cluster Spacing (MRCS) determined by well completion constraints (packers, perforation clusters, and casing couplings). Result can be checked for fracture trend interference on the basis of analyses of pressure transient data or production data.