An Approximated Modeling of Hydraulic Fracture Treatment: A Case Study from One of the Iranian Western Oilfields

Hydraulic fracturing is the most common stimulation method for wells the production rate of which is uneconomical due to reservoir low permeability or near wellbore damage. Since many Iranian oil and gas producer wells have low productivity and many Iranian hydrocarbon fields have also entered the second half of their life, hydraulic stimulation is inevitable for recovery enhancement and thereby safeguarding these blessing resources. This study presents an integrated scheme to estimate recovery enhancement and to forecast the performance of hydraulic fracture treatment in oil wells. This model integrates a fracture geometry model, a production model, and an economic model. These models determine fracture geometry, the production of hydraulically fractured reservoirs, and the net present value resulted from hydraulic fracture treatment. The results of applying this model to a producer well in one of the Iranian western oilfields are presented. These results can be used in the preliminary design stage of hydraulic fracture treatment.