A computational method of productivity forecast of a multi-angle fractured horizontal well using the discrete fracture model

Multi-staged fracturing for horizontal wells is an important technique of stimulation in a naturally-fractured reservoir (NFR). Due to the complexity of the in-situ stress and the impact of natural fractures, there is usually a certain angle between the hydraulic fractures and the wellbore, which makes the production forecast of the fractured horizontal well very difficult. Based on the discrete fracture model (DFM), a computational method for the productivity of a multi-angle fractured horizontal well in NFR is established. The result of a practical case shows that the error between the computing results and the field data is less than 5% for considering the effect of the arbitrary of natural fractures and the angular of hydraulic fractures. A sensitivity analysis that was carried out indicates that the angle between the fracture and the wellbore has a significant impact on the horizontal well productivity. With the increase of fracture aperture, the productivity increases. Due to the interference that exists between fractures, the higher the fracture numbers there are does not mean the better productivity is.