Paper: An Integrated Approach For The Determination Of Permeability Tensors And Simulation of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

The use of permeability tensors is required for modeling fluid flow in anisotropic and heterogeneous reservoirs that present multiple zones of directional permeability or those categorized as naturally fractured reserv0irs.A general procedure for characterizing complex reservoirs by integrating data and methods from different disciplines, and utilizing the permeability tensor is presented. Permeability tensors for geologically defined fracture patterns are derived, and these small-scale descriptors are incorporated into a reservoir simulation program capable of handling full tensor permeabilities. A series of numerical experiments are designed and conducted to observe what would be the influence, over a typical waterflood process in terms of fluid distribution and water break-through times, when variations to the properties that define the permeability tensor are intr0duced.A correct definition of the geometry and the permeability tensor distribution of the fracture system results in a more accurate reservoir simulation model.