Abstract: Reservoir simulators and hydraulic fracturing simulators have historically not been integrated because each is complicated on its own. In many companies they remain the domain of a few subject matter experts (SMEs). This talk reports on recent advances in integrating models for geomechanics, fracture propagation and compositional reservoir simulation with models for multi-phase fluid flow in the wellbore. This integration allows us to address important problems ranging from fracture design, completion design, refracturing, infill wells, choke management, induced seismicity, thermal fracturing, fracture containment, fracture diagnostics, IOR and of course classical reservoir simulation problems such as waterflooding (with growing injection induced fractures). These important applications can only be addressed with the full integration of 3-D geomechanics, fracture propagation and fluid flow simulations.

The key to the widespread use of such powerful and general models is to allow users to run these models in a time frame that allows operational decisions to be made and to ensure that they are accessible to reservoir, completion and production engineers as well as SMEs. We refer to these as “fit-for-purpose” simulations. The model must allow a user to only turn on features of the model that are deemed essential to the results. For example, a completion engineer designing a completion may not need to simulate the reservoir or fracture in detail when designing a set of extreme limited entry, tapered perforation clusters. As each additional feature (such as thermal effects, geomechanics, compositional effects) are turned on, the simulation becomes more complex and computationally demanding. A user must be able to select model features that are essential to their specific problem. This allows the model to be used for a wide variety of problems with different degrees of complexity by users with a wide range of expertise.

Examples are provided to show how such a model has been used for perforation design, fracture design, choke management, waterflooding, huff-n-puff IOR and other applications. It is shown that the interplay of geomechanics, flow and fractures can play a dominant role in reservoir performance and is essential for predicting well and reservoir performance. Finally, the need for further research, model limitations and some missing parts of the puzzle are highlighted.