NANOSCALE PORE SIZE DISTRIBUTION EFFECTS ON GAS PRODUCTION FROM FRACTAL SHALE ROCKS

Effect of nanoscale pore size distribution (PSD) on shale gas production is one of the challenges to be addressed by the industry. An improved approach to study multi-scale real gas transport in fractal shale rocks is proposed to bridge nanoscale PSD and gas filed production. This approach is well validated with field tests. Results indicate the gas production is underestimated without considering a nanoscale PSD. A PSD with a larger fractal dimension in pore size and variance yields a higher fraction of large pores; this leads to a better gas transport capacity; this is owing to a higher free gas transport ratio. A PSD with a smaller fractal dimension yields a lower cumulative gas production; this is because a smaller fractal dimension results in the reduction of gas transport efficiency. With an increase in the fractal dimension in pore size and variance, an apparent permeability-shifting effect is less obvious, and the sensitivity of this effect to a nanoscale PSD is also impaired. Higher fractal dimensions and variances result in higher cumulative gas production and a lower sensitivity of gas production to a nanoscale PSD, which is due to a better gas transport efficiency. The shale apparent permeability-shifting effect to nanoscale is more sensitive to a nanoscale PSD under a higher initial reservoir pressure, which makes gas production more sensitive to a nanoscale PSD. The findings of this study can help to better understand the influence of a nanoscale PSD on gas flow capacity and gas production.