Double porosity finite element method for borehole modeling

This paper considers the mechanical and hydraulic response around an arbitrary oriented borehole drilled in a naturally fractured formation. The formation is treated as a double porosity medium consisting of the primary rock matrix as well as the fractured systems, which are each distinctly different in porosity and permeability. The poro-mechanical formulations that couple matrix and fracture deformations as well as fluid flow aspects are presented. A double porosity and double permeability finite element solution for any directional borehole drilled in the fractured porous medium is given. Compared with conventional single-porosity analyses, the proposed double-porosity solution has a larger pore pressure in the matrix and a smaller tensile stress in the near-wellbore region. The effects of time, fracture, mud weight, and borehole inclination in the double-porosity solution are parametrically studied to develop a better understanding of physical characteristics governing borehole problems.