Development of a Model for Transboundary Flow

With the boom in shale plays, rate transient analysis has become the most important tool for the analysis of shales. Due to low permeability of shales, wells remain in a transient flow regime for long times (months or years) and even after several years, boundary dominated flow (usually from complete fracture interference or actual boundary) may not be observed. This prolonging of transient flow also prolongs the transition period between the end of linear flow (primary or compound linear flow) and the onset of complete boundary dominated flow, thus becoming a flow regime in itself. This study will develop an analytical model for the transition flow regime. We expect that it will be influenced by the spacing, length, and lack of uniformity in hydraulic fracture characteristics in horizontal wells with multiple fractures. Inflow from unstimulated matrix beyond the fractured region will also influence the characteristics of this transition flow regime. We will call this flow regime the transboundary flow regime.