Numerical calculation of permeability tensor in fractured reservoirs

Proper characterization of fracture reservoir is crucial for their sound development plan. It is however very difficult to correctly obtain various fracture reservoir properties such as permeability due to high order of heterogeneity and anisotropy within these reservoirs. Classical dual porosity and/or dual permeability models consider a regular fracture network across the reservoir. To improve the concept, we develop a numerical method for tonsorial permeability calculation of blocks with random/disordered fracture distribution. We considered a 2D Cartesian fine grid in which the fractures were defined explicitly with their endpoints coordinates. Applying proper boundary conditions, single phase flow is then solved. Full tensor permeability is then obtained analytically from the calculated flow and pressure fields. The result of our method is compared well with that of the analytical models for simple fracture systems. In addition we reported the permeability tensor values of random fracture networks where no analytical solution is available.