Shales or mudstones are fine grained and layered reservoirs, which leads to strong shale permeability anisotropy. Shale has a wide pore-size distribution, and pores with different diameters contribute differently to the apparent permeability of shales. Therefore, understanding the anisotropy of multiscale shale gas reservoirs is an important aspect to model and evaluate gas production from shales. In this paper, a novel model of permeability anisotropy for shale gas reservoirs is presented to calculate the permeability in an arbitrary direction in three dimensional space. A numerical model which is valid for the entire Knudsen’s range (continuum flow, slip flow, transition flow and free molecular flow) in shale gas reservoirs was developed, and the effect of gas-water flow and the simulation of hydraulic fracturing cracks were taken into consideration as well. The simulation result of the developed model was validated with field data. Effects of critical factors such as permeability anisotropy, relative permeability curves with different nanopore radii and initial water saturation in formation on the gas production rate of multi-stage fractured horizontal well were discussed. Besides, flow regimes of gas flow in shales were classified by Knudsen number, and the effect of various flow regimes on both apparent permeability of shales and then the gas production has been analyzed thoroughly.

The thermal recovery method of steam flooding is one of the most common development methods for heavy oil reservoirs. However, after multiple rounds of steam injection development, the composition of crude oil and reservoir rock properties have changed greatly, which is unfavorable for the subsequent enhanced oil recovery. It is necessary to study the distribution of the remaining oil after the thermal recovery of heavy oil reservoirs, and clarify the change characteristics of the components of the crude oil under different steam injection conditions. At the same time, the change of porosity and the permeability of the rocks after steam flooding, and its influence on oil recovery, are investigated. In this paper, the composition changes of heavy oil before and after steam flooding are studied through experiments and numerical simulation methods. A numerical model is established to study the retention characteristics of heavy components in heavy oil reservoirs by the CMG software. The effects of different steam injection conditions, and heavy oil with different components on the residual retention of heavy components, are compared and studied. The changes of rock physical properties in heavy oil reservoirs after steam flooding is clarified. The results show that after steam flooding, the heavy components (resin and asphaltenes) of the recovered oil decrease, and the heavy components in the formation increase in varying degrees. With the increase of heavy components in the crude oil, the remaining oil in the formation increases after steam flooding, and the retention of heavy components increases; after steam flooding, the stronger the rock cementation strength, the higher the degree of reserve recovery, and it is difficult to form breakthrough channels; the greater the steam injection intensity, the earlier to see steam breakthrough in the production well, and the lower the degree of reserve recovery. The research reveals the changes of heavy oil components and rock properties after steam flooding, providing support for the subsequent enhanced oil recovery.

Oil flow in inter-salt shale oil reservoirs is different from that of other oil fields due to its high salt content. Dissolution and diffusion occur when the salt minerals meet the water-based working fluid, resulting in drastic changes in the shale’s permeability. In addition, ignoring the stress-sensitive effect will cause significant errors in naturally fractured reservoirs for a large number of the natural fractures developed in shales. This study presents a transient pressure behavior model for a multi-stage fractured horizontal well (MFHW) in inter-salt shale oil reservoirs, considering the dissolution of salt and the stress sensitivity mentioned above. The analytical solution of our model was obtained by applying the methods of Pedrosa’s linearization, the perturbation technique and Laplace transformation. The transient pressure of a multi-stage fractured horizontal well in an inter-salt shale oil reservoir was obtained in real space by using the method of Stehfest’s numerical inversion. The bi-logarithmic-type curves thus obtained reflected the characteristics of the transient pressure behavior of a MFHW for the inter-salt shale oil reservoirs, and eight flow periods were recognized in the type curves. The effects of salt dissolution, stress sensitivity, the storativity ratio and other parameters on the type curves were analyzed thoroughly, which is of great significance for understanding the transient flow behavior of inter-salt shale oil reservoirs.

The low-velocity non-Darcy effect within the shale matrix significantly influences the well production performance of shale reservoirs, primarily caused by the threshold pressure gradient identified by various researchers. Moreover, in inter-salt shale reservoirs, salt minerals dissolve and diffuse when they encounter water-based working fluids, resulting in substantial alterations in pore structure. This paper introduces a transient pressure model for inter-salt shale oil reservoirs that accounts for oil flow from formation to the wellbore, considering all of the aforementioned mechanisms. The partial differential equations of this dual-porosity model, which incorporate salt dissolution and the low-velocity non-Darcy effect in the shale matrix, are derived. An accurate solution is achieved through the application of Laplace transformation and Green’s functions. We derive the analytical solutions for transient pressure and production in real space by employing the Stehfest numerical inversion method and obtain the bi-logarithmic type curves. Six distinct flow regimes are identified, and the impacts of salt dissolution, the threshold pressure gradient, the cross-flow coefficient, and the storativity ratio are discussed. This analysis holds significant importance for evaluating fluid flow and transport in inter-salt shale oil reservoirs.

During the production of high-sulfur-content gas–water wells, elemental sulfur saturated in natural gas gradually precipitates as solid particles with decreasing wellbore temperature and pressure. When these sulfur particles cannot be continuously carried upward in the gas–liquid–solid three-phase flow formed with natural gas and formation water, they tend to deposit in the wellbore, potentially blocking the production string and even severely restricting the gas well’s deliverability. Current research on predictive models for the critical gas flow velocity required to carry sulfur particles remain inadequate. Therefore, accurately predicting this critical velocity and adjusting production to prevent deposition are crucial for managing high-sulfur gas wells. The primary innovation of this study lies in the development of a predictive model for the critical gas flow velocity required for sulfur particle entrainment. Grounded in the “gas–liquid coalescence–liquid film entrainment” coupling mechanism revealed by preliminary experiments, this model is established through a mechanical analysis of sulfur particles within liquid films in vertical and inclined pipes. Recognizing liquid film thickness and velocity as pivotal parameters for model solving, auxiliary models for predicting these two parameters in inclined pipe annular flow were developed based on experimental results and the momentum balance principle. The proposed model comprehensively incorporates factors such as well inclination angle, pipe diameter, liquid flow rate, and sulfur particle size, rendering it applicable to diverse well configurations including vertical, horizontal, and deviated wells. Evaluation against 48 sets of experimental data yielded a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 2.28%, demonstrating high predictive accuracy. Furthermore, an engineering calculation program for the critical gas flow velocity was developed. A case study involving a well in the Puguang Gas Field was conducted to predict and diagnose sulfur deposition conditions, thereby verifying the model’s practical utility. This research provides a scientific basis for the safe and efficient development of high-sulfur gas fields.