Numerical simulation on influences of geological structures on shale gas development

Shale gas resources in China are abundant. The geological conditions of shale gas reservoirs in China, however, are more complex than those in the United States. In this paper, a triple-porosity medium model of gas shale was established firstly. A seepage mathematical model of shale gas extraction was established, in which adsorption, desorption, diffusion and seepage processes of the methane were taken into account. Shale gas development in Fuxin, Liaoning province was studied by numerical simulation. The informations of actual geological conditions on the shale-gas reservoir were introduced to the geological model where the special geological structures on rock fracture zone and metamorphism strings respectively resulted from the faults and the magmatic intrusion were considered. According to the simulation results, geological conditions affect the shale gas production and well arrangement; therefore, geological conditions should be considered in shale gas development.