Abstract
Traditionally, carbonate reservoirs like Karachaganak rely on acid stimulation to enhance well productivity, achieving significant reductions in skin factors. However, in tight, low-permeability formations, the effectiveness of acid stimulation in productivity improvement is limited (Al-Enezi et al., 2022). On the other hand, this paper examines the application of propped hydraulic fracturing in tight carbonate reservoirs, with a focus on the Karachaganak gas condensate field. A sector model was built based on a recently drilled well in a low-fractured zone of the Karachaganak field. The model was used to simulate various stimulation scenarios, including no stimulation, acid stimulation, and hydraulic fracturing with multiple stages.
Results indicate that while hydraulic fracturing significantly improves the Productivity Index (PI) and sustains flow over a decade, the production rates remain lower compared to wells connected to extensive natural fracture networks. Nevertheless, it showed much better results than other methods of stimulations. The study also explores cost reduction strategies, such as using lower quality proppants and optimizing the number and spacing of fracturing stages. Furthermore, the potential benefits of hydraulic fracturing in enhancing natural gas lift were evaluated, highlighting the importance of fracture geometry and rock properties.
This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into the limitations and advantages of propped hydraulic fracturing stimulation technique in tight carbonate reservoirs, offering practical recommendations for optimizing well productivity and reducing operational costs.
