Stress-sensitive permeability of matrix cores and artificially fractured cores with nonproppant-filled fractures under high-pressure conditions

Stress-sensitive permeability (SSP) influences gas well productivity and is a crucial element influencing gas reservoir development. SSP for high-pressure fractured gas reservoirs with an initial reservoir pressure of more than 20 MPa has never been comprehensively evaluated to the best of our knowledge. SSP experiments with special procedures were designed by adopting the variable confining pressure (VCP) and variable internal pressure (VIP) methods. VCP is a test method in which the confining pressure is altered and a constant internal pressure is maintained for the experimental core holder. VIP is a test method in which the internal pressure is changed and a constant confining pressure is maintained. A four-stage curve analysis method was developed to perform regressions on semilogarithmic curves and exponential curves of experimental data. A method to evaluate the SSP was developed using stress sensitivity coefficients obtained via regressions. A calculation approach for determining the degrees of permeability damage and permeability recovery also was evaluated. In total, six matrix cores and six cores with artificial fractures from a high-pressure fractured sandstone gas reservoir were tested using the two methods. The SSP curves for high-pressure reservoirs were characterized by four-stage variation trends, which show differentiation with low-pressure reservoirs with an initial reservoir pressure less than 20 MPa. The stress sensitivity of the VCP method was stronger than that of the VIP method. The core samples mainly showed a “medium”/“medium-strong” stress sensitivity under low/high effective stress conditions. Compared with matrix cores, fractured cores showed stronger stress sensitivity owing to strong plasticity and weak elasticity. The maximum permeability damage degree reached 99.67%, and the minimum permeability recovery was only 6.9%. Our method of experimental design, four-stage curve analysis, stress sensitivity evaluation, and our overall findings can provide references for future studies on SSP in high-pressure fractured sandstone gas reservoirs.