Fluid flow simulation in naturally fractured media using interface solid finite elements with high aspect ratio

Abstract

Natural fractures exert a strong influence in the hydraulic behavior of a porous system, thus having a great impact in many areas of geotechnical engineering, such as hydroge-ology and petroleum engineering. This work employs a two-dimensional finite element technique to treat fluid flow on naturally fractured reservoirs in the context of discrete fracture models (DFM), where fractures are explicitly represented in the reservoir geometry. The fractures are represented by solid finite elements with high aspect ratio (HAR) and together with an appropriate constitutive model. Numerical examples are used to evaluate the influence of fracture’s parameters by means of the equivalent permeability of the porous media.