The Effect of Hydraulic Fracturing on the Performance of Gas Condensate Systems

Gas condensate reservoirs usually exhibit complex flow behaviors due to the buildup of condensate bank around the wellbore when the bottom-hole pressure falls below the dew point. Hydraulic fracturing improves well productivity by delaying the onset of dew point pressure and also reducing the condensate saturation near the wellbore area. The authors present the results of a study that compared the near wellbore behaviors and productivities of a vertical nonfractured well and a vertical hydraulically fractured well in a low permeability lean gas condensate reservoir. Results show that there is no indication of capillary number effects in this low permeability reservoir because of low production rates.