System and method for characterizing fractures in a subsurface reservoir

A method to optimize fracture characteristics within a reservoir model of a subsurface reservoir, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a subsurface reservoir having a fracture intersecting a production well and a reservoir model representative of the subsurface reservoir, the reservoir model defining one or more properties of the fracture intersecting the production well;
• (b) providing dynamic production data from the production well, the dynamic production data including a measured fluid flow rate from the fracture into the production well;
• (c) simulating fluid flow in the reservoir model to obtain a simulated fluid flow rate from the fracture into the production well;
• and
• (d) optimizing the reservoir model by adjusting the one or more properties of the fracture intersecting the production well responsive to the measured fluid flow rate in step (b) and the simulated fluid flow rate in step (c).

A system to optimize fracture characteristics within a well model representative of a production well in a fractured subsurface reservoir, the system comprising:

• a computer processer;
• a database that stores a well model representative of a production well in a fractured subsurface reservoir and associated well information including simulation input data, parameter data, fracture data, and simulation output data;
• and
• a software program executable on the computer processer, the software program comprising:
• a fracture adjustment module which:
• generates the fracture data responsive to the parameter data, the fracture data defining one or more properties of a fracture intersecting the production well;
• is adapted to communicate with a flow simulation module of a reservoir simulator such that the flow simulation module uses the parameter data, the fracture data, and the simulation input data to simulate fluid flow in the well model and output the simulation output data including a simulated fluid flow rate from the fracture into the production well;
• and
• updates the one or more properties of the fracture intersecting the production well defined by the fracture data responsive to the simulation output data including the simulated fluid flow rate from the fracture into the production well.

A software program stored on a processor readable medium used to optimize fracture characteristics within a reservoir model of a subsurface reservoir, the software program comprising:

• a fracture adjustment module which:
• generates a fracture representation for a reservoir model including one or more properties of a fracture intersecting a production well in a subsurface reservoir;
• is adapted to communicate with a flow simulation module of a reservoir simulator such that the flow simulation module uses the fracture representation to simulate fluid flow in the reservoir model and output a simulated fluid flow rate from the fracture into the production well;
• and
• optimizes the fracture representation by adjusting the one or more properties of the fracture intersecting the production well responsive to the simulated fluid flow rate from the fracture into the production well.